In case anyone's wondering, the "hidden podcast feature that will blow you away" is the second headphone out jack in the top-right corner that can have its own mix.

@Shadowdncer

4 жыл бұрын

That pre-fader stereo bus is really unique in the market of small mixers. If you're using mostly stereo inputs and a microphone, recreating the same functionality with other mixers will easily set you back a four-digit EUR/USD price, and you end up with a huge unit that's mostly wasted space and money. I have an older discontinued Notepad 102 for an overkill gaming/desktop setup with a single microphone, and that's pretty much irreplaceable these days. The only thing that comes close to the same functionality at an acceptable price (outside the US at least) and form factor is TC Helicon's GoXLR.

@codingmasters

4 жыл бұрын

​@@Shadowdncer it doesn't really matter what the feature is, the point is to help people out with avoiding the need to watch a 20 minute video with a clickbait title if they don't need the magic feature being promoted.

@Shadowdncer

4 жыл бұрын

@@codingmasters That's a valid cause as well.

Wow! This really is the best tutorial for the Soundcraft Notepad line-up of mixers. Very skilled at teaching as well. Many many thanks!

Wow! Finally, someone had the wonderful idea of showing the quality of the effects. All other reviews only show what we already know through the manual. I needed to hear the quality of the effects and you presented

@AffordableAdorable369

2 жыл бұрын

I don't even think I got a manuel as mine just safety information

This was really useful as I had one of these delivered today and you have explained it so well. Knowing about the extra features is also a bonus. Thank you :)

10/10 wow great in depth review and walk through! Great work!

This is the BEST review and usage explanation about a mixer that I have ever seen! Thank you very much for all the time spend on this video!

Best mixer tutorial on you tube. Clear concise and no tech jargon . Great teacher

This is a great video. Well produced. Sure convinced me that the Soundcraft Notepad-8FX is the one for me.

I just bought this mixer and your review was extremely helpful in understanding all of the features! Thank you!

Thank you for the very clear video demo, I've had the 12fx for over a year and now I understand it so much better, the whole aux channel system was clarified. Yes I read the manual but ... I was trying to get over the learning hump of the 4 USB channels and was just confused.

Wow, thank you so much! You were actually the only video that I was able to understand all the features in the Notepad. It helped me a lot! Thank you! 😁

Highly informative! Thank you, very well laid out and helpful examples, too!

What a fantastic review / tutorial!! Thanks for shedding light on this little gem! All the best

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking out the video, it really has become my little Swiss army knife here at the studio.

I just purchased the 12FX. Thanks for the review on the 8FX!

Blown away. Excellent review. Excellent. Because of your review, my wife and I found the mixer we needed. Thank you. Thank you!

This is the best video explaining everything of the mixer. Thank you very much

Thanks. Just purchased this to follow my Scarlett interface. Nice to have more control.

This is soooooo informative - thankyou and stay well!

Nicely scripted narrative - no BS, no hype, just the facts, ma'am. I get so tired of other reviewers acting like celebrities - nice to have one just play it straight, although with enthusiasm and a bit of verve, a little salt and pepper with all the ego. Thanks. JT

Fantastic video, just bought the 8-FX and loving it

It really blowed me away!!! I’ll share my quick story... After searching for weeks (about 3 months) several KZread videos, after downloading several software (loopback, soundflower, blackhole)......I was going crazy. My girlfriend started to complain I don’t spend much time with her.... I came across your video. I watched to 2 times. I could not believe it!!! I ran to my laptop, started it up, set it up 2 minutes.......BANG!!!! EVERYTHING IS WORKING GREAT!!!!! Thanks to you sir!!! I will try recording on iPhone tomorrow... You made a man happy again. ....subscribed and super happy

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome, great story! lol

Thanks boss. After much digging on Amazon I saw this product and it appears to check all the boxes I wanted. You confirmed it!! thanks again.

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Great to hear!

awesome for this very thorough demo !

