Midas DM16 16 Input Analogue Live and Studio Mixer with Midas Microphone Preamplifiers

With the lack of useful reviews and videos online, unusual of me, I decided to take a blind gamble on the DM16 based on a good feeling about it. Thank God, I wasn't wrong.LIKED - Respectably quiet preamps, especially at this price point. Even maxed out, which is silly, ambient noise overpowers unit's self-noise. At normal settings, noise floor remains in between the low -80 decibels and high -70 decibels. That's smile-inducingly on par with my Audient ID14, Apogee Duet Firewire and Behringer X32 Rack. So, NO ANNOYING HISS of any kind to worry about.Lots of headroom compared to my Yamaha MG10 and Mackie ProFX12v2. Line inputs can take really hot signals that clipped my other mixers, and the signal is far enough from the top that I could add gain. Preamps can also be pushed a bit without sounding ugly.Flavorful EQs. Whether adding or subtracting, they remain musical and natural-sounding to my ears. I really like them, because they sound like they add or subtract harmonic content instead of just frequencies like most mixer EQs. Most ear pleasing EQs I've heard from an affordable mixer.Surprisingly strong headphone amp. At 9 o'clock on its volume knob, my 300 ohm Sennheiser HD 6XX get as loud as I'd listen to them without endangering my hearing. Clean , clear-sounding too at moderate volumes.Amp hiss shows when the knob is way higher than safe for the ears. Running my Denon DA-300USB DAC's RCA outputs through the DM16 yields a big, fun sound. It's no audiophile headphone amp like the Denon's, but it has more power and a much bigger sound.Nice build quality. While not tank-like, the mixer looks and feels well-assembled. All knobs and sliders are smooth, feeling good to my fingers. The DM16 feels hollow inside, but not cheaply made. It feels affordable, not premium, but fit and finish is perfect on my unit, as good as it can get. For $269.99, I couldn't be happier.NOT LIKED - Wiggly pots and low friction on sliders, which is understandable at this price. I'm sure they could last years if treated kindly and protected from dust.Headphone knob has lots of side to side wiggle, so it needs to be turned purposely centered or it creates channel imbalance. My Mackie ProFX12v2 was like that but to a lesser extent even if its knob felt cheaper.Truth is that companies use cheaper components on their "toy" mixers to be able to sell them at an affordable price and still make a profit. I am not complaining. 12 respectably quiet preamps and pleasant-sounding EQs for what the DM16 sells for is good and acceptable to me. Any skilled person could make something good with this mixer. I always get the results that I want with it.I can't find any more dislikes. I purchased it knowing its obscurity, its lack of useful reviews, and what features it had and didn't have. For over a decade, I've been subconsciously missing my old Made in USA Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO's fun character, and this DM16 has filled the void I had in me.My first impression was a pleasant one, better than I expected, given that Behringer owns Midas so... depending on the viewpoint, it could be said that this is a Behringer console even if Midas designed it in the UK.Five stars for the "Midas" DM16. I like Uli Behringer and respect his hussle, even if his company has maintained its tendency to be...inspired...by other companies' designs. The Midas DM16 physically looks inspired by the Soundcraft EPM12.I will update this review if anything changes. God bless you and take care.EDIT: Today is July 31, 2023. I will hit the four year mark with the DM16 in September. Mixer still looks like new and works like new. I have babied it immensely, though. I don't know how it'll hold up with less careful handling, but the knobs, sliders and connectors feel sturdy enough for daily use. I want it to last, though, so I treat it gently.I love it as much as I did four years ago. It's really a quiet, nice-sounding, affordable mixing console and I recommend it. I've used it with drums and synths, and recorded the main outputs with the SSL 2+.I've been using it in church for the last three years to record the music specials and services. I hope it lasts me many more years, even if I have a better, pricier Yamaha MGP16X at home that could replace it.

It was a blessing from God. Amen 👏 🙏

We purchased this soundboard for my dad's small inner city church. It fits the needs perfectly and produces Great Sound

En lo digital marca la diferencia, son increíbles en lo personal puedo decir que su EQ análoga es fiel, me encanta la definición y profundidad de graves que ofrece. !estoy feliz con la marca!

I will update this review after I have actually used the board. Just out-of-the-box impressions… Very sturdy unit appears to be well-made and the internal power supply is a big plus! I will provide a more comprehensive review after using it. UPDATE I really wanted to love this board, but spent a lot of time hooking it up in my studio and the entire left LED read out did not work! Although I heard a lot of great things about it it lost a lot of credibility in my mind if I got a brand new unit right off the line and it had issues. Sending it back.

The board runs itself. Out the box it was good to go. Really easy to work while playing music.

It’s a Midas. Nice console. Sounds great.

Muy buen producto