Properly built and designed, there's no reason why a powered mixer shouldn't cater for the gigging musician's every requirement. Danny McAleer looks at the Ephos 10:2 from Citronic, and finds it a deceptively powerful combination...

Stranger things have happened than the integration of your mixer, amplifier, and effects unit into a single box. There was the tv/video combo that Amstrad came up with some years ago for instance, or even the digital clock/radio telephone/cassette with which you could play at being a KGB phone-tapper, or have fun giving your friends a Radio 1 wake-up call. Such efficient use of space does have much to recommend it, particularly when it saves the gigging musician ripping his leather trousers humping equipment back and forth to venues.

With everything housed in a small portable box, you need not hire that extra van, or rely on the assistance of a superannuated roadie in transporting the gear from your Escort. The Ephos 10:2 is the smaller of two mixers from Citronic to offer this level of convenience. There's also a 14-channel version.

Fading away

The Ephos mixer has six mono input channels, each with a choice of balanced XLR microphone inputs or 1/4" jack line inputs, which are also balanced. The other four inputs are squashed into two stereo channels with a pair of 1/4" balanced inputs for left and right signals.

Unique to these two channels is a 10dB pad, which is certainly useful for reining in high input signals from CD players and so forth. Aside from this (and the pan operating as a balance control), the mono and stereo channels are identical. After a nutritious helping of inputs, the usual pot paraphernalia follows, lead by the gain and its sidekick, the clip LED. Usefully, this chap illuminates before clipping occurs thus warning you that if you keep this up you're likely to have some rather horrible noise emanating from this channel before it actually happens.

Each of the channels also has a three band EQ, allowing cut or boost of the low, mid, or high frequencies by ±16dB. Perhaps three band EQ might seem a bit limiting (in spite of becoming the norm), but the most subtle of coloration is possible using just the channel EQ on the Ephos.

Tempting as it is to add copious amounts of this quality of EQ, it is worth noting that any addition to the incoming signal is going to mean readjusting the gain control further. In fact, I did find it a tad difficult to keep some of my inputs under control, having added the desired amount of EQ; they rampaged around the mixer flashing more LEDs than the bridge of the USS Enterprise. Still, a small amount of sense and a quick read through The Practical Guide to Signal to Noise Ratios (assuming it exists) and everything is then fine.

Two auxiliary sends are featured on every channel too. The first post-fade controls the level of signal from the channel to the internal effects (of which, more later), as well as to whatever you have plugged into the aux 1 send and returns. The second is pre-fade, and has been designed specifically as a monitor send, as it has no actual return input. However, the manual does note that this can be modified, should you need another post-fade auxiliary send, 'but only by a qualified service engineer' (soldering irons away then...).

Finishing off the channels is the pan control, fader (60mm in length, and very stiff), and PFL button and active LED. The pre-fade listen function on a mixer is always a useful function as far as I am concerned, particularly in live situations. With the PFL switch depressed on the channel and on the main monitor panel, the LED bar graph meter then acts as an individual channel meter (assuming you have only one channel selected, else it becomes a group), allowing you to properly adjust the gain and EQ.

I have no quibbles about the firmness of the faders, as this will undoubtedly extend their longevity in the tribulations of pub gigging, but I am a bit tee'd off with the pots not being centre-indented; it can be quite difficult locating your midpoint on the EQ in the dark.

Internal Affairs

Despite a two digit, seven segment display, the effects are incredibly simple to use. The level of effect on a certain channel is dependent on both its own auxiliary one setting, and on the global send to effects pot. This way, variable amounts of whatever you set for your effects (reverb or delay) can be applied to each of the channels.

All of the effected noise then travels via a separate fader, to dictate the overall amount of reverb in the mix. It is all quite simple to use, and because there are many stages at which volumes can be adjusted, you get just the right amount of reverb in the final mix, and not just a wash of splurge.

There are five types of reverb available, and two delays, each of which are editable to a certain extent. The hall, room, and plate reverb settings have the added option of choosing to dampen the reverb, as well as reverb (or delay) time which is available on all of the other settings: gated and reverse reverb, and echo delay, and delay regeneration.

As well as the three band EQ on each of the channels you also have an overall seven band EQ, which cuts or boosts the signal at 60Hz, 160Hz, 400Hz, 1KHz, 2.5KHz, 5KHz, and 10KHz, by ±12dB. You needn't have any extra EQ, and pressing the defeat button allows you to bypass this.

As well as the inputs on the channels, the Ephos mixer also has a tape send and return (two pairs of RCAs) which can be monitored with the tape button depressed, plus a single stereo insert, located on the back panel. The back panel also has the outputs, in the form of balanced XLRs, the power switch, and the speaker connections.

Two types are offered here; firstly a pair of terminal posts for connecting bare end wires (apparently for use in an emergency, or so the manual says anyway), and a pair of Neutrik connectors, which shows a level of professionalism. The amplifier, which is certainly loud enough for the needs of most small venues (at 250W per channel), also has an impedance switch (between 40 and 80) to optimise its performance with your speakers.

Verdict

The Ephos 10:2 incorporates multiple functions into one compact box. You get your mixer, a powerful amplifier, and a quality reverb, all neatly dovetailed about one another. The Ephos 10:2 perhaps doesn't have the same level of flexibility as the Fender PX2216D, but it doesn't have the price tag either. It's robust if weighty (so perhaps Mr Roadie isn't quite so happy...), but looks ready for anything the Dog & Duck karaoke night might throw at it.

The nice EQ, phantom powering and versatile effects are good selling points, even it is a little inflexible and the fan could be quieter. It faces formidable competition in this price range, but a few modifications (mainly cosmetic) will improve its prospects.