014 known options · 4 fully checked
Ultra-compact local control
Small touchscreen surfaces that remain operable without making a tablet the only show control
Current market guide
Digital live-sound mixers
Standalone digital consoles and rack mixers for live performances, venues, worship, rehearsals and owner-operated production, with inputs, buses, stageboxes, networking, control fallback, monitors, recording, show files, firmware and complete rig cost
Your place in the market
Start with the questions that remove bad fits
Count the sources, outputs, monitor mixes, operators, recording work and failure plan before choosing a surface
01
Before the shortlist
The first four answers do most of the work
A useful ranking starts only after the constraints specific to this market are clear.
- 01
How many local and stage inputs, outputs, stereo monitor mixes, groups, matrices and spare channels does the show need?
- 02
Who will mix, and what must remain operable if a tablet, network link, touchscreen or motorized surface fails?
- 03
Which stageboxes, personal monitors, cards, sample rates, clocking and approved cable runs belong to the system?
- 04
Must the mixer record multitrack audio, run virtual soundcheck, move show files or support volunteers across rooms?
02
Market education
Read only as far as you need
The path changes with your research stage. Each guide is built around a decision that removes part of the market.
01Start here
Choose the control and failure plan
Surface, rack and stagebox systems differ most when a screen, network or operator is unavailable
02comparingCount the whole audio system
Inputs, buses, matrices, stageboxes, monitors, networking and recording decide usable capacity
03comparingMove and protect the show
Firmware, scene scope, show files, media, offline editors and fallback control need a rehearsal
03
Buying paths
The shortlist covers different ways to own the product
A useful market view needs a credible answer for each common budget, setup, and ownership pattern. These are the paths represented in the current desk.
024 known options · 4 fully checked
Remote rack and stage control
Rack mixers whose controller, network and wired recovery path belong to the complete system
037 known options · 7 fully checked
Compact motorized surfaces
Owner-operated consoles with motorized faders and a compact live footprint
045 known options · 2 fully checked
Larger owner-operated surfaces
More physical control and channel reach without moving to a large touring console
052 known options · 1 fully checked
Dante included
Current consoles with Dante present in the exact base model rather than an assumed future card
066 known options · 5 fully checked
AES50 ecosystem
Consoles whose stagebox and expansion plan is built around documented AES50 compatibility
077 known options · 3 fully checked
SLink ecosystem
Allen & Heath surfaces whose remote I/O plan uses the supported SLink family
084 known options · 1 fully checked
AVB and Milan path
PreSonus systems whose networking, stagebox and computer compatibility must be verified as one AVB system
091 known option · 1 fully checked
Browser-native control
A browser-led control branch that still requires a qualified local network and recovery plan
104 known options · 3 fully checked
Stereo-IEM-heavy workflow
Mix engines with enough bus and personal-control structure for several stereo monitor mixes
04
Current coverage
The products with a full market view
These pages connect current facts, alternatives, source history and a stated conclusion. The wider market follows below.
