Soundcraft EFX8 8-channel Mixer with Effects Reviews

This is my second Soundcraft Mixer, replacing an MFX8, which is no longer made. This mixer is just as good or better than the MFX. Slightly smaller footprint by 2"x2", but seems to produce an even cleaner sound. My last mixer lasted over a decade with some heavy use at times. I'm please with this mixer and recommend it. It's certainly better than others I have used.

The sound quality of this mixer is soooooooo much better than my Mackie and even my Yamaha. FXs are very natural sounding. If you need a small inexpensive mixer, this is the one!

After 20 years of faithful service my Mackie mixer needed to be replaced. I looked at all the mixers I could that had the features I needed and chose the Soundcraft. Glad I did. This unit is solid! I'm very happy with the audio quality, ease of use and the Lexicon effects are awesome!!

A manager at a large music retail chain told me they have rented Soundcraft mixers for decades. He said the efx were highly reliable, and very rarely failed in any way.
Sound quality is first class.

Had a Behringer mixer that was simply unreliable and appeared to be poorly made. Unlike some of the controls (ex. gain controls) on the Behringer which were flimsy and eventually became unreliable (volume would drop in the middle of a song and if you lightly tapped the gain, you came back), the controls on the Soundcraft appear to be much tighter and solid. Overall the sound of the Soundcraft is better/cleaner and the EQ and effects seem to be a much higher quality than the Behringer. How will it hold up over time ? We'll have to see. The Behringer took about 2 1/2 years to develop problems.

Every once in a while, there is that one gear purchase that makes me want to smack myself for not finding it sooner. That is the sentiment of the Soundcraft EFX8 Mixer.

Over the past decades, I've changed my keyboard rig numerous times depending on the shows I am involved with. From large venue concerts to outdoor events to club venues, I used to have a different configuration of gear for each. I've always joked that I'll give the sound crew a left and a right XLR, and what they do with it is their business. Whether with in-ear monitoring or ambient speakers, "my sound" is always sounds perfect by me; how it sounds out front is what the sound man is paid to take care of.

Well, that "left and a right XLR" thing has bitten me plenty of times. There's someone who says "I only want a single TRS", or "i only want a single XLR", "would you give me a pair of TS please?" I used to carry multiple mixers, and sometimes multiple effects racks just to accommodate the possibilities. I used a Samson SM-10 a lot of the time, and my backup was a Peavey PV-10 and an old Yamaha 8-channel (so old the model name wore off it, but it worked). What a nightmare.

Earlier this year, I borrowed an EFX8 Mixer and used it all summer in literally every hook-up configuration with a gaggle of different sound men, it worked flawlessly. Problem solved. The EFX8...straight up...no rack gear...no add-ons...resolved the problem. I bought my own EFX8 at the end of summer, and have no doubt we'll have a long future together.

Rotary knobs are a blessing when you need to tweak something on the fly, in the dark, during a show, with 1 hand while looking out of the corner of your eye. EFX8's pods are very sensitive to the slightest touch. Being color-coded makes it idiot proof for me, which is a bonus find.

My only complaint about this board is that Soundcraft should take the exact same electronics and make a rack-version with rear-facing jacks. it is THE ideal keyboard mixer for any keyboard rig you can dream of.

Extremely great especially for the price. Can't beat the effects. I use it to power my JBL PA system.

When Wayne recommended this $400 mixer for my barn, paired with QSC 8s, I was... concerned... Soundcraft? Don't they make cheap crap? Well... The unit really is everything it needs to be and more. In fact, its been pressed into service as a small stage unit for a nightclub where we use it for open mics and late night shows.

Open Mics are one of the true tests of a mixer. Some guitars are loud and brassy, others are soft and boomy. Some people sing big and close to the mic, others are too far away and practically whisper. It's freakin impossible, in other words, to make it all sound consistent and as good as it can 2unless you can mix and eq quickly on the fly. Plus: you need reverb for vocals. Trust me. And, Open Mic hosts are performers, not sound pros. It has to be dead easy or it won't happen.

