Soundcraft Notepad 8FX

The Soundcraft Notepad-8FX is a small analog mixer for home studios, podcasts, streaming and small events. It has two mic/line channels on XLR/jack combo inputs with Soundcraft preamps, 48 V phantom power, a 3-band EQ and a 100 Hz low-cut; channel 1 also takes a guitar or bass directly through its hi-Z instrument input. Two stereo line channels on jacks and one stereo channel on RCA take keyboards, a DJ controller or a phone.

The built-in Lexicon effects offer reverb, chorus and delay with tap tempo, fed from the aux send; the same aux can also serve as a monitor mix. The USB interface sends two channels at 24-bit and up to 48 kHz to a Mac or PC (you choose channels 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 or the main mix) and brings the computer's playback back into the mixer. A ducking option lowers background music from USB when someone speaks.

Main outputs are on XLR, there is a headphone output with its own level control, and the mixer sits in a metal case powered by an external supply. It works on a Mac without drivers; Windows uses Soundcraft's driver.

Key features

• 8 inputs: 2 mic/line channels, 2 stereo jack channels, 1 stereo RCA channel
• Soundcraft mic preamps with 48 V phantom power and 100 Hz low-cut
• 3-band EQ on the mic channels, hi-Z instrument input on channel 1
• Lexicon effects: reverb, chorus, delay with tap tempo
• USB audio interface, 2 in / 2 out, 24-bit, 44.1/48 kHz
• XLR main outputs, aux output, headphone output with level control
• Metal case, external power supply