Excelllent .... you sir are a very natural and gifted teacher.. I have a 12fx and learnt so much from you. Thank you

Fantastic Vid, super flexible low budget mixer, it's a perfect fit for my studio workflow and for my 3 year old daughter who loves to vocalize along to the songs I'm mixing, I can add FX for her and even record her part, so much fun and cheap as chips, thank you so much for your insight,

best video so far...been having this mixer for awhile now

Amazing video explained so well with examples of how they can be used I different ways.

After much consideration I got the FX-8 for my first ever mixer. And now with you being so pumped about it’s features I’m stoked I got it and so excited to start exploring. Thank you so much! Your explanation is much easier to understand than the manual😂

@Featherlightstudio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Yuko!

A talented musician and good teacher, thank you for the video!

Amazing mixer and excellent demo!

Absolutely excellent review/overview. No bullshit, just plain, clear description....TOP MAN!! I agree too, the Soundcraft Notepad -12fx is a fantastic little mixer! (It's a shame yours are mainly Cubase videos: as a Logic Pro user, your clear, to the point tutorials could have been a great help).

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, something to consider

Hi Steve, thank you for this video! Appreciate! Cheers from Italy. Greg

Thanks for this! I just bought a12FX (Boxing Day special) and was thoroughly confused, but this helps a lot!

Was getting frustrated figuring out my new 12fx, thank you so much for this helped a lot, would love an even more basic tutorial of how to use all the knobs with sounds so we can hear the differences, coz I do not know what to expect so I never know if I'm getting it right LOL :)

Hey That was really cool...... Helped alot in understanding its features.... Thnq so much :-)

Thank you for an excellent video. Great applications and demonstration of how to use this mixer. Would have been nice to compare the quality of the mic pre-amps with other mixers. However, great video and very, very helpful.

Steve, thank you so much. I am embarrased to say I have owned one of these for a few years now and never took the time to undertand how everything works and undervalued what I had. Your tutorial was incredibly well done, easy to follow and most helpful. thank you!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Joe, I appreciate that!

Great review, really helped 👍

Excellent, professional and informative review. Thank you!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Much appreciated!

Really excellent demo. Thank you.

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for checking it out, great bass playing btw!!

Just got the same device and this is just the best tutorial from youtube

Thank you for this video it helps me a lots

Great overview. Thanks.

Thx so much 😊. Beast of a mixer

Excellent presentation. thank you.

Thank you for this clearly detailed video. I cannot believe what you can get for your money these days. Just ordered the 12!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

These guys really are powerful little Swiss army knifes for their size and cost!

Great review.! I’m planning to change my mixer

Excellent video, thank you.

Hey thanks for the how-to. I've been looking to see how to control the outputs on the stereo headphones vs master independently. This is great!

Very good Video !👍

Awesome mixer! Great video

24 hours ago, I didn't even know about this mixer series. Figured I'd go with Mackie or Yamaha. I've had years of positive experiences with Soundcraft, but I couldn't have imagined something that would compete in price, let alone surpass the features of the aforementioned brands. Now, I'm expecting delivery of a Soundcraft Notepad 12FX for my online music classes and youtube channel!

@mastermind6000

4 жыл бұрын

i had an engineer friend show me this one. highly recommended a Harman/Kardon unit. when i looked at it I found the 12fx has a 2x2 channel output to USB. now i see it also has stereo 2nd mix. I've been using aux send for a mono 2nd mix for ages now. this IS a game-changer.

Damn I feel like a total idiot now. This really changes the way I can record my radio shows. Thanks a ton for the update. I'm using the 12FX. 🍻🎶👍

great information very handy!!

Thank you brother

Thanks for the information.

a big thank you for all these explanations, top of the top, I tried by everything to find these explanations impossible to find them and not even on the Sound craft website, so BRAVO and Merci encore , I wish you an excellent day

sooooooooo helpful thank you sm

thanks for breaking this down!

