Your Instruments Deserve a Better Mixer
Recording instruments into mixers requires DI boxes or other workarounds, and your signal chain always loses something in translation. Heritage Audio built the Mix Buddy to solve this issue with a single, robust desktop unit. 14 audiophile-grade Toshiba 2SK JFET inputs cover everything from a passive vintage bass to a modern polysynth, with two distinct voicings, each tailored to the source. A stereo Aux effects loop, with per-channel sends and Pre/Post fader control, integrates your hardware processors directly into the mix, including your vocal mic routed straight to your pedalboard. Likewise, three independent outputs handle studio monitoring, front-of-house, and headphones simultaneously. You invest a lot in your instruments, and they deserve a better place in the mix — they deserve the Mix Buddy from Heritage Audio.
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Two input styles with one philosophy
The Mix Buddy's eight high-gain inputs (four stereo pairs) use 12dB JFET gain buffers voiced with a subtle, musical coloration that breathes life into passive basses, vintage keyboards, and lower-output instruments. The six unity inputs (three stereo pairs) run at unity gain with a flat, transparent character tailored for high-output sources that just need a clean path: think TR-808s, modern polysynths, and active basses. Every instrument-level channel also features a Stereo/Mono + Thru toggle, so you can keep your instrument in the Mix Buddy's main mix while simultaneously routing it to an independent output for an amp, outboard gear, or front-of-house console. Rounding out the inputs are a stereo balanced line input for interfaces and computers and a stereo balanced FX return that doubles as an extra stereo input when the loop isn't in use.
Three independent outputs
While many desktop mixers offer only a single output, Mix Buddy provides three completely independent outputs. Master Main Out runs through a Heritage Audio 73 DI-inspired, transformer-balanced output stage switchable between line and mic levels. Here you can feed a console, an interface, or a front-of-house system directly. Main Out 2 is fully transformerless, fast, and neutral. Sweetwater audio engineers say you can expect a clean, uncolored representation of your mix for studio monitoring or in-ears. Lastly, a dedicated headphone amplifier adds a third fully independent listening path, so you can monitor a live performance, check a mix, or listen back between takes without touching anything else in your signal chain. Compact yet multifunctional, the Mix Buddy lets you route, record, and monitor simultaneously, all from one unit.
A workflow you didn't know you needed
The Mix Buddy's stereo Aux effects loop integrates hardware processors directly into your mix, with each channel sporting its own Aux send knob and Pre/Post-fader switcher. Set your channels to pre-fader, and the loop becomes a true parallel processor, leaving your dry signal completely untouched. Route a vocal mic through the JFET mic preamp with phantom power, and the Aux loop feeds your voice directly into guitar pedals, live and in context. This effectively means that whatever chorus, delay, reverb, or looper you have on your board can now shape your performance in real time; no complex routing or additional hardware is required. While standard mixers may not have been built to handle instruments, the Mix Buddy is here to oblige.
Heritage Audio Mix Buddy Features:
- 19-in/8-out instrument-centric desktop mixer, purpose-built for synths, drum machines, samplers, and live performance
- 14 Toshiba 2SK JFET inputs in 2 flavors: high-gain (12dB) for passive and low-output instruments, and unity gain for flat, transparent handling of modern high-output gear
- Per-channel Level, Mute, and Stereo/Mono + Thru switching routes any channel to an independent external destination without removing it from the main mix
- 1-channel JFET mic preamp sports up to 70dB of gain and phantom power, plus routes directly to the Aux loop for real-time guitar pedal vocal processing
- Stereo-balanced line input and FX return give you clean, professional connectivity for interfaces and line-level sources, and the FX return doubles as an extra stereo input
- Dual, independent balanced master outputs with ground lift, including a transformer-balanced Main Out (switchable line/mic level) and a clean transformerless Main Out 2 (each with independent level control)
- Per-channel Aux send with Pre/Post fader switching and global FX on/off toggle supports true parallel FX processing in Pre-fader mode
- Independent front-panel headphone amplifier with dedicated control
- Rugged desktop form factor built to Heritage Audio's professional standards
