I have used both the Compact 10 and it’s smaller sibling, the Compact 4, in my own studio. I used it as a mic preamp and as a mixer. I also used it to connect two sets of monitors, two sets of headphones, line-level external preamp outputs, an iPod, a CD player, and a soundcard. Because it is AC powered (power supply included) as well as battery powered, it would also be great for remote recording.
I discovered that the preamps and EQ’s sound fantastic compared to other mixers in the Compact 10’s price range. To get real Soundcraft preamps (with inserts) and 3-band EQ’s for this price is truly a bargain.
However, the feature that got me most excited about this mixer is it’s ability to interconnect just about anything a small studio could dream of throwing at it. Here’s a quick list of it’s in’s and out’s:
- Four XLR/TRS combo jack inputs.
- Six 1/4″ or RCA stereo line inputs.
- Two 1/4″ balanced/unbalanced outputs.
- One 1/4″ or RCA output.
- Two independent headphone outputs.
That’s amazing! It means that you could connect 4 microphones with inserts and EQ, 6 stereo sources (CD, iPod, keyboard, sampler, and 2 different computer’s soundcards), 3 sets of monitor speakers, and two separate headphones all at the same time! In my opinion, this is the best mixer for quality and connectivity under $200.
The Compact 10 would be great for home studios, small concerts and churches, meetings and presentations, broadcast/remote recording, DJ/VJ performance, and as a submixer or a general connectivity problem solver.