This is awesome I have this mixer and I recording with 2 smartphone and it's work very well

Thank you for this wonderful review video. My only concern with these notepad mixers is that you can't turn off phantom/48v power for the first two or four inputs, depending on the model. Perhaps asking for a toggle switch is too much to ask at this price range given all the other features available. Still, by far, the best product in this price range if you're looking for a small desktop mixer with a decent audio interface.

Gracias totales por este increíble vídeo. Sumamente educativo para los que queremos comprarnos un mixer Soundcraft. Gracias amigo. Saludos desde Santiago de Chile.

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Gracias mi amigo

Impressive demo

Hi Steve, love this review and all your helpful videos such great content on your channel great to watch and learn from you thanks for sharing your vast experience. I have the 12FX, I have found it very tricky to use live, so much so I bypassed it completely at the last minute and went direct into my DB es503 speaker (which thankfully had 3 inputs!) on my first gig with it, (having bought it specifically for that gig to make things simpler for a duo act over the RCF M18 we normally use 😄) in a last minute cold sweat panic : no power light, or LED on the power supply, in Europe at least, and no "ON/OFF" switch as you mentioned, so the only way to tell it's on before you go live is to activate the delay button to see the tempo light, but you won't see the tempo light if you activate all 3 FX at the same time, try remembering that important fact when you are seconds from stage time and your entire band is huddled around the unit like flies on shite wondering why there are no lights and therefore surely no power!? Now also keep that in mind when the inputs of the speaker you need to connect to are already taken by the act in front of you 🤣🤣🤣 So you do not want to be in tumbleweed silence at a wedding dinner, so bye mixer for the gig I bought it for 😄. Also no "FX mute" FootSwitch between songs and no channel mute between acts, a group mute would have been handy. Fine for podcasts or rehearsals or home recording in my humble opinion. A standard usb thumbdrive would be better for recording 2 tracks live, though that's why you'd buy the RCF M18 with a digital interface as if buying something this small like the 8/12fx for live gigging you wouldn't want the extra hassle of dragging a laptop or tablet simply to record your set, at least that's my particular use case. I noticed that the 12FX 'sends' FX without the Aux Master pot being activated, and listening to the Aux send output through a speaker simultaneously to the headphone output the FX cannot be heard in the AUX send, only in the Headphone output, so if gigging live probably best to use the headphone output as the monitor feed, so not sure what use the aux feed is in a live gig in that case as there are no FX so you can't really use it as an extension speaker feed as it will be too dry. Thanks for the excellent review, by far the best on YT 👍🏻 and subbed, great channel, cheers from Italy.

@Featherlightstudio

2 жыл бұрын

Whew! lol Sounds like you guys are in the market for a mixer that focuses more on live features than the recording/streaming oriented FX notepad series? With live performance being so diverse, its usually best to start with what the groups needs are first (Compact size, inputs, FX routing, Outputs, Busses) and then find the mixer that fits.

Thank you so much

Great job!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

The two things I saw which kept me from a commitment are: only 16-bit 48k and secondly, no mute buttons per track. A mute function would have been great if the volume knob, when pressed, muted that channel.

Thank you so so so much

LOVE FROM INDIA ! NICE EXPLAINED THIS MONSTER MIXER

This is a great review and tutorial! Thank you. It also helped me sort out how to use this compact Notepad mixer for a "mix-minus" online/local-room hybrid Zoom configuration as well. This is where you have microphones in the live space that need to go to the room speakers, plus the USB-in (from Zoom) also needs to go to the room speakers. But the the USB-out from the mixer back to Zoom must NOT include USB-in in the mix (or it will generate feedback/echo). On my Soundcraft Signature 12 I can simply select the AUX 1-2 bus for the USB-out Send mode and configure that AUX mix with everything except USB-in. So it was frustrating not to find an AUX to USB option on the Notepad - only various pairs of channels but not the full AUX. Plus the main mix. So that's the answer - use the main mix without USB-in as my USB-out and strangely use the AUX bus for the room speakers, getting a stereo output from that by using the wonderful output type = stereo phones button you were discussing. Understanding this output will be a bit hot as input into the amp. And to show my dedication to the brand - in another location I use a big Soundcraft GB2R 12/2! This is too old to have USB itself, so there is a Behringer UMC202HD connected, but since nothing else is using it I can use the Group bus just for USB-out, which means mix-minus is simply selecting main/group buttons off the single main mix :). Oh what fun.