The EFX8 has been solid in this job for about 8 months now. Everything is right there where you need it, easy to make work. The parametric eq is awesome. The Lexicon 'verb makes everyone sound... well, better, anyway. The speakers are ceiling mounted so we have to leave them on all the time, which means we leave the board on all the time (avoid those annoying pops). So far, no problem.

I wish there were more control over the monitor outs. If there is a way to adjust them by track rather than globally, I haven't found it. And I can never remember how to send the effects mix to the monitor. I'm pretty sure its easy. But the manual is pretty easy, but needs to be more a tutorial for newbies. There are videos, but some people (older) just don't learn well that way...

But for $400 (now $370) and a very small footprint, this thing makes mostly dead simple sound really, really great.

Recommended by my sales engineer, Chris. I use it for small to medium size venues for a small band and ensembles. Has a great sound, is easy to use, lightweight, low noise floor. For the price, it's pretty sweet. I use it as a replacement for a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro and a Mackie 808s (I now have powered speakers, so I no longer need a powered head). It's definitely an upgrade in terms of sound quality. The onboard Lexicon effects are really nice. I also recently purchased JBL EON610 speakers (which I use as monitors) and already have a pair of Mackie SRM 450 speakers for mains. The Soundcraft sounds great with them.

Dan Van Amerongen guided me toward this mixer when I was seeking one for my music room and for small gigs. I was unfamiliar with this brand and mostly have used Mackie mixers. I am quite impressed with the clarity of the sound and the quality of the onboard effects. This device has been a perfect addition to my practice room. This is a GREAT mixer.

Thanks, Dan.

I recently needed a replacement for my Yamaha 16 channel mixer that had served me well, but was getting along in years. The Soundcraft EFX8 had all the features and inputs I need for both of my bands and the reviews were good so I ordered it. The mixer sounds fantastic and the Lexicon effects really complement the mixer. My guitarist, a recording engineer by trade, gave it a big thumbs up. The mix is punchy and well defined. Adding to that, it's compact and a quick setup. As usual, my rep at Sweetwater (thanks, Jim!) did his typical stellar job of taking care of me. I ordered on Monday and had it in time to familiarize myself with it for a gig that Friday. Thanks, Sweetwater!

This board is solid and a keeper
But..
After using for a while have second thoughts on the efx being creamy
Usable but most guitar pedals have better reverb

For a solo , duet , 3pc , it's the perfect tool.
All inputs and outputs neutrik ( it matters )
Efx are creamy smooth
Easy set up .no menu screen , no boot up , no updates , no fail .has
Knobs , faders , no touch screen .
Everything at your fingertips .

Get it and two Qsc k8.2
Get booked , get paid , get asked back
Great for live , solid build , not a toy ...

Yes, there are features I wish it had, like compression/limiting, effect selection display, mute lights, anti feedback, graphic eq, etc.
But what you do get .... is pretty darn awesome. I use my mixer for 16 hours a day everyday. Because I have my stereo, computer, guitar, microphone and TV all plugged into it. Even my telephone is plugged into it (magicjack). And so my mixer is on for 16 to 18 hours a day, everyday. And here it is a year later and it still looks and works like the day I got it.
So I can safely say that this is built to last. 6000+ hours and still like new.
All the features it does have are good. Nothing disappoints. But some features are really impressive.
The preamps for one. I'm using a 30 year old SM-58 microphone to lay down vocal tracks over karaoke backing tracks, and recording them onto CuBase. I have owned several Tascam home recording studios over the decades, but I was totally blown away at the instant results I got with the EFX8. On my powerful home stereo system I was playing back my tracks and I could not tell my vocals from the originals. I even dare to say that my vocals were better than the originals. They sat perfectly in the mix, and without any trouble. Flat EQ on all of them! And I was singing along with dozens of Beatle, Tom Petty, Doors and Alice In Chains tracks. My girlfriend never even realized that the recordings I made weren't the original studio songs. Sometimes I even forget. "Oh man, that's me singing! LOL"
So the preamps far surpass anything I've used at home in the last 30 years, but then I can also remark that the eq section, while simple, are certainly very nice.
Lastly, the effects......there is no disappointment here. I've used SPX-90s and Quadraverbs for the last 30 years, but the effects section on the EFX8 is just very easy to use and absolutely delicious. There are no great phasers or flangers, but the reverb and delays......they are just top notch. It's almost hard to get a bad sound. There are dozens of types to choose from, including stereo, and they all sound extremely professional. I absolutely love the reverbs.
I guess I should mention the headroom. While the EFX8 comes with all kinds of overload lights for the gain, preamps, effects in and the mains out.....I have found that I really have to grossly disregard the red light warnings before an audible distortion actually results.
Also, I have used the independent effects inserts for compressors and such, and have found them to be flawless.
I did have one of the slider plastic knobs fall off, and had to glue it back on.
I took my mixer to band rehearsal, and the guys were all blown away by the rich reverbs and tone of this little mixer. It blew away out 32 band Behringer mixer.
So there you have it. It sounds way better than any of the dozens of live mixers I've had to deal with over the last 40 years.

