Cheapest Price: 139.99
Availability: iOS only
The Alesis iO Mix is a 4 channel mixer interface for the IPad tablet that provides a lot of connectivity for a cheap price. This is reflected in the design which is mostly definitely on the plastic side. Buttons and knobs wobble heavily, while the budget materials don’t exactly conjure up the image of ‘premium equipment’. Still, this is not a premium device so such a comparison would be unfair. Unsurprisingly, the limitations of the IPad audio interface itself are the biggest annoyance.
The Alesis iO Mix is quite capable of multitrack recording up to four devices, whereas the IPad can only manage two at best. We tried it through various sources including microphone, guitar and even some synth recording. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to control synthesizers from within your DAW due to a lack of midi or USB connectivity. Pre-amps were acceptable in quality and phantom power is a big plus. Gain levels were a little disappointing, with more sensitive devices struggling to get the volume needed for comfortable recording. On the other hand, overall signal noise was low when paired with a good input source. The low-latency feature worked well, with no noticeable delay when tracking live audio.