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

This is a great example of the flexibility of these little mixers for sure! Using the AUX as your room speakers / monitor source is actually the more traditional way of setting up a live monitor cue and your setup is a perfect example. Great use of the older GB2R by the way!!

@lawrencebyrd4729

3 жыл бұрын

​@@Featherlightstudio Thank you Steve - enjoying your videos. Many of these smaller mixers don't support the Zoom-with-room-speakers mix-minus configuration over USB, although in your comparison video I just learned that the Mackie ProFX6v3 possibly can with its Blend knob. Key to the Notepad use, in addition to a full AUX bus, is the "hidden feature" you describe which is that I can get the AUX bus in *stereo*, not just a classic mono monitor feed, and I need this because there will be music in and people should hear that in stereo in the room :). UPDATE: Actually, looking more closely, the AUX as Stereo Phones feature is not essential (just convenient) for my Zoom "mix minus" configuration as the regular Phones output can select AUX with the button there (but only on the 8FX, not the 12FX). So what is essential is having a real stereo AUX bus on this little mixer, with the USB-in feedable to AUX.

Great video and so glad to see how well received this product is. I thought from the title you were going to refer to the built-in ducker feature, but you don't mention that. Perhaps that's the other secret weapon that no-one knows about?

@Featherlightstudio

2 жыл бұрын

Great suggestion

@firesideghosts

2 жыл бұрын

That's a great feature, and one that wasn't available at first - it came out in a firmware update (and on newer models). I'm not sure they even updated the manual. I think there may be an extra insert sheet included in the documentation, now. www.soundcraft.com/en/news/harman-professional-solutions-announces-free-soundcraft-notepad-1-09-feature-update-at-namm-2018

Great video and demo, super informative! FYI your Harman hashtag is spelled wrong.

@Featherlightstudio

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for the heads up.

I purchased this beauty last weekend and installed it with USB so i can use it as an audio interface and to use it with my DAWs. aside from the missing powerbutton i do not see drawbacks.

Soundcraft is different from comparable Yamaha MG series due to being able to use simultaneous multiple effects.

Great review! Started setup today and am highly impressed with the incredible features on this highly affordable mixer. Question: can the effects be incorporated into the signal sent to PC via the USB cable? I can clearly hear the effects via the headphone connection and expected them to also appear on the Audacity track I recorded, but it was totally dry.

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Keko Torres Yes, if you go into the sound craft control panel and choose to record the Mix L+R output

hello, cool whats the DAC quality of output xlr from usb daw, for electro sub punch ? close to rme, apollo card you think .. best vibes

I saw a karaoke feature, that wasn't mentioned in your video. Could you please explain what that is about, and do a video so we can hear that. Thanks.

Thank you so much! I can not record the sound from my computer with the 8fx. Someone knows how to do it please? Thank you

Hi and thanks for this vid! Will this connect to ios devices as well (for making videos, livestreaming, etc.)?

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

DannyTheIrishSwede, absolutely, here a in-depth video on how to do that: kzread.info/dash/bejne/k6l6ydakYbqniag.html

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing & explaining so clearly. Quick question: I'm trying to listen to sounds from my computer and play them during recording aa podcast. I have a 3mm headphone jack from my computer connected to a RCA unbalanacd inputs, and I have plugged them into line 9/10. The sound i'm getting is getting picked up by garage band, but it is very muffled and distorted. Any suggestions? Thanks again.

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Heh Michael, sounds like you are using the 12 FX but are using your Macs 'onboard' sound interface for 'sound output' rather than the Soundcraft. This can work in theory but often forces the Mac to 'revert' back to its default audio input. You might want to use the Soundcraft for 'both' audio input and output which is how it was designed to be used. Used this way, the computer audio is returned to inputs 9/10 crystal clear. If you want to record BOTH the Mixer output AND comuter sounds you must open the Soundcraft Audio Control Panel and go to 'Audio Routing' and select 'Mix L+R" as the input choice for 3+4

Good review...👍👍. I have a question..Can I plug my mobile output into channel 3/4 or 5/6 instead of through the RCA 7/8..line input?

