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Re: Acoustic Looping Rig - RDL (tiny high quality) Mixers




My acoustic looping rig used to be 3 EDP's, a shit-tone of real instruments, several pedals and RDL (Radio Design Labs) mixers/switchers/etc to connect them all.

Most are about the size of two matchbooks and you wire the yourself (which is why they're so small) and each generally has one function... one might take three line signals and mix them into a mic output, or exactly the reverse of that, or just a noise gate, or just a switcher, one to power the others so you only need one wall-wart.

Anyway, they're high quality low noise with a tiny foot print. Disadvantage: you wire them, but that's hardly a problem... most you just strip the wire, put it in the slot, turn the screw down on it. And no real interface like knobs... they have pots you turn with a screwdriver, though I think they do sell little knobs too. 

This was all 10 or so years ago. 

I no longer focus on the acoustic or, lately, do much looping, so I still have all those units left over from mcdy previous rig just sitting in a box. If you find you're interested in them, let me know and I'll tell you specifically what I have. (All the ones mentioned above and more I think.)  


Okay... quick update... I just went to find the URL for you (it's http://www.rdlnet.com/ ) and it looks like their newer models are more finished (and thus larger since they have knobs) but they are still very small and I'm sure high quality low noise. They have tones of spec info. They also, from first glance appear to have RCA inputs but I bet that's not the only option... I have no idea. I'm not sure how I feel about them using RCA if that's the only option... means you'd have to wire RCA type ends yourself which would mean soldering, but if you're going for a really small footprint you probably want to do that anyway. 

They still reference their older stuff (the "STICK-ON") series on their History of RDL page but I didn't see any pictures, but again, that's all from a quick glance at the site, I'm sure you can find them somewhere. If you're interested in mine, let me know, I'll take pictures. Or contact RDL for spics and pics, I'm sure they'll give you more info then I can. 

Either way (the old or new) this is one way to get down to a very small footprint while maintaining good quality/low noise. 

Good luck!



On Apr 24, 2010, at 10:24 AM, Louie Angulo wrote:

Hey Bill just for the record i just scored one of those Boss MX 10 mixers from an english guy in mint condition and the thing is completly noisless!
soi im quite happy with it
cheers
Luis

2010/4/22 William Walker <billwalker@baymoon.com>
Thanks Andre',  you sweet man. Yes I was using my DTAR solstice at that gig. I pretty much don't use my Rane SM-82 mixer  any longer and instead use this.
Stereo is a bit tricky,  as its a mono device, but each channel has an individual  XLR output as well as separate inserts so its possible to,  for instance, send my effects processor in stereo and the units main XLR out in mono. Though I love stereo and stereo effects, I find I'm not that attached to it during live performance. If someone made a tiny stereo mixer that could fit in a half rack I'd be happy, but I sure don't want to buy an ancient Boss half rack mixer unless I could find one in mint condition. Those things were a bit noisy as I recall anyway.
 Bill