What is a stage box and why do I need one?

A stage box is a remote unit with mic inputs and line outputs that sits on stage. It connects to the mixer with a single Ethernet cable (Cat5e/Cat6) instead of a multicore of dozens of XLRs. Protocols: Dante, AES50, MADI, AVB. Fewer cables, less interference, faster setup.

What are scenes in a digital mixer?

A scene is a stored snapshot of every mixer parameter: faders, EQ, effects, routing, phantom power. Press a button and the mixer instantly switches to the stored settings. Perfect for multi-band festivals or multi-act shows: one scene per band. Can be edited offline on a laptop.

Can I control a digital mixer from a tablet?

Yes — most modern digital mixers offer Wi-Fi or Ethernet and a dedicated app for iPad/Android/laptop. Some models have no physical console at all — just a stage box plus a tablet. The engineer can walk the room and adjust the sound from any position.

Dante, AES50, MADI — what is the difference?

Dante is the most popular: standard Ethernet, plug-and-play, cross-brand compatible, up to 512 channels. AES50 is a Behringer/Midas protocol: 48 channels per port, very low latency. MADI carries up to 64 channels over coaxial or fibre, the classic for large studios and broadcast. AVB is an open IEEE standard with guaranteed latency.

How much does it cost to switch from analogue to digital?

Entry-level digital mixers (16 channels, built-in stage box) are priced on par with mid-range analogue desks. The benefit: no need for external effects, processors, or multicores — everything is built in. The total system cost (mixer + stage box) is often lower than analogue + effects + multicore + processors.

Digital Mixing Consoles — Buy at SoundsGood

Q: Why is a digital mixer better than analogue?

Full DSP on every channel (parametric EQ, compressor, gate, de-esser), dozens of built-in effects, scene store/recall, compact footprint, one Ethernet cable instead of a multicore, remote control from a tablet, multitrack recording via USB or network.

Digital mixing consoles are the modern standard for professional sound. Full DSP on every channel, dozens of effects, scene store/recall, one cable to the stage, remote control from a tablet. More compact than analogue, more powerful in processing, more flexible in routing. From budget 16-channel units for cafés to 96-channel consoles for stadium tours. SoundsGood offers digital mixers for any scale — from an intimate event to a festival.

💻Per-Channel DSP
EQ, compressor, gate, effects

📦Free Shipping
Orders over ₴4,000

💳Installment Plans
PrivatBank / monobank

📱Tablet Control
Wi-Fi / Ethernet

💻 Why Go Digital

A digital mixing console processes audio in the digital domain: after A/D conversion every channel receives full DSP processing — no outboard gear, no compromises. This changes the game: less equipment, faster setup, perfect repeatability of settings.

🧠 Full Per-Channel Processing

Every channel: parametric EQ (4–8 bands), compressor, gate/expander, de-esser, HPF/LPF filters — no external rack gear needed. On an analogue desk the same processing would require a 20+ unit rack and dozens of patch cables.

💾 Scenes (Snapshots)

Store the complete mixer state — faders, EQ, effects, routing — in a single scene. At a 5-band festival: prepare 5 scenes offline → press a button at the event → instant recall. Zero risk of "lost settings".

📶 One Cable to the Stage

A stage box on stage connects to the mixer with a single Cat5e/Cat6 or fibre cable. Instead of a 32–64 XLR multicore: one thin Ethernet. Less weight, less space, less setup time. Protocols: Dante, AES50, MADI, AVB.

🔹 Compact Digital Mixers (16–24 Channels)

The entry point to digital mixing — maximum features in a minimal footprint.

📐 Design

Desktop format, 16–24 inputs (built-in or via stage box). 8–16 motorised faders (one or two layers). Touchscreen or colour display. Built-in Wi-Fi for tablet control. USB for multitrack recording. Some feature on-board I/O (no separate stage box needed). Weight: 5–15 kg.

📊 Specifications

Inputs: 16–24 (mic XLR + line). Outputs: 8–16 (XLR). Buses: 6–16 AUX/bus + Main L/R + matrix. DSP: parametric EQ, compressor, gate per channel. Effects: 4–8 engines. Scenes: 50–100+. Latency: <1 ms. USB multitrack: 16–18 channels.

🎯 Best For

Small to medium events (50–300 people), cafés, bars, houses of worship, corporate events, mobile musicians. The first step up from analogue. Compact — fits on a desk or in a small case. Budget entry to digital mixing.