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Of course, with the right adapters.

Faboulus. Great introducing. But why do I hear my mic in my headphones, and every sound in the room too? Please advice.

When I tried setting mine up for a phone call I noticed the audio wasn’t coming through my headphones and instead the computer speakers. I selected audio to come through the sound craft on my computer but still no sound. Any help here or did the sound still come through the computer for you?

Very nice tutorial! I didnt quite catch something though. Can you add for example delay and reverb to the first channel and only reverb to the second one?

@Featherlightstudio

2 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not as that would require more busses so, the selections you make in the 3 FX engines apply to all the channels, but you can change the amount that each channel has of the FX.

Top Video! This unit has been on my radar for a few years but my old PHONIC mixer refuses to die after 10years service! I think it´s time to upgrade to this --, especially as i was about to buy a new reverb pedal that´s half the price of this beauty.😁Just a question about the Phantom power, I get quite close to my sE V7 mic .. I don´t want 48volts in my kisser, Or would this not be a problem ?? 🎤 Cheers from Spain

@Featherlightstudio

Жыл бұрын

Lol, you would literally have to strip the bare wires on the Mic cable to experience any real voltage and even that is unlikely as all modern mixers that offer phantom power circuits have Diode short protecters on board.

@DANWRIGHTITIS

Жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio Thanks. i don´t have braces so should be ok then !!

My brother used to have one of these.. i remember the effects were "pre" channel volumes? Is that correct or my memory tricks me? I considered that a major drawback

will plugging a condenser mic into the mixer while phantom power is (always) on, hurt the mic? I've heard you should only turn phantom on when the mics are plugged in. Kind of weird that there is no on/off switch for the mixer. Other than that this is exactly what I am looking for.

After setting the effectvolume with the blue knob in the inputline for the volume of the reverb. Can you set then the volume of the chorus aswell? Independently? Or is the blue inline knob a overall volume of all the effects together? Or independend for each different effect? Sorry for my english

@Featherlightstudio

Жыл бұрын

The blue knob is a global FX send but the parameter knob gives you some basic control over each individual effect.

Thanks for this detailed video, explaining all the features of this low budget mixer. God bless your efforts! I was planning to buy a low budget Audio interface, got an option of Behringer Um2, then while browsing more I came across this Soundcraft USB Mixer. Can you help me in deciding like, for which one should I go? Behringer Um2 Audio Interface or Soundcraft mixer ( Audio Interface or USB Mixer ). My purpose is music production and song making. Can you please suggest? Thanks again in anticipation!!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

The Behringer UM2 is very different than the Soundcraft series. The Behringer has no mixing capabilities of any kind and only has 1 mic input and 1 line input. Also, the Behringer cannot adjust the playback from the computer independent from the track you are recording so it would make music tracking / recording very difficult.

@GaneshSVM

3 жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio thanks for the reply

Great video! I have only one question. Will I be able to hear my voice while I’m recording and choose how much I actually wanna hear my voice? I currently have a scarlett 2i2 and I cannot control how much I wanna hear my voice while recording, it automatically decreases when I’m increasing the gain of the mic. Thanks in advance!

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Yes, as this is a real mixer, you have complete control over your monitor mix, unlike the scarlett.

Hello & Excellent Video! Exactly what I was looking for. Quick question: I use garage band to record a 4-mic podcast, and i'm trying to find a way to add an additional input (facetime phone call, music from my computer, etc), but when I go to the soundcard, it only has input 1&2 & mix l/r, which then combines mic 3 &4 into one channel in garage band. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

The 8FX is only capable of recording 2 actual channels into the computer at a time ( unless you select Mix L+R in the Soundcraft Audio Control Panel ) then it records all the audio from the Main Mix buss. The 12FX is capable of recording 4 actual tracks simultaneously. Any more than that and you're probably looking at a larger mix buss architecture.

