Podcast Mixer: The 13 Best Audio Mixers That Will Elevate Your Show

Looking for a podcast mixer? A podcast mixer is an important piece of a recording setup. Every podcaster should have one. 

Is it possible to produce podcast episodes without a podcast mixer? Yes, but the audio quality will suffer and the process will be harder. A mixer is the central hub of any production. They give you control, flexibility, and tools to produce high quality audio. 

Furthermore, you need a good mixer if you intend to record multiple voices at the same time. A mixer gives you control over each track, which makes editing quicker and less painful. 

Which digital mixer should you buy? We can help! In this guide, we offer our list of the best audio mixers for podcasting. These are the best options for beginner and veteran podcasters that will make your recording and post – production a breeze.

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1. Allen & Heath ZED-12FX

The ZED-12FX is a high-end audio mixing device that offers several professional, high quality features. It’s a lightweight device with six mono channels, three stereo channels, 100mm faders, L/R main mix faders, and lots of inputs for extra sources, making it a great tool if you aren’t sure how many people will appear on your show.

We also like that it has configurable USB stereo audio in/out. It also offers built-in FX, great preamps, and it can be rack mounted. At $500, it requires a bit of an investment, but it’s one of the best audio mixers that will grow with you over time. 

2. Zoom Podtrak P4

While the Podtrak P4 isn’t technically a podcast mixer, it can do pretty much anything a mixer can. This handheld field podcast recorder offers many of the features of the best audio mixers, but in a handheld package. It’s also battery powered, making it perfect for recording on-the-go. 

The Podtrack 4 accepts four XLR connections and four headphone outputs, all with individual volume control. It accepts input from your PC or phone (iOS compatible), so you can record calls and hook it up to any device. Programmable sound pads make it easy to add sophisticated podcast music or sound effects.

3. Yamaha MG10XU

The MG10xu is a traditional multi-person podcast mixer with a quiet noise floor (especially for a device so inexpensive). It offers USB microphones and XLR microphones connections, built-in compression, and aux out so you can run a mix-minus setup.

The device is moderately sized so it can be moved around without much hassle. It also comes with quality preamps and built-in sound effects that create lots of mixing options. The one downside, however, is that it only comes with four input channels. That’s plenty for most podcasts, but not for shows with panel formats. 

4. Behringer Xenyx 1002B Podcast Mixer

The Behringer Xenyx 1002B is a reliable 10-channel podcast mixer. It doesn’t offer a plethora of features. It doesn’t connect digitally or offer sound effects. But at this price point (about $100), it’s good for new podcasters in their home studios who don’t have big budgets. 

5. Rødecaster Pro 2 Podcast Mixer

The Rødecaster Pro 2 is one of the few mixing consoles designed specifically for podcasting. It offers all of the features of the original Rødecaster, touchscreen and analog controls, with some serious upgrades and a smaller footprint. 

It offers four podcast microphone inputs, nine individually assignable channels, six broadcast-quality faders, three virtual faders, studio-quality compressor, noise gates, high-pass filter, de-esser, and three-band equalizer for each channel. There are four high-power headphone outputs and balanced ¼-inch line outputs, each with its own level control. 

We love the SMART pads. These customizable tools offer bank switching (eight banks of eight pads for 64 unique actions and 512MB of internal memory to store short effects, music, or pre-recorded show segments. You also get Bluetooth connectivity, back channeling option and mute buttons, memory card recording, dynamic and condenser microphone presets, improved preamps, and multitrack recording.

We love that this device allows you to insert effects and pre-recorded segments into the recording, rather than editing them in later. Ultimately, this is a powerful tool that replaces several pieces of gear and allows workflow customization, but it’s still easy to use. 

For more information, check out our full review: Rødecaster Pro 2 Review: A Powerful Audio Production Device for Podcasters and Content Creators

6. Alesis MultiMix 4

The Alesis MultiMix 4 is another one of the best audio mixers for new podcasters. It offers two XLR mic inputs (which can also take a ¼” jack), a stereo pair of ¼” mic inputs, and a standard 3.5 mm input for external audio sources.

This USB audio interface lets you record directly to your computer. That said, it only records the main stereo output, so you won’t have separate recordings. Nevertheless, this is a simple and  inexpensive mixer that will level-up your podcasting. 

