Midas DM16 First Look and Review

Analog Midas in 2020

We’ve got the Midas DM16 analog mixing board in for a first look & review this week. I’m calling this one a bit of both since I’ve used these mixers in real-life work with some regularity a few years back. A client replaced a small rack mixer with a Midas DM12 & I had the opportunity to work with it for a number of live events, performances, and speeches. So more than usual, I feel comfortable offering some real-world opinions & observations.

If you’re shopping for a new mixer, you can find the current pricing for the Midas DM16 here. You might also want to consider the digital offerings from Midas, as they have been an excellent value for anyone looking to pack a ton of features into a small space.

DM16 Specs

Input Type	Impedance	Gain Range	Max. Input Level	Max. Output Level
Mic (MIDAS mic preamp) XLR, balanced	2 kO	+10 dB to +60 dB	+11 dBu @ +10 dB gain	N/A
Line ¼” TRS, balanced	20 kO balanced / unbalanced	-10 dB to +40 dB	+30 dBu	N/A
Stereo 4 x ¼” TRS connector, balanced	20 kO balanced / unbalanced	-20 dB to +20 dB	+21 dBu	N/A
Equalizer Low: ±15 dB @ 80 Hz, shelving, Mid (mono inputs only): ±15 dB @ 150 Hz to 3.5 kHz, variable semi-parametric, High: ±15 dB @ 12 kHz, shelving	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Channel Inserts ¼” TRS connector, unbalanced	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu	+21 dBu
Aux Sends 2 x ¼” TRS connector, balanced	240 O balanced, 120 O unbalanced	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu
Monitor Out 2 x ¼” TRS connector, balanced	240 O balanced, 120 O unbalanced	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu
Main Out 2 x XLR, electronically balanced	100 O balanced, 50 O unbalanced	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu
Main Out Inserts 2 x ¼” TRS connector, unbalanced	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu	+21 dBu
Phones Output ¼” TRS connector, unbalanced	25 O	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu
2-Track Input 2 x RCA, unbalanced	20 kO	N/A	+21 dBu	N/A
Record Out 2 x RCA, unbalanced	1 kO	N/A	N/A	+21 dBu

Mic EIN @ 60 dB gain, 50 ? source at insert send	Mic EIN @ 60 dB gain, 150 ? source at insert send	Noise @ 10dB Gain, at insert send	Frequency response (-1 dB) at main output	Frequency response (-3 dB) at main output	CMRR @ +60dB gain	Distortion (THD+N) at 0 dBu
-131 dBu, unweighted, 20 Hz to 20 kHz	-128 dBu, unweighted, 20 Hz to 20 kHz	-97 dBu, unweighted, 20 Hz to 20 kHz	20 Hz to 20 kHz (-1 dB)	70 kHz (-3 dB)	Typically -90 dB	0.005% @ 1kHz

In the video, this white paper from Rane on audio measurements is referenced. If you have not read Dennis Bohn’s writing before, you are in for a real treat. His Pro Audio Reference book is by far the best there is in my opinion & a real gift to the audio community. When he retired in 2016, Dennis donated the PAR reference to AES.org. Access online resources, seminars, and talks like the one featured in our Subtember Special with Dave Rat by joining AES.

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