🔊 Mid-Range (32–48 Channels)

📐 Design

Larger console: 16–24 motorised faders, large display (7"–10"), extended encoders and buttons. I/O via stage box (Dante / AES50): 32–48 inputs, 16–24 outputs. Additional stage boxes for expansion. Built-in or optional Dante/MADI. Weight: 15–35 kg.

📊 Specifications

Processing channels: 32–48. Buses: 16–24 AUX/bus + subgroups + matrix (6–16). Effects: 8–16 engines (studio quality). Graphic EQ: 8–16 bands on outputs. Scenes: 100–500+. DCA/VCA groups: 8–16. Talkback, oscillator, RTA.

🎯 Best For

Medium to large events (300–2,000 people), concert halls, festival stages, theatres, large houses of worship, installations. Enough power for most professional tasks. The sweet spot of capability versus budget.

🏟️ Full-Size Digital Consoles (64–96+ Channels)

📐 Design

Large console: 24–48 motorised faders, multiple large displays. Powerful DSP engine (or multiple). Full any-to-any routing. Redundancy: dual network ports, dual PSU, dual DSP. Stage boxes: 2–8+ (up to 256 I/O). Weight: 40–100+ kg.

📊 Specifications

Processing channels: 64–96+ (up to 256 with expansion). Buses: 24–48 AUX/bus + subgroups + matrix (16–32). Effects: 16–32 engines. 96 kHz processing (some). MADI / Dante / Waves SoundGrid. Snapshots: 500–1,000+. Offline editor. Redundancy at every level.

🎯 Best For

Stadium tours, major festivals, broadcast, Broadway/West End, premium installations. When nothing less than the absolute maximum will do: channel count, processing, redundancy, audio quality. Separate FOH + monitor consoles — standard practice.

📱 Tablet-Controlled Mixers

📐 Design

A stage box or rack module with no physical console — controlled entirely from an iPad / Android tablet / laptop via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. Some feature a minimal physical surface (a few faders + encoder). Stage box weight: 3–10 kg. All DSP runs inside the stage box.

📊 Specifications

Channels: 16–32. I/O: 8–32. DSP: full (EQ, compressor, gate, effects) — processed in the stage box, not the tablet. Wi-Fi router: built-in or external. Wi-Fi latency: <5 ms (affects UI response, not audio). USB multitrack.

🎯 Best For

Mobile musicians, small houses of worship, cafés, corporate events. Minimal gear: stage box on stage + tablet in hand. The engineer walks the room and listens from every seat — adjusts on the spot. The most compact digital mixing option.

🔌 Stage Boxes (Digital Snake)

📐 Design

A remote unit with mic inputs (XLR) and line outputs (XLR). Sits on stage, connects to the mixer via a single Ethernet or fibre cable. Form factors: rack (19", 1U–4U), desktop, or portable. Built-in preamps with remote gain control from the mixer.

📊 Specifications

Inputs: 8–48 XLR (mic with phantom +48 V). Outputs: 4–24 XLR. Protocols: Dante, AES50, MADI, AVB, Waves SoundGrid. Cascading: link multiple stage boxes for expansion (up to 64–256 I/O). Weight: 3–15 kg. Redundancy: dual ports.

🎯 Best For

An essential component of most digital mixers. Replaces the analogue multicore. Benefits: one thin cable, no analogue interference, remote gain control, fast setup. For large events — multiple stage boxes in different zones.

🧠 DSP Processing

🎛️ Channel Processing

Every input channel: HPF/LPF filters, parametric EQ (4–8 bands), compressor, gate/expander, de-esser. All with full parametric control (frequency, Q, gain, attack, release, threshold, ratio, knee). On outputs: graphic EQ (31-band), limiter, alignment delay.

🎵 Built-in Effects

4–16+ effects engines: reverb (hall, plate, room, chamber), delay (mono, stereo, ping-pong), chorus, flanger, phaser, pitch shift, vocal doubler. Emulations of classic studio hardware. Quality rivalling plugins. Routing: insert or internal send/return.

📊 Metering & Analysis

RTA (Real-Time Analyser) on every channel or output. SPL metering. Oscilloscope. Automatic feedback finder. Phase correlation. All on the mixer's screen — no outboard analysers needed.

📶 Networked Audio

Protocol	Cable	Channels	Latency	Compatibility	Best For
Dante	Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet	Up to 512	0.15–5 ms	Multi-vendor	Installs, concerts, studios
AES50	Cat5e Ethernet	48 per port	<0.1 ms	Behringer / Midas	Live sound (Behringer/Midas)
MADI	Coax / fibre	64	<0.1 ms	Broad	Broadcast, large studios
AVB	Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet	Up to 512	0.25–2 ms	IEEE standard	Installs (guaranteed QoS)
Waves SoundGrid	Cat5e/Cat6 Ethernet	Up to 128	<0.8 ms	Waves-compatible	Real-time Waves plugins

Dante is the most popular protocol: runs on standard Ethernet switches, plug-and-play, compatible across dozens of brands. For most new projects, Dante is the optimal choice.

