I just got this Roland Go Mixer Pro. It’s a small (about the size of your hand) mixer that connects to several instruments and microphones to your phone.
I got mine used on Reverb.com for $125. I like buying used gear. It’s usually cheaper and saves waste.
What’s it good for?
Recording with your phone, and posting audio and video to social media, and recording to your phone. Phones have amazing cameras. They lack in recording and handling audio. The Go Mixer helps bridge that gap.
The Go Mixer has these inputs:
- Instrument In right and left (good for Eurorack)
- 1/4″ input for guitar or bass
- 1/8″ stereo input (smartphone or other, headphone with mic)
- XLR-1/4″ Mic in with phantom power (use batteries see below)
- 2 x 1/8″ (line in)
You can mix four inputs, monitor on headphones, and output it all to your phone via USB. Pretty good for something that fits in the palm of your hand!
The Go Mixer is powered by your phone. It can also be powered by batteries. This comes into play with phantom power. If you’re using a mic that requires phantom power you want to use batteries. Otherwise batteries are not needed, though the Go Mixer runs on the battery in your phone.
How well does it work?
It works great. Worked the first time I plugged it in no setup required. It doesn’t need an app. You can record directly to your phone with your favorite app.
The Go Mixer removes much of the hassle of getting your content onto the web. It gives you a direct route in one easy to use device.
It is very easy to operate, plug and play all the way. All of the controls are on the top and clearly labeled. Just connect your instruments, connect your phone, and adjust the levels for each. If you are using a condenser mic that requires phantom power you need to turn the phantom power switch on (and have batteries in the Go Mixer).
If you want to record a stereo instrument, including guitar or bass connected to an effect box that has stereo outs, you can connect it to the left and right instrument inputs, otherwise use the guitar input.
If you have a line level device like an MP3 player, computer, or sampler/sequencer you can plug this into the line in. This input doesn’t have a level. You’ll need to adjust the volume from the source.
You could record your band with this, or at least a small jam session. It’s possible to have vocals on the XLR mic input, bass guitar on the guitar input, another guitar on the instrument input, keyboard on the line in, and you still have one more 1/8″ mic in.
There are a few limitations. There is only one monitor out. Which means, without a splitter of some kind there is only a single headphone out that monitors the entire mix. The line in doesn’t have a volume control. So for that input you’ll have to monitor its volume from the output volume of that device.
What to do with it?
Record your guitar or synth and post to social media. With the stereo instrument inputs you can easily get a nice stereo spread with no trouble. It seems to handle modular well through the stereo instrument inputs.
Record your instrument and your voice with a mic at the same time.
Practice with a backing track. Plug your instrument to one of the inputs and play music through the line in. Listen with headphones. Record your session with your phone.
Karaoke! Use the center cancel switch on the audio input and plug your mic in to one of the other inputs.
Practice with your mates! Up to four people. If you have a drummer that might be a problem but, drummers are always a problem. If you can use one mic for drums there are inputs for up to 5 sources.
Record from anywhere. The size of the device means you can easily throw it in a bag. It’s powered by your phone, as long as your battery is good you can record. Take it to the park, to the cafe, over to a friends house, the beach, or where ever you might want to go.
Would I recommend this?
If you want to record audio and video to your phone easily with little fuss I would get this. Works better than all of the similar devices I’ve tried. It’s small, super portable and doesn’t require a lot of support. To record you only need your phone, the correct cables to connect an instrument or mic, and some head phones to monitor the output.
Are there any issues? Yeah a couple. The box has a groove or notch meant to hold the phone. But this only works for landscape. If you want to record in portrait for your TikTok’s and Youtube Shorts you need to hold the phone or find another way to mount it. The stand also has a limited angle of view.
Overall the device looks pretty well made but, the knobs feel a little wobbly. This doesn’t give me great confidence. But I figure it should last at least until Apple changes the the connector on their next phone.
Then there are the issues that you can’t really do anything about. You’ll need all of the cables and adapters. Various 1/4″ and 1/8″ cables to connect your devices, and any adapters that might be required.
I give the Roland Go Mixer pro high marks. It works well and the experience was great. I plugged everything in and it just worked.
I recorded the post below with the Go Mixer. The signal comes from the headphone output of the intellijel 62hp palette through a stereo to two mono 1/4″ jack, into the instrument input on the left side of the Go Mixer. I used an iPhone 11 Pro connected to the Go Mixer and recorded with the Camera App.
Check out my post on battery powered eurorack. I use the Go Mixer with my battery powered palette.
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