K-Mix from Keith McMillen Instruments is a high-quality audio interface, programmable mixer, and MIDI controller combining their best tech know-how in one portable package. Timo Preece gets hands on.

What if someone was to build a quality audio interface, stand alone mixer with built-in DSP, and a MIDI controller all in one small, rugged package? Keith McMillen and crew realized the need for this very special device that did not exist — a fully programmable, MIDI-controlled, ultra high-quality portable mixer for studio and stage. I’ve had this little unit on my desk now for a couple weeks and I must admit, it has a lot to offer…

Check out AskAudio’s initial announcement for a quick look and tech specs here.

Renewed Hands-On Control

My initial reaction when hearing about the K-Mix was slightly underwhelming as I reflected on reasons behind abandoning mixers in my personal setup altogether. They take up space, aren’t very portable with the amount of gear I need to carry while touring, and have been something I’ve replaced with ‘in the box’ digital routing.

With that being said, I acknowledge the limitations of my setup… I have little to no tactile control on the interface itself. Without a separate MIDI (or OSC) controller assigned to the mix software, I’m forced to use a mouse to make adjustments, which only allows me to navigate one parameter at a time. Although my interface can be used standalone, there is only one knob on the unit to control all associated parameters.

Keith McMillen K-Mix

Admittedly, such limitations are not optimal for mixing. After spending time with the K-Mix, appreciating renewed hands-on control, something clicked… there’s a discernible distinction between ‘mixing’ and ‘routing’.

One Tight Package

In my humble option, one of the greatest advantages of the K-Mix is the amount of quality and functionality you get for its size. It’s no bigger or any heavier than a standard portable audio interface. It’s built rugged with absolutely no moving parts, which means I can toss it in a backpack and hit the road with little worry about it getting damaged. (By the way, did I mention that the only knob on my audio interface is somewhat broken and mostly unusable after much tweaking and many a travel?)

K-Mix faders have been remodeled from the ground up. Unlike the KMI QuNeo for example, I haven’t experienced the same jumpiness that occurs while making parameter changes. Instead, the controls are responsive and smooth to the touch. For added control, there’s a Fine Tuning mode that allows you to “zoom in” on a fader or rotary control, providing a much higher degree of resolution than under “normal” operation.

Read the full article here at AskAudio.