Soundcraft EFX8 8-Channel Mixing Console w/ Lexicon Effects

I do several things: Live singing show, Karaoke Hosting and basic DJing. This mixer is near perfect. Very little that it doesn't have. Sound quality and headroom are excellent. Build quality is excellent. Mic preamps are very good. I really don't think there is anything in this price range that compares. I would definitely recommend this mixer to someone else. I feel VERY confident taking this mixer to gigs.

I was using a Mackie DFX-12 for our weekly open mic when it abruptly stopped outputting. Fearing it was dead, I upgraded to this unit, having previously bought its big brother the FX16i. The Mackie was repaired at a reasonable cost, but I was so happy with the Soundcraft that I sold the Mackie to a friend who still uses and loves it. The Mackie is good, but the Soundcraft is a cut above. This one has become our open mic workhorse, and I continue to marvel at its features and performance. Eight discrete XLR mic channels. DB preamps. Lexicon effects onboard. Sweepable mid EQ. PFL solo switches to check channel levels without messing with the mix. I do miss having a master Aux 1 for controlling all the monitor feeds as a bus, but it's a small task to set each channel ... MoreI was using a Mackie DFX-12 for our weekly open mic when it abruptly stopped outputting. Fearing it was dead, I upgraded to this unit, having previously bought its big brother the FX16i. The Mackie was repaired at a reasonable cost, but I was so happy with the Soundcraft that I sold the Mackie to a friend who still uses and loves it. The Mackie is good, but the Soundcraft is a cut above. This one has become our open mic workhorse, and I continue to marvel at its features and performance. Eight discrete XLR mic channels. DB preamps. Lexicon effects onboard. Sweepable mid EQ. PFL solo switches to check channel levels without messing with the mix. I do miss having a master Aux 1 for controlling all the monitor feeds as a bus, but it's a small task to set each channel independently. It's a little weird to have the power switch under the chassis, where the AC cable also docks, but you'll never accidentally turn it off. The bare metal box seems untrimmed compared to the Mackie's soft edges, but I guess it's usually rack-mounted. I made a pair of cherry-wood "ears" for it (and the big one as well), so it has an old-school console look. Great features, awesome quality, just the right price point. A cut above the other small-format rigs.

I have used this box several years. Thankfully they did not do the effect section themselves but left it to the professionals. The right form of reverb is important for singers, most other manufacturers add some effects most for the "gimmic" just for the datasheet to look good, but have no idea how the product performs in reality. I only which for it to be more compact and they make one edition for stage and another one for studio recording usage. Many duos/soloists may want something simplified where the box is made compact, I could easily do without the faders, inserts, 8 mic inputs? I need one/two and more stereo inputs (I am not "mixing", I am performing. A big difference in utliization)