As a simple mic/DI pre-amp with XLR/TRS Combi input jack, MixingLink worked well with up to 65 dB of gain for amplifying a low-output Royer R-121 ribbon mic to full, balanced line level to drive my Pro Tools HD I/O. I found the mic pre-amp to have good headroom, low noise and sound similar to small, mid-priced consoles.

The Input Gain control and Hi/Lo level switch sets gain staging for both the balanced Mic/Line Combi XLR and Hi-Z Instrument 1/4-inch inputs. The XLR output is switchable between -10dBu or +18dBu line level and there are ground lift and 9V battery/phantom power on/off switches. The included power supply is required for 48-volt phantom powered microphone usage.

All audio signals within MixingLink also go to its headphone amp with separate volume control: The volume doesn't affect the XLR/DI line output level but does control the level going to the 1/4-inch "To Amp" jack designed to drive any guitar amp. This could allow you to use MixingLink to connect a phantom-powered condenser mic to your guitar amp in order to sing through it. (Ha!)

MixingLink saved me time and numerous trips back and forth between the control room and live room when positioning microphones. While listening on my Shure SRH940 phones plugged into it, I could set a mic just the way I wanted while hearing the results.

You can also use MixingLink to split and send an instrument signal to two amps, switch between two instruments going to one amp, re-amp a track, or process vocals through a stompbox.

Summary  Web Site: www.eventide.com Product: Eventide MixingLink Price: $299 Strengths: Interconnect line level and instrument-level signals. Effect loop. Phantom-powered mic input. Creatively repurpose and interconnect any gear together. This process is only limited by your imagination and cable collection. Cons: Mono operation only and it must be tethered to a wall-wart for phantom powering.

MixingLink also provides a set of features for adding effects to you input. I set up a Gauge Precision ECM-84 SDC on a Martin D-28 guitar. I sent a line level signal to the control room while connecting a delay pedal in MixingLink's effect loop. Because the guitarist wanted to foot switch the delay in and out for certain notes, I set the FX Loop button to Hold mode: The FX Loop stomp button will work in Latch mode, like most stomp pedals, or Hold only when your foot is pressing on it.

I connected the "To FX" send jack to an Ogre Kronomaster Analog Delay pedal and returned the signal to the "From Fx" jack--simple! My guitarist wanted to refer to a rough mix on his iPhone so I connected the phone's headphone jack to the MixingLink's Aux 1/8-inch mini jack. Whatever volume coming from the iPhone is heard in stereo on the MixingLink's headphones but mixes mono (if you want) into the effects loop. This feature could also function as a track mix input for practicing on phones.

The Aux jack is actually a bi-directional TRRS (4-conductor) path that sends the same "To FX" send signal out and returns a stereo signal from an iOS device (my iPad) in mono to the effects loop. In this way, I could blend in one of my IK Multimedia amp simulators.

With the effects loop is enabled, there are three mixing control knob effect modes: "Dry+Fx" keeps the dry signal level fixed and the knob sets the effect return level; in "Mix" mode the knob works as a wet/dry control; "FX Only" mutes the dry signal and the knob sets the effect level.

Creative Possibilities