Got this mixer for my smaller acoustic band, fits the bill perfectly! I needed 8 inputs and one aux send for this project, and I wanted a small footprint. Great effects which have plenty adjustments. I like having the insert points on each channel, two are being used for external effects on acoustic guitars. It's really nice having PFL monitoring ability, and the sweepable midrange EQ function on every channel is awesome, I can really get things dialed in for a great sound out front! Two thing missing that I would have liked to have, are high pass filters on each channel and a master volume for the aux send. Not show-stoppers, but certainly nice to have. Bottom line, the EFX8 is kind of "old school", but nonetheless it is a rugged, small footprint mixer with a great sound!

I never rate anything. I just came from a classic mackie 1402 VLZ and thought it was about as good as I could get for what I paid. Turns out buying old used gear for cheap isnt a smart investment. This is a smart investment. Built like a tank, this thing is making all my synths and drum machines sound brand new. It can make my analog stuff sound bright and digital or warm and thick. The eq is worth it alone. Not to mention the pretty decent lexicon effects. (I think people exaggerate how good it is, its fine, dont toss your processors)

The unit looks fantastic, and has a lower noise floor than the mackie I had. Buy it! OR wait for the new signature series. Whatever!

I never give something a 5 star but this unit was close to it. Love the effects. Was easy to set up. The electrical plug in is under neath the unit. That is sort of inconvenient but it is workable.

I needed a mixer that had more mic inputs that my mackie 1202 and alto L8 and smaller than my mackie cfx 16. This one fits the bill and works for me. Built to go the distance with a steel chasis.The on button is in a weird place but it can be reached. At least it won't be hit by accident. Easy to use and is a clean sounding board. I am using a Bose L1 or powered speakers and monitors. I think it is a step under Allen Heath but above Mackies. Give it a try. I like it and it works for me. I considering getting a larger one to replace my cfx 16. It's a few dollars more but I think it's worth it.

I bought this mixer a week ago and used it for the 1st time today. It worked great. Was easy to set up but I have had a Soundcraft mixer before. It replaced my Mackie pro 1202 which I've had since about 2000. The Soundcraft was clear and rich. Lot of punch. I'm using it along with a QSC amp. Very pleased with the sound.

I needed to update & lighten on my trusty Power Station, and this does the trick. Ease of use & set-up time, deceptively durable, and it sounds great. The Lexicon FX processor just adds to it's value as well. You can find cheaper with a couple more channels, but do your research and you'll chose this model. Also nice for small gigs and monitor use.