💾 Scenes, Automation & Integration

💾 Scenes (Snapshots)

Store 50–1,000+ complete snapshots. Recall options: full or selective (safe/recall filters — e.g., keep gain unchanged when switching). Crossfade between scenes (smooth transitions). Offline editor — prepare the show on a laptop at home.

🤖 Automation

DCA/VCA groups (8–24): one fader controls a group of channels (all drums, entire choir, all backing vocals). Mute groups. MIDI integration: sync with DAW, lighting, video. GPIO: triggers for external devices (recording, paging).

🔗 Integration

USB multitrack recording (16–64 channels into a DAW). Virtual soundcheck: record the rehearsal → play back through the mixer without the band on stage → tweak at your leisure. Dante Virtual Soundcard — the computer becomes another node on the Dante network.

📊 Digital Mixer Class Comparison

Class	Channels	Faders	Stage Box	Network	Best For
Compact	16–24	8–16	Built-in or optional	USB, some Dante	Cafés, worship, small events
Mid-Range	32–48	16–24	1–2 stage boxes	AES50 / Dante	Concerts, theatres, large worship
Full-Size	64–96+	24–48	2–8+ stage boxes	Dante / MADI	Tours, festivals, broadcast
Tablet-Controlled	16–32	0–8	Built-in (= stage box)	Wi-Fi / USB	Mobile musicians, minimalism

🎯 How to Choose a Digital Mixing Console

🎤 Mobile Musician / MC

Compact or tablet-controlled, 16 channels. Built-in I/O. Wi-Fi. USB recording. Effects. Lightweight (5–10 kg). Budget entry point. iPad control — convenient without an assistant.

🎸 Band (Medium Events)

Compact or mid-range, 24–32 channels. Stage box on stage. 8+ AUX for monitors (or IEM). Scenes. USB multitrack for concert recording. DCA groups for fast control.

🏟️ Concert Tour

Mid-range or full-size, 48–96+ channels. Dante or MADI. Redundancy. Multiple stage boxes. Separate FOH + monitor consoles. Waves SoundGrid for external plugins. Offline editor.

⛪ House of Worship

Compact or mid-range, 24–32 channels. Scenes per service. Wi-Fi — engineer walks the room. Stage box on stage. USB recording for archives. IEM monitors via AUX. Simple UI (volunteers at the desk).

🎬 Theatre

Mid-range or full-size, 32–64 channels. Scenes with crossfade. MIDI — sync with lighting. Matrix outputs for house zones. Redundancy. Stage boxes in different stage areas.

🏢 Installation

Compact or tablet-controlled. Dante for network infrastructure. Auto-mix for microphones. Zoning. Scheduling. Crestron / Control4 integration. Rack format. "Set it and forget it".

🎙️ Recording Studio

Mid-range or full-size with premium preamps. Dante / MADI for DAW integration. Motorised faders for DAW control (HUI/Mackie Control). Talkback. Room routing (studio / control / iso booth).

📺 Broadcast

Full-size, 48–96+ channels. MADI or Dante. Redundancy at every level. GPIO for triggers. Video-mixer integration (tally, intercom). 5.1/7.1 mixing. Ultra-low latency.

❓ FAQ

Why is a digital mixer better than analogue?

Full DSP per channel, dozens of effects, scenes, compact size, one cable to the stage, remote control. Total system cost is often lower than analogue + effects + multicore.

What is a stage box?

A remote I/O unit on stage connected to the mixer by a single Ethernet cable. Replaces a multicore of dozens of XLRs. Protocols: Dante, AES50, MADI.

Can I control it from a tablet?

Yes — most digital mixers offer Wi-Fi and a dedicated app. Some operate entirely without a physical console — just a stage box plus a tablet.

Dante, AES50, MADI — which to choose?

Dante — most popular, multi-vendor, plug-and-play. AES50 — for Behringer/Midas. MADI — for broadcast and large studios. AVB — for installations with guaranteed QoS.

What are scenes?

A stored snapshot of every mixer parameter. Press a button — instant recall. Perfect for festivals, theatres, houses of worship with different programmes.

Is the switch from analogue hard?

There is a learning curve, but intuitive interfaces and tablet apps reduce it to 1–2 weeks. Most functions are the same (fader, EQ, AUX) — just in digital form.