ROAD
TEST QSC TouchMix-30 Pro Compact Digital Mixer
By Nathan Petrie
QSC ’ s new TouchMix-30 Pro has the features and functionality that will satisfy the most demanding live sound professionals while also boasting a simple and straightforward set-up and workflow , making it perfect for production professionals , live performance venues , and even artists . Let ’ s take a closer look at what this new compact digital mixer had to offer .
Out of the Box At a quick glance , the console has a very professional look and made me eager to get my hands on it . All the XLR-3 and TRS inputs and outputs are chassis-mounted , which means they can be replaced individually if need be . It has a hard steel frame and is very compact and light – perfect for van touring or even fly dates .
The TouchMix-30 Pro has 32 inputs in total : 24 XLR-3 inputs , four of which are TRS / XLR , as well as three stereo pairs of balanced 1 / 4-in . line inputs . There ’ s also the Talkback input for the handy RTA ( Real Time Analyzer ) built into the console . On top of it all , there ’ s also a USB playback input for playing sound cues or house music via a USB drive .
On the output side , there are 14 XLR-3 outputs plus a dedicated left / right Main output and a left / right Monitor output that allows one of the other mixes ( or the cue mix ) to be output with independent level control to an amp or speaker system , giving the mixer a total of 16 simultaneously operable outputs .
Power & Flexibility The TouchMix-30 Pro has a lot of power built in . This console offers a total of eight sub groups , eight DCAs , and eight mute groups with an additional FX mute button .
There are some very clever features when it comes to the input strips . All 30 channels come equipped with a four-band parametric EQ , compressor / limiter , a gate , and signal delay . This gives any mixing engineer tons of control over what ’ s going into and out of the board .
A neat feature – especially for novice or inexperienced mixers – is the Simple option used in conjunction with factory EQ presets . When a user enables this feature , some of
20 • CANADIAN MUSICIAN
the more advanced options pertaining to EQ , comps , gates , and effects disappear and the user is left with basic functions for intuitive but simple operation . Also via the factory presets , a new user can load a common starting point for instrument and vocal EQs , comps , etc . and work from there .
Once you ’ ve roughed in your mix , the TouchMix-30 Pro has six independent FX engines plus Pitch Correct , which could be used to fix intonation or detune instruments or vocals for a thickening effect . You don ’ t need to give up any aux mixes to use all of the FX , and the presets can also be altered and saved to the console ’ s preset folder or any drive connected via the USB port .
Other Features The console comes with a very cool feature that , as far as I know , is unique to this family : the Gain , FX , Anti-Feedback , and Tuning wizards . If you ’ re not familiar with how to properly set gain for individual instruments or how to tune a PA , the TouchMix can get you started .
For gain , you can simply click the Wizard button on the console and select “ Gain .” The console will then ask you to turn the trim pots on top of the console to give you a great starting point for your input gain .
The Tuning Wizard is pretty much the same . Plug your analyzer mic into the Talkback input and start the wizard . It will show you the peaks and valleys that your PA system is reproducing and assist you in flattening the sound – again , a great starting point for your mix .
Finally , the Anti-Feedback Wizard helps get the user the most gain before feedback . It slowly increases output gain until a feedback ring is heard . Then , it drops one of 12 notch filters on top of the feedback frequency and keeps going until it ’ s told to stop or all 12 filters are used .
The TouchMix-30 is also equipped with full multitrack recording capability . This can be used by either connecting to a Mac running a DAW ( in which case the TouchMix serves as a 32-channel I / O device ) or by attaching a USB drive directly to the console and hitting “ Record .” I found this feature really handy for giving clients a recorded copy of their shows for post or for my own benefit , recording mixes and listening back to identify areas for improvement .
And here ’ s a big one : the TouchMix-30 Pro comes with a great feature that allows one to connect multiple iOS or Android remote devices via a WiFi router plugged into the Ethernet port on the back . That means individual artists can mix their own wedges or in-ears if desired . Multiple devices can be programmed and features the musicians don ’ t need can be locked out . This can take some stress off of a FOH engineer pulling double-duty while enhancing the musicians ’ onstage experience .
Summary I ’ ll just outright say that every time I used the TouchMix-30 Pro , the results sounded truly spectacular – and it often took a lot less time to get there than I ’ m used to . From live and recorded music to speech applications , it handled them all with ease .
This is a great tool with unique features and an accessible price point , considering its feature set and flexibility . In fact , I enjoyed my experience so much that I asked to hang onto the mixer for some high-profile shows with the one and only Jerry Seinfeld .
Keep your eye out for this amazing little machine .
Nathan Petrie is a freelance audio technician based out of Halifax , NS . He has toured with acts such as Jerry Seinfeld , Cancer Bats , Let It Be – A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles , Rock the Nation , and The Rankin