Descripción
Everything, anywhere, all in the mix
Mixing instruments both live and in the studio has always been a subpar
process. Most mixers are built around mic and line inputs with generic front
ends that do decent at best with electronic instruments and frankly
unacceptable with organic sources. The result is always the same: DI boxes,
workarounds and tone you never quite got back.
The MIX BUDDY comes to solve all these problems while adding an
additional set of features that turn this little box into a monster.
A wolf in sheep’s clothing
With no-compromise tone as the main design rule, the MIX BUDDY has a
staggering arsenal of no less than 19 inputs, which are themselves a
masterclass of extremely low noise, high class audiophile grade JFET
technology. Heavily based on the highly acclaimed Toshiba 2SK JFET series,
Mix Buddy marks a new milestone in instrument amplification technology.
Every single input was designed around one rule: the tone comes first. The
MIX BUDDY doesn’t raise the bar in instrument amplification technology. It
redraws it entirely.
Input Channel set:
— The Hi Gain Inputs: (left side, marked ⚡) Eight channels (four stereo
pairs) of Toshiba 2SK JFET 12dB gain buffers, slightly colored and
specifically voiced to breathe life into organic instruments and lower level
sources. Passive basses, vintage Rhodes, Moog Prodigy, Hofner Beatle bass…
this is where they come alive. Push them harder and they reward you with
creamy, musical JFET saturation that adds character rather than distortion.
— The Unity Inputs: (right side) Six channels (three stereo pairs) of Toshiba
2SK JFET unity gain buffers, perfectly voiced for higher level sources that
don’t need coloration, just clarity. TR-808, TR-909, 90s samplers, active
basses, modern synths… clean, fast and completely out of the way of your
sound.
— The Mic Preamp: One channel of ultra low noise JFET mic preamp with up
to 70dB of gain. Your microphone fully processed without the need for
external gear and yes, it’s beautifully routed into the AUX effects loop for
vocal pedal processing.
— The Balanced Line Inputs: (last channel on the right side) One stereo pair
of balanced line level inputs for USB audio interfaces, computers or any line
level source requiring a clean, professional, fully balanced, noise-free
connection.
— The FX Return: Stereo pair of low-noise balanced FX return input, sharing
the same topology as the line inputs and conveniently doubling as an extra
set of stereo inputs when needed. Inserting only the LEFT channel will
automatically pan the signal to the center.
Stereo / THRU option
Every instrument level channel on the MIX BUDDY (both Hi Gain and
Unity) comes with a toggle between STEREO and MONO + THRU. A small
switch with enormous consequences.
Set to STEREO when using a stereo source that requires both INPUTs, LEFT
and RIGHT.
In MONO + THRU mode the instrument stays in your MIX BUDDY mix
while simultaneously being sent out to any external destination: your amp,
your favourite outboard processor, the front of house desk. The THRU
output is completely transparent, preserving the instrument’s natural
impedance so whatever it receives it sees the source exactly as it would
without the MIX BUDDY in the chain at all.
The applications are immediate and powerful. Send your bass to the stage
amp while keeping it in the mix. Capture that perfect guitar DI tone while, at
the same time, feeding your amp. Run all seven instrument channels in
MONO + THRU simultaneously and you have your full mix in the MIX
BUDDY plus seven independent outputs feeding external processors in
parallel, opening up a world of parallel processing that would normally
require a much more complex and expensive setup.
Two stereo outputs. One solution. Transformer sound.
The MIX BUDDY features two independent master outputs, both balanced.
Master Main Out runs through Heritage Audio’s own 73 single-ended class A
output stage DI circuit, the same transformer-balanced DNA that has made
our DI boxes trusted tools in studios and stages worldwide. A pair of custom-
wound 73 DI transformers sit at the heart of this output, adding that
unmistakable layer of warmth and weight that only real iron can deliver. And
with a switchable line level or mic level output, you can send the MIX
BUDDY directly to a console, an interface or straight to front of house
without a single adapter or compromise.
