Is my mixer a bit weird?

[Jahoel]

Got myself a cheap second hand Vestax PMC-170A mixer a while ago to tide me over until I can get something really shiny and although I don't really have any problems with it, there does seem to be something odd with the level meter. It only ever displays the master output levels which are a sum of each individual channel's gain and volume as well as the master volume. Even if you pfl a channel it doesn't change. :you_crazy

It generally makes it a bitch when mixing as you have to guess what level to set everything.

Anybody else had a similar experience with this mixer? Is it just a cunning design feature or in fact just totally screwed?

["Sound-Guy"]

http://www.zikinf.com/_gfx/matos/dyn/large/7c2ca02a3f1d7e873f5cfb99be9b4969.jpg

Mates got one of these, the nuts apprantly

[BioTech]

Some mixers have bizzare features and design flaws. I should imagine this is one of them. Maybe to some people this is helpful?

You should have a rough idea of how loud your records are but to help you out when you cue you could siwtch the cue monitor between the channel that is playing and the channel you are bringing in. That will give you help in matching the levels before you mix.

I have an Ecler Nuo5 (http://www.edwardssound.co.nz/GetImage.aspx?id=1662&ins=5) but for a budget mixer you can't go far wrong with this:

http://www.reform-records.co.uk/acatalog/vestax_pmc06-proa.jpg

Used these quite a bit and they are a top little mixer. Nice build quality and very simplified. Only £189 now. They used to be about £500 4 or 5 years ago.

[General Lighting]

IME many lower cost mixers have the level meters input circuit hardwired to the output of the master level controls.

Although its only a matter of a few switch wafers and pieces of wire in the construction when trying to drive down manufacturing costs every little bit counts..