7. Soundcraft Signature 12MTK 

The next podcast mixer on our list of the best audio mixers for podcasting is the Soundcraft Signature 12MTK. Admittedly, this is the most expensive mixer on our list, but the features are worth the high price tag. 

The 12MTK offers multi-track recording, 14-in/12-out ultra-low latency USB playback, and a sophisticated podcast recording interface. You also get eight three-pin XLR mic inputs with Soundcraft’s Ghost mic preamps (that offer ultra-low noise performance), high quality faders, and lots of options for on-board sound effects. 

Purchasing this mixer also gets you access to Soundcraft’s website with special training videos and support resources. These are enormously helpful for new podcasters. 

8. Yamaha AG06 Podcast Mixer

Tablets and iPads are more than capable of recording audio for your podcast. They can even do a lot of post-production work. If you use a tablet in your podcast recording studio, the Yamaha AG06 is the best audio mixer for you. Yamaha is known for selling devices that perform above their price, so this one will definitely last. 

It’s a six-channel podcast mixer with lots of connectivity options for mics, computers, smartphones, and more. It offers two XLR/TRS inputs, a stereo aux, 1/4″ and 1/8″ headphone jacks, and a 1/8” aux, as well USB connectivity. Compression and EQ are preset to a single button, but you can change those values in the settings.

We also love the loop-back feature that enables live broadcasting of all the podcast microphones, vocals, instruments, other audio sources, and background music. 

9. Behringer Xenyx 1204USB

The Xenyx 1204USB is one of the best audio mixers for entry level podcasters. It uses faders for the volume levels, which we think is more precise and easier to adjust during a podcast recording.

It’s a fully-featured podcast mixer that offers six fader-controlled channels, four of which are phantom-powered XLR channels. This gives you a lot of flexibility to bring in guests, producers, and other hosts. Bring your audio straight into the computer or you can record out to a digital recorder.

10. Presonus StudioLive AR8C

The Presonus StudioLive AR8C is more than just a podcast mixer. It’s an eight-channel analogue mixer and high-quality audio interface. The AR8C offers crystal clear preamps, USB and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, digital effects, and other great features. It integrates nicely with most digital audio workstations (DAW). There are four XLR inputs and four ¼” jacks, as well as two XLR outputs, two x ¼” jacks, and two ¼” auxiliary jacks. 

We should point out that this is not an entry level device. It’s best suited for podcasters who have some experience with mixers and audio interfaces that want to upgrade their existing system. 

11. Mackie PROFX8V2 Podcast Mixer

The Mackie PROFX8V2 is one of the best audio mixers for podcasting due to its versatility. It offers four low-noise Mackie Vita mic preamps, Aux/FX, band EQ, 48-volt phantom power on all mic channels and 100 Hz low-cut filter on all channels, four XLR inputs, and panning and compression control faders. Make sure to get the version with USB connectivity. 

One feature we like is the ability to switch between line-level and Hi-Z on the first channel. Hi-Z stands for Hi-impedance, which lets you plug an instrument into the podcast mixer without needing to go to the direct box first. This is great for podcasts that incorporate musical elements. 

12. Behringer Xenyx Q502USB 

The Behringer Xenyx Q502USB is one of the best audio mixers for podcasters just starting their show. It’s an inexpensive device that comes with access to simple podcast recording and editing software (which will help you ease into the post-production work and save on startup costs).

The Q502USB is a small, lightweight, basic device. It doesn’t have many inputs, so it’s really only for solo podcasters. It only supports 15V phantom power, not 48V which many mics require, so make sure you’re using a low power podcast microphone. Expect to invest in a new podcast mixer as your show grows. 

13. Behringer Xenyx Q802USB Podcast Mixer

The Q802USB is a slight upgrade to the Q502USB. It offers studio-quality preamps and an easy-to-use single-knob compressor for the first two channels that increases your sound quality. It also offers 3-band EQ and eight inputs, so there’s more room for guests and co-hosts.

Choose the Best Podcast Mixer That’s Right For You

That’s our list of the best audio mixers for podcasting. Now it’s up to you to choose the audio equipment that’s right for your show and post – production needs. If you don’t know much about podcast mixers, choose something inexpensive that you can play around with for a while, just make sure it offers a USB connector unless you intend to plug it into an audio interface.