Main Out 2 takes a different philosophy: transformerless, clean and fast. The
purest possible representation of your mix, with nothing added and nothing
coloured.
Run Master Main Out to front of house. Run Main Out 2 to your monitors or
in-ears mix. Record through one while performing through the other. No
splitters. No extra gear. No compromises and each with its own independent
LEVEL control.
And then there is the headphone output. A powerful, independent
headphone amplifier with dedicated volume control sits on the front panel of
the MIX BUDDY, giving you a third independent listening path. Whether you
are monitoring a live performance, checking a mix or simply listening back
between takes, the headphone amp delivers the full character of the MIX
BUDDY’s mix with the same uncompromising clarity you would expect from
everything else in this box.
One small box doing the work of several with transformer warmth on tap
whenever you need it and pure transparency when you don’t.
Creativity with effects. Stereo FX Loop.
The MIX BUDDY’s stereo (or mono) AUX send functions as a fully featured
effects loop so you can integrate your favourite hardware effects processors
directly into your mix. Each channel has its own AUX send knob to dial in
exactly how much of that channel feeds the effects chain, with pre or post fader
routing selectable per channel and a global FX on/off switch for instant wet/dry
comparison.
From subtle reverb or delay on a single synth to a fully processed send across
your entire rig, the MIX BUDDY puts that control exactly where it belongs, at
your fingertips.
And one more thing… switch the channels to PRE mode and the effects loop
turns into a true parallel processor. Your dry signal stays untouched in the
mix while the wet signal handles all the heavy lifting.
A microphone preamp where you least expect it
The MIX BUDDY includes a full microphone preamp, and all the new
opportunities that come along with that.
Feed any microphone directly into the MIX BUDDY and your voice becomes
just another instrument in your mix, sitting alongside your synths, your drum
machines, your samplers, all controlled from the same unit. But the real magic
happens when you route that vocal signal through the AUX effects loop.
Because the AUX is designed to work with instrument level hardware, your
microphone signal can be sent directly to guitar effects pedals: Chorus, Delay,
Reverb, Distortion, Octave, Looper… whatever lives on your pedalboard can
now shape your voice in real time. Processed, blended and mixed back into your
performance with the AUX return knob, pre or post fader, with the global FX
on/off switch giving you instant access to hear it with or without the effects.
This is the workflow that artists and producers have been chasing for years,
vocals through guitar pedals, live and in context, without complex routing, extra
hardware, or compromise. The MIX BUDDY makes it as simple as plugging in a
microphone.
Built for the studio. Ready for the stage.
Whether you are producing in your home studio, performing live or recording a
full synthesizer rig, the MIX BUDDY is the missing piece that brings everything
together. Designed with Heritage Audio’s uncompromising attention to signal
quality and built to last a lifetime.
This is not just a mixer, this is your creative command centre.
BULLET POINTS
– A whopping 19 input x 8 output instrument-centric desktop mixer with a
never-before-heard clarity for instrument level sources.
– 4 stereo (or 4 mono + THRU) HI GAIN channels powered by Toshiba
2SK JFET 12dB gain buffers.
– 3 stereo (or 3 mono + THRU) UNITY channels powered by Toshiba
2SK JFET unity gain buffers.
– Volume control, stereo / mono + THRU switch and mute per channel.
– Dedicated microphone preamp with JFET input stage, up to 70dB of
gain, dedicated gain and level controls and phantom power.
– Additional stereo balanced line level input stage.
– 2 independent balanced master outputs with dedicated ground lift.
– Master Main Out goes through the built-in Heritage Audio 73 DI 2 active
DI, and it is switchable between line level and mic level output.
– Main Out 2 is a clean transformerless output.
– Stereo or mono AUX effects loop for hardware effects integration.
– Powerful independent headphone amp with volume control.
– AUX send knob per channel with pre/post fader switching.
– Global FX on/off switch for instant wet/dry comparison.
– Mic preamp input compatible with guitar pedal effects chains via AUX
loop.
– Elegant desktop design.
– Built like a tank.
