MusicRadar

Unlike the standard Liquid Mix, the 16 doesn't have a screen.

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• Review

Screen absence aside, there's almost nothing to distinguish Liquid Mix 16 from the original Liquid Mix. The same controls flank the unit, with the bottom row of dials mostly dedicated to control of the compression settings while Gain, Frequency and Q dials allow control of the EQ, along with the EQ Band Select button, which cycles through the bands.

If you tend to do all of your compression and EQ tweaks in your DAW with a mouse alone, it's impossible to overstate how wonderful it is to have hardware control instead.

It's great to be able to keep things fresh with alternative compression and EQ models too and, as switching these in and out is so simple, Liquid Mix really encourages a bold, creative approach to work.

While the screen dedicated to showing your compression and EQ settings is gone, the metering remains as before. We've always been a fan of this on Liquid Mix as Focusrite has taken it seriously. Input, output and gain reduction LEDs flank the outer edges and these remain as eye-catching and useful as ever.

Summary

There's no disputing the quality of Liquid Mix. Its compressor and EQ tools sound great and are comprehensive in terms of sonic variety.

The moment we discovered that a stripped-down Liquid Mix was to become available, we assumed that the 'cutting back' would include some of the compressor and EQ types, so we're delighted to discover that this isn't the case.

Instead, if you're pondering a purchase, you've got a simple couple of decisions to make. Firstly, does the absence of a screen bother you and, secondly, can you live with only half of the processing power?

The second question is more significant, as Liquid Mix's software GUI provides all of the visual feedback you need and we prefer to check settings on our monitors than on a separate screen anyway. As for processing power, only you know how involved your mix needs to be.

Whichever Liquid Mix you choose, you won't be disappointed – it's a dynamics and EQ solution that remains a class apart.