Customer Reviews

Alesis iMultiMix 8USB All-in-one Tabletop Mixer

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been using the Alesis iMultimix since 2009 and I have never had an issue with Windows 7 or Vista operating systems. I use the Alesis iMultimix 8 for podcasting with Rode and Shure (powered and unpowered) microphones and have never had an issue. I have also used the iPod recording functionality when using it remotely, but not regularly.

In my experience the iMultimix8 plugged in and worked first go.

Software wise I've used a lot of standard podcasting/audio editing software like Audacity, Sony SoundForge, Sony Acid and NCH WavePad and none had an issue working with this mixer. Not that it should anyway, because the mixer works just like a sound card when plugged in, so once you configure the correct sound device in your software it works perfectly.

The seamless integration with applications like Skype make podcasting with this mixer a breeze. This could not come recommended highly enough

I see that another reviewer has had an issue with the unit and Windows 7 64bit. I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit and this is not an issue for me. From my experience it is 100% compatible with Windows 7 64 and 32 bit, Windows Vista and also MacOSX. I record podcasts regularly with the iMultimix8 and Windows 7 64bit.

I talk about my experience with this mixer and the reasons why it works so well for podcasting in Podcasters' Emporium Episode 12 which you can find here: [...]

I use this mixing board every week for practice. I can record to my computer while simultaneously recording to an ipod.
I have never had an issue with this alesis, Highly recommended for home digital recording. The built in effects processor is ideal for live recording as well. Definitely a great product!

So admittedly, it looks cool...it's made by Alesis, a very trusted name in sound, and it docks an ipod for mixed playback for crying out loud. As a home studio musician who researches the hell out of all his gear, my need for a new updated mixer led me to this very modern looking and decidedly cool product.

I am very sorry to report that for those of you with Windows 7 64 bit, despite the updated drivers that you can download, you will have nothing but troubles despite a workaround here, and a small fix there. I really wanted it to work, I truly did. I even re-cabled my entire mix flow to try and accommodate the fact that Ableton Live was just not going to cooperate with it, and while it was a temporary fix, other issues presented themselves in the way of, for sake of ease, never getting a correct mix and balance of your different instruments without a mountain of tedious settings changes before recording each track. And as for mixing multiple instruments at the same time, good luck on that one. I never could figure if it was an Ableton problem or a Windows problem, or both. And I put at least 12 hours into it, reworking every variable. Even without using the supposed updated Alesis drivers, Windows will find its own generic USB Codec drivers, but those fail to play through in Ableton as well.

As for the ipod part, okay lets face it, who's got an ipod anymore, I've got an iPhone 4 with ipod as a feature. Nowhere online can you find this discussed, as I tried to find out if that would work with the mixer before my purchase. The answer is....for playback only! You cannot record your mix onto the iphone despite having the voice memo feature (which is what it supposedly records to). Maybe the recording to the ipod feature was a bit of a gimmick anyway, but I thought it would have been nice. In truth, I enjoyed using my iPhone for playback and using the jog wheel to scroll through the menus was a nice touch as well. It also acts as a charger. But I suppose there's little difference between that and playing your songs through your computer via itunes, or WMplayer, what have you.

It really is a shame too, the sound scape that was created after running through that mixer was really something. It was a noticeable difference and it really honed some of the sound of my recordings. The effects were a nice touch as well though after sampling them all, there really only 3 I would have ever used as a go to. One was a delay for the guitar, which sounded sweet and will be missed, though I am sure I can find other ways to achieve the same effect, I had never really played around with it.

In short, the product, had it been released 8-10 years prior, would have made a killing and taken the musician world by storm. Unfortunately it came out right with Windows 7 and Alesis could not buy the rights to make drivers for the format. Great device, huge fail. They have since DISCONTINUED the entire line. I wish I had come across that in my research as that would have been a clue. Sorry to see you go buddy, I returned it to amazon today. Time to hunt down it's replacement. I hope this helps.

I purchased this item about a year ago. It remained in the box until May, when I had a friend unpack it and check it out for me. We now use it on a regular basis...both as a mixer and to record our meetings to an iPod.

I had considered getting the Belkin TuneStudio Portable Digital Multitrack Recorder, but opted for the Alesis because it has 8 rather than 4 inputs. Little did I know that we would be able to effectively turn those 8 inputs into 16! And the degree of control over each individual input is phenomenal.

