Should we hire analogue or digital?

Digital wins when you need lots of channels, scene memories for a complicated show, or to mix from a tablet out in the room. Analogue wins when the operator changes from night to night, when there is no time to build a show file, and when the person mixing needs to see every control at once. For most assemblies, services and small gigs the analogue desk is the honest answer. We hire digital desks as well, so tell us about the show and we will say which it needs.

Which of the two should we book?

Count your microphones. Four or fewer, with backing tracks and perhaps some reverb on a voice: the Notepad-12FX, which will also record the event. More than four, radio mic receivers to plug in, or performers who need their own monitor mix on stage: the EPM12. If you are on the boundary, take the EPM12; spare channels on the night cost far less than a desk that has run out.

Can we record the performance?

With the Notepad-12FX, yes, over one USB lead. It appears on a Mac as a standard audio device, and on a PC with Soundcraft's free driver, and records at 44.1 or 48kHz into any recording software. You can send individual inputs or the main mix to the computer. The EPM12 has stereo RCA record outputs instead, which feed a laptop interface or a recorder. Tell us what you want to capture and we will pack the right leads.

Will our radio mics and condenser microphones work?

Yes. Both desks provide 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, on all twelve mic inputs of the EPM12 and all four of the Notepad-12FX. Radio mic receivers connect to an ordinary mic or line input and do not need phantom power, but each receiver occupies a channel, so count receivers, not performers, when choosing the desk.

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Analogue mixer hire — Soundcraft EPM12 and Notepad

An analogue mixer is the right tool when the person mixing is a teacher, a volunteer or whoever is free on the night. Every channel has its own gain, EQ and level on the surface, so there is nothing to programme and nothing to get lost in. The Soundcraft Notepad-12FX covers the small end: four mic inputs, Lexicon effects and a USB link to a laptop, at £6 per day. The Soundcraft EPM12 is the band-sized desk: twelve mic inputs and two monitor sends, at £12 per day. Both hire dry or with an engineer.

Digital desks earn their keep on big shows, with scene memories, built-in processing and mixing from a tablet out in the room. On an assembly, a small gig or a rehearsal they can be the wrong tool, because the control you need is two menus down and the one person who understood the desk has left. An analogue desk has no show file and no software version. You turn it on and it passes signal. Anyone standing behind it can see everything it is doing, which matters when the operator changes from one performance to the next.

The Notepad-12FX is the small option. Four mono channels take microphones or line sources on combo XLR and jack sockets, with 48V phantom power for condensers and instrument switches on two of them for a guitar straight in. Stereo jack and RCA channels handle backing tracks and walk-in music. A Lexicon effects engine gives reverb, chorus and delay with tap tempo, so a solo voice gets a polished sound with no outboard at all. The USB socket makes it a four-channel audio interface at 44.1 or 48kHz: play tracks from a laptop and record the whole event back to it down the same lead.

The EPM12 is the bigger desk for band-sized jobs. Twelve mono channels on Soundcraft's GB30 preamps, each with a 3-band EQ with a swept mid, an insert point and a 60mm fader, plus two stereo channels for playback. Two aux sends, switchable pre or post fade, run monitor wedges on stage or feed an effects unit. Phantom power is a true 48 volts. The power supply is built into the desk and accepts anything from 85 to 270 volts, so there is no adapter to lose and nothing at the socket but one IEC lead. It has no USB and no effects: it mixes, and that is the point.

Choosing between them comes down to counting microphones. Up to four, with playback and a little reverb: the Notepad-12FX, and you can record the event as well. More than four, radio mic receivers stacking up, or performers who need their own monitor mix: the EPM12. Both sit on a table at the back of the hall, run from an ordinary 13A socket and go home on the back seat of a car.

Hire either desk by the day. If nobody on your team wants to mix, we will send an engineer to rig it, sound check and run the show.

What you get

Your choice of desk: the Notepad-12FX, the EPM12, or one of each

EPM12: an IEC mains lead — the power supply is inside the desk

Notepad-12FX: its external power supply and a USB lead for laptop playback and recording

XLR and jack cables for your microphones, playback and speakers — tell us the runs when you book and we will pack the right lengths

Not included as standard: microphones, speakers, stands and radio mic systems. All can be added

An engineer to set up, sound check and mix, if you would rather not run it yourselves

Good for

School assemblies, prize-givings and concerts where a member of staff runs the sound

Am-dram and youth theatre productions with a handful of cast and float microphones

Church services and village hall events: speech, music and playback on one small desk

