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Cutec MX 1210 Desk

Article from One Two Testing, August 1984

economy mixing for 12



Here it is - the first mixing desk to make its way into the pages of One Two Testing. Normally, this magazine likes to operate on the cutting edge of musical technology, out there in the white heat of modernity.

Mixing desks just don't fit in with that sort of thing. Mixing desks string together a number of noises, combining them at variable volumes, with the occasional addition of effects. They either work well, or slightly less well, but they're difficult to do without.

So why has the Cutec MX1210 been selected for scrutiny? Firstly – its size. This little cutie (ahem) is only... so wide (620mm)... by about this deep (256mm)... and it weighs a mere eight kilos when it's out of its pleasantly robust black case. That's a kilo less than the average Portastudio-type machine.

Given that it's not going to dislocate your shoulder every time you pick it up, what else has it got going for it? There's the price, which will be around £350 including VAT; and considering the MX1210's proffered facilities in relation to this not enormous figure, it seems we would have an interestingly cheap tool on our hands. My experience of mixing desks over the last 30 years or so has chiefly been with machines like the MM 12/2 – desks renowned for their simplicity, perfectly adapted for the use of professional incompetents like myself – so the MX1210 fell readily into that low finance/child's play frame of reference.

Each of the 12 channels comes with five knobs, two jack sockets, a switch, a fader and a red peak LED. From the bottom we have the level fader with its LED which we are informed should flash "occasionally". Then the 'Panpot' (sounds like a French police car). Then the 'Effects (post)' knob, which functions in conjunction with the Master Effect level control. 'Post' means it operates after the fader, so you're not left with a lonely echo after you've brought the signal back to zero. The 'F/B (pre)' gives each channel its own foldback level regardless of fader settings. The overall monitor volume is controlled by another knob on the top of the desk, next to the foldback output. The remaining treble and bass controls give ±12dB at 10KHz and 100Hz respectively and if those figures mean as much to you as they do me, then you'll need to know that the bass is capable of giving lots of punch to drum-machine (TR808) bass drums, and the treble adds a healthy crack to snare sounds. But they're also capable of dealing with less specific bandwidths such as those provided by vocals and guitars as I was pleasantly surprised to find while using the MX1210 for recording purposes.

One unusual point about this desk is the absence of input gain controls. Instead you're provided with separate mike (46dB) and line (20dB) jack inputs, with a level attenuator switchable between -15dB, 0dB, and +15dB. This gives six different levels for the incoming signal. They are reasonably easy to use, but I would have preferred another knob, if only to see at what volume the desk was taking the input.

All these fiddly technical bits (x12) are located on a gently angled, dark-grey metallic panel. The sockets for each channel are not hidden at the back of the desk, but lie on the sloping top edge of the mixer (as you look at it). Smart design this, particularly for home-studio use when you find yourself continually swapping leads about. The inputs are clearly visible, and accessible.

At the right-hand side of the MX1210 are the rest of the electrical gubbins. Down the bottom are the Master Faders, whose settings control the VUs at the top of this, the output stage. Directly above the faders is the 'Effects Return', and a panning control which permits you to whizz echo effects (or whatever you choose) from side to side. Reggae soundmen, take note...

A 5 band graphic EQ is provided for both left and right channels which is a great boon for live work when it comes to coping with the acoustic idiosyncracies of the venue. Brighten up the top end if the room sounds flat and dull, or cut it down if the PA is feeding back on specific frequencies. For some reason best known to Cutec, the desk is also provided with two stereo phono inputs, each with its own volume, and a crossfader that let you play Radio One Roadshows (you tasteless fiend).

The input sockets for these controls, along with the Foldback Out and Level, are all on that wonderfully ergonomic sloping panel. Easy action all round, except for the two RCA phono outputs for recording, which are located behind everything on the very back of the MX1210.

Without even bothering to employ Holmesian deductive methods, it's possible to see that Cutec intend this mixer for both live and home studio work. Although its simple bass and treble cannot really compare with a parametric EQ such as found on the Tascam 244 Portastudio, the MX1210 would make a versatile addition to any set-up like the Aria R504, the Fostex X-15, or even Cutec's own four-track cassette, the MR402, all of which lack mixing stages and built-in tone controls. It's also useful for four-tracks employed by groups of more than four musicians, enabling submixes, thus removing the need to record parts individually and then bounce down with the subsequent loss of quality. With adequate monitoring (and enough mikes), the MX1210 is ideal for live demos – it's quiet enough not to disturb your ears with hiss – and the added effects stage can be useful, especially when you use the 12 into 2 to sub-mix before recording on your four-track, with its own effect sends-and-returns.

It works, doing its job with the minimum of fuss and nonsense, at a good price, and a convenient size and weight. Economy is a greatly under-rated virtue these days...

CUTEC MX 1210 12 channel mixer: £350


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History of PA

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When Is A Computer?


Publisher: One Two Testing - IPC Magazines Ltd, Northern & Shell Ltd.

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One Two Testing - Aug 1984

Gear in this article:

Mixer > Cutec > MX1210

Review by Jon Lewin

Previous article in this issue:

> History of PA

Next article in this issue:

> When Is A Computer?


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