The size makes the Alesis a little "less portable" than what I had originally wanted, but that has been a total non-issue for us. The extra capacity makes this a wonderful choice.

I highly recommend this product!

Our church purchased this board about 1.5 years ago. We use the board for mic'ing singers and speakers, and also use the iPod feature for recording to an iPod. This system has worked flawlessly until now. Over a year later the iPod connector no longer recognizes the iPod, so we can not play or record from the iPod. Occasionally, if we dust off the connector, or perhaps wiggle it a bit, it'll recognize the iPod for a short time (i.e. 5 minutes).

Without this problem I could highly recommend the device, and hopefully this is just a malfunction with our unit, but regardless parts shouldn't become defective this early.

I think that this product is excellent. Physically it is thin, beautiful, easy to transport. It is very easy to install and manage. The sound quality is very good, gives a sharp sound and offers varied options of equalization and special effects. The manual is well written and is very easy to understand. The product arrived on time and well packed. I recommend the item and the store 100%.
José Luis

After a few years of working with the Belkin Tune Studio, I decided to upgrade mixers. I use the mixer for podcast recording and got tired of the buzzing noise produced by the Belkin.

The Alesis is a terrific mixer, but it is NOT compatible with the iPod Classic, as the literature, description and website state. Customer support said it was an iPod issue; Apple said it was a mixer issue. I stopped right there and just ordered a used Nano, which WAS compatible. That was extra money that I did NOT need to spend to get this mixer to work. After I purchased an had problems, I found scores of posts online from users who had the same troubles with the iPod Classic - and zero help from customer support.

The mixer did record nicely into Adobe Soundbooth on my Macbook. I wanted an iPod so I didn't have to have a larger desk to record directly to Mac.

The Alesis mixer is better quality than the Belkin, but it isn't quite as portable. The Belkin is compatible with all iPods and also offers inserts so the different iPod types fit securely into the mixer. The Alesis does not offer the inserts, so your iPod isn't extremely secure while recording. Alesis also offers sound effects, which are kind of cool, but not something I will use often.

For recording on the channels, it is about a tie. Novice recording enthusiasts might get confused using the Alesis board, because of the various knobs associated with each channel. If you are familiar with boards, then the Alesis should be a breeze.

However, the Alesis board offers terrific navigating options for the iPod. It is much easier to record using the buttons on the Alesis mixer for the iPod functions. On the Belkin Tune Studio, you have to navigate on the iPod itself while it is plugged into the machine - which is not always easy. One of the reasons I purchased the Alesis were the iPod buttons. They are a DREAM for me.

Overall, the Alesis is better quality, but the Belkin is better for portability. I will update this review after I use the board some more.

I'm giving it three stars, though, because it is NOT compatible with the iPod Classic, as the company advertises.

Author's Note: I spent so much time trying to find an iPod that worked

Pros:
*It's a alesis 8 channel mixer with 99 on board effects + A-B auxilary sends with stereo returns, main out + control room out + RCA monitoring loop. that is worth the price alone.
*iPod can technically be considered input channels 9-10
*usb computer interface
*Sound quality is better than you expect for the price
*bypasses the DA converter in the ipod so everything ipod stays digital until it hits the DA converter in the mixer
*solid feeling controls
*Equal combination of durable, heavy and portable. I carry it in a laptop bag with cables and mics.
*included Cubase software is an excellent system for free.
cons:
*the 3 button system for the ipod/mix/usb/send gets confusing even after you've used it for a while you still screw it up
*the USB interface on mine died after a lighting storm, probably not the mixers fault. however the mixer and ipod still functions perfectly as stand alone, just no USBanymore..
*the ipod does not dock to itunes through the mixer base, this can be a good and bad thing depending on how you look at it.
*there is no input controls for the usb input, this can also be a good and bad thing depending on what you are doing.

*apple is forever changing their protocols, make sure the mixer is compatible with your device or you are prepared to hack your device to make it compatible. i use the fat ipod nano.

all in all I am very satisfied, just wish i hadn't lost the USB :(
here's a link to my video review, I don't wanna upload again. [...]

I bought this console year ago , now doesn't recognize the Ipod, when it work, work good but a year lateer is seating in my house , no warranty cover as expire ...

This Little Mixer can give you the best type of effects, mixing, and recoring in the ipod. Recording is studio quality. The only disadvantage in recording is that you can't edit the tracks separately. It is already mixed after recording. But I love it. All my friends have bought one per my recommendation. Highly recommended for musicians.