ProductPositionCurrent stateDepth
Allen & Heath
CQ-12T
CQ-12T$899.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe smallest CQ with local control
Current ultra-compact touchscreen mixercurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Allen & Heath
CQ-18T
CQ-18T$1,099 current authorized U.S. referenceThe balanced CQ owner-operator choice
Current compact touchscreen and Wi-Fi mixercurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Allen & Heath
CQ-20B
CQ-20B$999.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe CQ stagebox choice
Current remote-controlled stagebox mixercurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Allen & Heath
Qu-5
Qu-5$1,999.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe walk-up compact surface
Current compact 96kHz motorized consolecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Allen & Heath
Qu-6
Qu-6$2,999.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe local-I/O Qu sweet spot
Current 24-preamp 96kHz motorized consolecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Allen & Heath
SQ-5
SQ-5$3,999 current authorized U.S. referenceThe compact 48-channel expansion reference
Current compact 48-channel professional consolecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Behringer
WING Rack
WING Rack$1,799 current authorized U.S. referenceThe high-capacity rack specialist
Current 48-channel rack mixing enginecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Behringer
WING Compact
WING Compact$2,799 current authorized U.S. referenceThe portable WING surface
Current compact 48-channel WING surfacecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Behringer
X32 Compact
X32 Compact$1,649 current authorized U.S. referenceThe established compact ecosystem choice
Current mature compact X32 surfacemature
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Behringer
X32 Rack
X32 Rack$989 current authorized U.S. referenceThe value remote X32 engine
Current mature 40-input rack mixermature
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Yamaha
DM3 Standard
DM3S$1,799.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe compact Yamaha surface
Current ultra-compact 18-input surfacecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Yamaha
DM3-D
DM3-D$2,199.99 current authorized U.S. referenceThe smallest defended Dante surface
Current ultra-compact Dante surfacecurrent
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Soundcraft
Ui24R
Ui24R$1,499 current authorized U.S. referenceThe browser and redundant-recording specialist
Current supported browser-controlled rack mixermature
9 sources8 current facts
Open page PreSonus
StudioLive 32SC
StudioLive 32SC$1,889.99 current manufacturer referenceThe recording-integrated compact surface
Current supported compact Series III surfacemature
9 sources8 current facts
Open page Midas
M32R Live
M32R Live$2,499 current authorized U.S. referenceThe premium mature AES50 surface
Current mature compact M32 surfacemature
9 sources8 current facts
Open page 05
Wider market
25 products in the working index
Known models remain searchable while the deeper work is underway. They do not receive a recommendation until price, support, ownership and direct comparisons are checked.
ProductMarket positionCurrent stateResearch
Allen & Heath
Qu-7
Qu-7Full-width current Qu surfaceA 38-input 96kHz Qu console with 32 local mic or line sockets, 33 motorized faders, 20 XLR outputs, SLink and a separate Dante-equipped Qu-7D variant
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Allen & Heath
SQ-6
SQ-6Mid-size current SQ surfaceA 48-channel 96kHz SQ console with 24 local preamps, 25 motorized faders, SLink and an option-card slot for networked audio
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Allen & Heath
SQ-7
SQ-7Full-width current SQ surfaceA 48-channel 96kHz SQ console with 32 local preamps, 33 motorized faders, SLink and an option-card expansion path
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Allen & Heath
Avantis Solo
Avantis SoloCompact high-channel-count Avantis surfaceA single-screen Avantis console for larger productions that need dLive-derived processing, extensive buses and professional stage I/O in a smaller surface
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Behringer
WING
WINGFull-size current WING surfaceThe full-width 48-channel WING console with 24 motorized faders, eight local preamps, AES50 stage I/O and dual-SD recording
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Yamaha
DM7 Compact
DM7 CompactCompact professional Dante production consoleA 72-input compact DM7 surface with Dante, production I/O, redundant power inputs and theater, broadcast and touring workflows
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record Soundcraft
Si Impact
Si ImpactMature supported 32-preamp motorized consoleA motorized Soundcraft surface with 32 local preamps, stagebox expansion, USB multitrack capability and current support material
matureOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record PreSonus
StudioLive SE 16
StudioLive SE 16New compact StudioLive SE surfaceA current 40-channel compact surface with 16 local preamps, motorized faders, Milan-certified AVB and integrated recording workflows
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record PreSonus
StudioLive SE 24R
StudioLive SE 24RNew 24-preamp StudioLive SE rack mixerA current remote-controlled rack mixer with 24 local preamps, Milan-certified AVB, FlexMix routing and recording integration
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record PreSonus
StudioLive SE 32R
StudioLive SE 32RNew 32-preamp StudioLive SE rack mixerA current remote-controlled rack mixer with 32 local preamps, Milan-certified AVB, FlexMix routing and recording integration
currentOfficial source checked Aug 16
Market recordFull comparison in progress
Open record 06
Market language
The terms a useful comparison should define
- Bus
- A mix path that can feed monitors, effects, matrices, recording or other destinations; mono and stereo use can change the available count
- Stagebox
- Remote microphone inputs and outputs connected by a supported digital-audio protocol, cable and clocking topology
- Recall safe
- A rule that protects selected parameters from a scene recall; the exact scope and behavior vary by console and firmware
- Virtual soundcheck
- Playing recorded multitrack channels back through the console to prepare or refine a mix without performers on stage
Have a model or link already?