Small gigs and function bands, with monitor mixes from the EPM12's aux sends

Rehearsal rooms, where equipment is plugged and unplugged all evening and menus slow everyone down

Recording talks, services and gigs straight to a laptop over USB with the Notepad-12FX

What you need to know

What it does: Mixes microphones and music playback down to your speakers, with a physical control for every job. Nothing lives in a menu.
Which one: Notepad-12FX for up to four microphones, with Lexicon reverb and a USB link to a laptop. EPM12 for up to twelve microphones and two monitor sends.
Power: Both run from an ordinary 13A socket. The EPM12's supply is built in; the Notepad-12FX has a small external adapter, supplied.
Control: Analogue, so it is ready the moment it is switched on. A volunteer can learn either desk in minutes and hand it to someone else the next night.
Where it goes: On a table. The EPM12 is 432mm wide and 6.7kg; the Notepad-12FX is smaller than a laptop bag and around 2kg.

Hire rates

Choose the one you need. The photo and price follow your choice.

Soundcraft EPM12 Analog MixerTwelve mono inputs and honest faders — no menus anywhere.£12a day

Soundcraft Notepad-12FXThe compact desk with USB and effects for small jobs.£6a day

Rates are per day and exclude VAT. A longer hire costs less per day — tell us your dates and we will price the period exactly. Ask us about delivery and hiring with a technician.

Alternatives

Behringer X32 desks — the digital step up, when the show needs scene recall and more than a dozen inputs.

Full technical specification (17)

Manufacturer and models	Soundcraft EPM12; Soundcraft Notepad-12FX
Desk type	Compact analogue mixing consoles
Phantom power	48V on both desks, for condenser microphones and active DI boxes
Frequency response	20Hz to 20kHz on both (EPM12 ±0.5dB, Notepad-12FX ±1.5dB)
EPM12 inputs	12 mono mic/line channels on XLR and 6.35mm jack, plus 2 stereo line channels and RCA playback
EPM12 EQ	3-band with swept mid on mono channels (12kHz shelf, 150Hz to 3.5kHz sweep, 60Hz shelf, ±15dB); 2-band on stereo channels
EPM12 aux sends	2, each switchable pre or post fade, with dedicated aux outputs
EPM12 outputs	Balanced XLR mix pair with inserts, 2 aux outputs, monitor outputs, RCA record output, headphones
EPM12 dimensions	432 x 362 x 90.5mm (W x D x H)
EPM12 weight	6.7kg
EPM12 power	Internal universal supply, 85-270V AC 50/60Hz, under 20W, on a standard IEC lead from a UK 13A socket
Notepad 12 FX inputs	4 mono mic/line combo channels (2 switchable to Hi-Z for instruments), 2 stereo jack channels, stereo RCA playback
Notepad 12 FX EQ	3-band on mono channels: 12kHz shelf, 2kHz bell, 80Hz shelf, ±12dB
Notepad 12 FX effects	Lexicon reverb, chorus and delay with tap tempo, plus combined modes
Notepad 12 FX USB	USB 2.0 audio interface, 4-channel, 44.1 or 48kHz, with assignable sources including the main mix
Notepad 12 FX outputs	Balanced XLR master pair, aux output switchable to a stereo headphone feed, separate headphone socket with its own level
Notepad 12 FX power	External mains adapter, supplied, for UK 230V sockets

Common questions

Digital wins when you need lots of channels, scene memories for a complicated show, or to mix from a tablet out in the room. Analogue wins when the operator changes from night to night, when there is no time to build a show file, and when the person mixing needs to see every control at once. For most assemblies, services and small gigs the analogue desk is the honest answer. We hire digital desks as well, so tell us about the show and we will say which it needs.
Count your microphones. Four or fewer, with backing tracks and perhaps some reverb on a voice: the Notepad-12FX, which will also record the event. More than four, radio mic receivers to plug in, or performers who need their own monitor mix on stage: the EPM12. If you are on the boundary, take the EPM12; spare channels on the night cost far less than a desk that has run out.
With the Notepad-12FX, yes, over one USB lead. It appears on a Mac as a standard audio device, and on a PC with Soundcraft's free driver, and records at 44.1 or 48kHz into any recording software. You can send individual inputs or the main mix to the computer. The EPM12 has stereo RCA record outputs instead, which feed a laptop interface or a recorder. Tell us what you want to capture and we will pack the right leads.
Yes. Both desks provide 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, on all twelve mic inputs of the EPM12 and all four of the Notepad-12FX. Radio mic receivers connect to an ordinary mic or line input and do not need phantom power, but each receiver occupies a channel, so count receivers, not performers, when choosing the desk.