Their compact size and accessible lay-out makes rack mixers ideal for mixing audio and microphone signals. Whether you are in a band, manage a venue or own a club, a rack mixer is an indispensable bit of kit for your PA system.
What's a 19-inch Rack Mixer?
Rack mixers are relatively compact, vertically-configured mixing consoles made for fixed installations at theatres, venues, pubs and so on. Typically stripped of unnecessary features to keep things simple yet effective, rack mixers are easy to use and, due to their standardised 19" rack design, can be effortlessly slotted into a 19" rack with the help of a set of rack mounting brackets (rack ears) to complete a fixed audio installation.
What Gear Can I Plug Into a 19" Mix-Rack?
Virtually every rack mixer comes equipped with microphone inputs, AUX inputs and line inputs. The microphone input is usually an XLR port that supports standard dynamic microphones, but some mixers also feature a built-in phantom power supply to accommodate condenser microphones. The AUX inputs are often RCA inputs that can be used to connect gear like an external media player or a smartphone. Likewise, line inputs can also be used to hook up a professional media player or other DJ gear. That said, some rack mixers feature a built-in media player along with a port for USB sticks, integrated Bluetooth support and/or a (micro-)SD card reader so you can directly load in the music.
The Best 19" Rack Mixers for DJs
DJs too can opt to build a space-saving 19" rack-rig. DJ-focussed rack mixers typically have a cleaner layout, a limited number of channels (usually two or four), a crossfader, and an individual equaliser and volume fader per channel. What really sets DJ rack mixers apart from standard rack mixers, however, are the type of connection ports they feature. In most cases, you're free to hook up a set of phono turntables and pop in a USB stick or SD card loaded with tracks. In some cases, streaming music via Bluetooth is also an option.
Digital Rack Mixers vs. Analogue Rack Mixers
Digital rack mixers boast a handful of benefits when compared to analogue rack mixers. First of all, digital mixers give you the option to save custom settings so that you don't have to manually dial in the specifics every time. Secondly, digital consoles usually serve up more adjustable settings and options than analogue mixing desks and can often be controlled from a tablet or laptop. And thirdly, you've got more channels and effects at your disposal which, while they might make things trickier at the start, will eventually make sure that you'll never want to go without.