Very intuitive . Easy to use , compact , solid effects , etc. Everything my Sweetwater Rep Matt Emick indicated it would be .
Ran sound for my daughters Pop ACapella group over the weekend and it worked great . Did not want to take my X32 since its bigger, more complicated ( I do not run sound for my band ) and buried away in our band trailer and the EFX 8 was just the mixer I needed.
A lot of product in a small package

So, I bought the Soundcraft EFX8, to take the place of my Allen & Heath Zed 12FX, which got a bit singed in a truck fire.
First the build quality: The casing is solid steel plate. Nothing will ever happen to that. The knobs, they are a bit of a disappointment. They aren't bolted in, like the A&H. They are a bit wobbly. The faders, same thing, smooth, but not done as well as the A&H. Hence the missing STAR. All the jacks, nice and solid. The inlet for the electric cord is UNDER the board. I like it, cause it's out of the way.

The sound: WOW!!! The sound is awesome!! I am using an 8 year old set of Peavey PN15s. They had the woofers replaced, 6 years ago. They sat in this guy's garage for 5 years. These thing JAM, now. They are now putting out a ton of bass, the highs are crisp, and the mids are good. With the A&H, they didn't sound quite so good.

This thing has Lexicon Effects, onboard. At the end of my show, I was messing around with a mic and the effects. It's reverbs are killer. Some are downright haunting!! The delays are entertaining. They come in all shapes and sizes, and you can edit the Hell out of them. They are deep and rich, but very articulate. There is one that is reversed. What you say into it, comes out backwards. It's sick!! It's modulations are interesting, too. It has one that is Vibrato. Well, it is, to a certain extent but it is also a pitch changer, and a doubler. Well, if you turn all its parameters up, you an effect that makes you sound like the Borg!! If any of you has ever heard the song NM156, from Queensryche, this is the effect that was used to say the line "Machines have no conscience", in the beginning of the song. It also has a Rotary Delay, which, for you old school music buffs, is a Leslie Rotary speaker sound. I am GOING to find a reason to use that on a song. LOL. I created a slap/verb type thing, and you can store what you created. It has a tap tempo for the delays, which is VERY accurate.

When they say 8 channel, it is because it actually has 8 mono channels. Not much routing available. It has one AUX send and one FX send, plus to monitor outs. It has three stereo returns.

So, it is loud, clean, and makes cool sounds!! I LIKE IT!! I recommend it. I would have gone with the Signature Series, but I didn't like how the effects were done. They only had two parameter adjusters, and no tap tempo, and no storage. I am happy with the purchase, and would recommend it.

The build quality of the chassis and faders is excellent, the jacks all seem solid.
The internal power supply is a welcome change from the usual wall-wart or external 'in-line' power supply.
The preamps have a surprising amount of headroom, low noise and clarity.
While the effects are not spectacular, none the less they are very usable.
On the downside the EQ is limited and the knobs / pots feel a bit cheap, although it is musical.
Another area that seems to have suffered from budget constrains is the Phantom Power which is
applied across all the mic inputs at once, bad news if you use ribbon microphones.
Some missing features are no HPF, no Pads, but at least this model has an power switch that some
of their more expensive models lack. The bottom line is, this mixer sounds great, overall the quality is good and it is an outstanding value for the price.

For a small console, it's perfect for the small gigs where space is a premium and there's not alot to amplify to the PA. The Lexicon FX is very versatile with 3 controls to dial in the perfect reverb. I'm fine with one aux send, but if I'm in a pinch, I could use the FX send as another aux if I am willing to sacrifice the internal FX.

The only problem I have with the board is that the preamps are kind of weak, meaning that I have to drive them hotter. This was disappointing since Soundcraft touts that the EFX/EPM has the same preamp as the GB2/4/8 series which I also operate on Sundays. I find this not to be the case.

Overall, it's a great board for the starting band or a pro looking for a submixer.

I use the Soundcraft EFX8 for occasional solo gigs and small ensembles through a Yamaha DXR10. It’s a nice step up from the little Behringer I’d used for a couple years with an audible difference in headroom, but frankly the Behringer is not terrible and quite cost effective. The build quality is high and the layout is intuitive. Using/configuring a Lexicon effect DOES require a small learning curve, but they sound pretty good.

In this price range, only one other brand really competes. Which one you choose will probably have little to do with an audible difference. For me, the Soundcraft faders feel better, and the form factor is slightly more friendly.