Focusrite scarlet solo just got delivered today Gen 3 and watching this now .. M might probably switch to this returing the scarlet.

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

The Scarlett is a great interface as well but, if you need the additional control that a mixer can give ( plus the additional headphone mix ) the 8FX is hard to beat.

@MrBhatReviews

4 жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio Absolutly , this is no brainer. This can do what scarlet can do and much more . I got this mixer for same price as scarlet. This video has been great . Upto the point explaination. Can you do a video on how can this be used for dual podcasters and record guests who are on skype / zoom. It would be of great help. SUBCRIBED !

I dont get one thing. If red knob of USB output (7/8) is opened and sound from pc go to main mix, how the phone caller dont hear his voice as reverb/echo? Is it because Mix L+R feature?

In a live gig situation from the aux output mono signal you can link a monitor active speaker for yourself and other performers for better hearing. OK, but in this scenario the FX/Aux buttons cant serve at the same time for the monitor and for the main outputs. Am I right? Thanks

@Featherlightstudio

10 ай бұрын

Because of the size and the low price of the mixer...they combined the FX send buss with the AUX send buss into one buss (Blue Knob) which means when you use the AUX send, technically the knobs still send that amount to the FX engine as well. Not as good as two separate busses but could be useful.

Thumbs up on production quality and content. What do you suggest as a hardware recorder for this mixer? I've ruled out the : Tascam, Zoom and Boss. I do not need backing tracks nor drums. The mixers on these products pale in comparison to the Soundcraft Notepad

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

If you have a laptop or desktop PC, you already have a recorder as this mixer is also a 4x4 audio interface via USB. If not, just about any portable recorder with analog inputs would work

@bobcatt2294

4 жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio Thank you for your response. I have the Signature 22 MTX and was thinking of a much smaller footprint with built-in SD recorder for DAWless operation.

Steve, I just came across this video as I just picked up an 8Fx. Great video! So many features I didn’t know existed. I had a question; I have an effects pedal that i want to use with a condenser mic. The output cable from that pedal is a 1/4 cable. When plugging this into the 8FX, the input does not seem to recognize the phantom power needed for the condenser mic. Do you know why? Thanks again for a great video

@Featherlightstudio

Жыл бұрын

Heh Andy, most pedals/guitar cables are just unbalanced 1/4" in/out and won't have the required 3rd connector to transmit phantom power with. However, you could instead create a loop of sorts. Plug your condenser into Mic input 1 or 2 and raise the blue AUX knob approx 1/2 way as well as the AUX Master knob. Then plug a cable into the AUX output and the other end into your pedal. Take the pedal output and plug it into mono Line inputs on the mixer. Use the channels AUX knob to mix to taste.

@mrbluesoles8749

Жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio Thank you Steve, I'll give that a try.

@redondobruno

2 ай бұрын

It is possible to use AUX to a effects processor like Behringer FX2000 and return to a channel on the mixer and this signal also be summed with internal effects to OUT LXR?

@Featherlightstudio Hello Steve, would this mixer work well for live jamming with instruments such as analog synthesizers like the Korg Volca's? I'm looking to buy my first mixer to jam out with?

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Absolutely!

Brilliant Video- I did not see this question so please let me ask- I want to have a guitar, bassn and to mikes to go into a computer for Zoom talens show we are involved in, this should work for that right? Thanks in advance. Maybe the 12x might be better for two gits & mics?

@Featherlightstudio

3 жыл бұрын

Definitely the 12FX would give you more channel flexibility.

@PaulBirm

3 жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio Thanks Steve- Keep on rocking!!!

This sould go on the official Soundcraft website, no doubt

@Featherlightstudio

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks appreciate it

@djresqvideomix

4 жыл бұрын

@@Featherlightstudio for real!!!

Can the usb port be used as an out to your usb in on your computer😮