Soundcraft COMPACT-4

The Soundcraft COMPACT 4 mixer is perfectly suited to many applications requiring simple mix facilities, but it comes into its own when used for recording vocals and music onto computers using a soundcard.

Several features have been specifically incorporated for this. Firstly, it’s simple to route an input straight to the record output simply by selecting the RECORD button on the channel.

Secondly, a wide variety of input sources are catered for on this simple 4-input mixer. These include microphone, line, and a special ‘DI’ or ‘Direct’ input for guitars and keyboards, plus stereo inputs for keyboards, CD/tape, or turntable (with RIAA equalisation). This DI input matches the input impedance of the mixer to the output impedance of the instrument, ensuring optimum professional-quality audio capture.

Thirdly, listening while recording is made easier thanks to a special blend control that allows you to control the mix of the computer playback mix and the signal of the track being recorded which are blended for the Artist headphone output.

Using an external analogue mixer for computer recording means zero-latency monitoring. That is that you can listen to your track being recorded simultaneously with the playback from the computer, without the inherent signal delay of the computer soundcard and host processor.

Other standard features on the COMPACT include 3 band EQ on the inputs, along with professional 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, dedicated balanced and unbalanced Record and Playback connections, independent engineer & artist headphone outputs, and monitor outputs. The dual headphone feeds provide a level of monitoring normally found in large commercial studios.

All monitoring is in true stereo, rather than the mono-summed monitoring found on competitive products. This means that what you hear is always as it will be in your final master.

Specifications

• Noise (22Hz-22kHz measurement bandwidth)
 Mic EIN @ max gain, 150 ohm source impedance: -128dBu
 Mix @ max, faders down: <-85dBu
• Crosstalk (typ. @ 1kHz)
 Channel level cut-off (rel +10 mark): >80dB
• Frequency Response
 Mic/Line input to any output: 20Hz-20kHz, +/-0.5dB
• THD+Noise: Mic gain 30dB
 Mix out, fader max @ 1kHz: <0.007%
• Input & Output Impedances
 Mic input: 2k ohms
 Line input: 10k ohms
 Hi-Z input: 300k ohms
 Stereo input: 47k ohms
 Outputs: 75 ohms
• Input % Output Levels
 Mic input max level: +16dBu
 Line input max level: +30dBu
 Stereo input max level: +20dBu
 Headphones (@200 ohms): 300mW
• EQ: +/-12dB each band
 Lo: 60Hz
 Mid: 600Hz
 Hi: 12kHz
• Weight: 3.85 lbs
• Power (Average power consumption): 8W
• Operating Temperature Range: 32° to 122° F (0° to 50° C)
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 10.9" x 2.17" x 9.69" (277 x 55 x 246 mm)