MIX BUDDY - DEDICATED JFET INSTRUMENT MIXER WITH MIC PREAMP CHANNEL
Everything, anywhere, all in the mix
Mixing instruments both live and in the studio has always been a subpar process. Most mixers are built around mic and line inputs with generic front ends that do decent at best with electronic instruments and frankly unacceptable with organic sources. The result is always the same: DI boxes, workarounds and tone you never quite get back.
The MIX BUDDY comes to solve all these problems while adding an additional set of features that turn this little box into a monster.
A WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING
With no-compromise tone as the main design rule, the MIX BUDDY has a staggering arsenal of no less than 19 inputs, which are themselves a masterclass of extremely low noise, high class audiophile grade JFET technology. Heavily based on the highly acclaimed Toshiba 2SK JFET series, Mix Buddy marks a new milestone in instrument amplification technology. Every single input was designed around one rule: the tone comes first. The MIX BUDDY doesn’t raise the bar in instrument amplification technology. It redraws it entirely.
Input Channel set:
The Hi Gain Inputs: (left side, marked 
) Eight channels (four stereo pairs) of Toshiba 2SK JFET 12dB gain buffers, slightly colored and specifically voiced to breathe life into organic instruments and lower level sources. Passive basses, vintage Rhodes, Moog Prodigy, Hofner Beatle bass… this is where they come alive. Push them harder and they reward you with creamy, musical JFET saturation that adds character rather than distortion.
The Unity Inputs: (right side) Six channels (three stereo pairs) of Toshiba 2SK JFET unity gain buffers, perfectly voiced for higher level sources that don’t need coloration, just clarity. TR-808, TR-909, 90s samplers, active basses, modern synths… clean, fast and completely out of the way of your sound.
The Mic Preamp: One channel of ultra low noise JFET mic preamp with up to 70dB of gain. Your microphone fully processed without the need for external gear and yes, it’s beautifully routed into the AUX effects loop for vocal pedal processing.
The Balanced Line Input: (last channel on the right side) One stereo pair of balanced line level inputs for audio interfaces, computers or any line level source requiring a clean, professional, fully balanced, noise-free connection. Also, extremely convenient for daisy chaining several MIX BUDDY units together.
The FX Return: Stereo pair of low-noise balanced FX return inputs, sharing the same topology as the line inputs and conveniently doubling as an extra set of stereo inputs when needed. Inserting only the LEFT channel will automatically pan the signal to the center.
TWO STEREO OUTPUTS. ONE SOLUTION. TRANSFORMER SOUND...or NOT.
The MIX BUDDY features two independent master outputs, both balanced.
Master Main Out runs through Heritage Audio’s own 73 single-ended class A output stage DI circuit, the same transformer-balanced DNA that has made our DI boxes trusted tools in studios and stages worldwide. A pair of custom-wound 73 DI transformers sit at the heart of this output, adding that unmistakable layer of warmth and weight that only real iron can deliver. And with a switchable line level or mic level output, you can send the MIX BUDDY directly to a console, an interface or straight to front of house without a single adapter or compromise.
Main Out 2 takes a different philosophy: transformerless, clean and fast. The purest possible representation of your mix, with nothing added and nothing coloured.
And then there is the headphone output. A powerful, independent headphone amplifier with dedicated volume control sits on the front panel of the MIX BUDDY, giving you a third independent listening path. Whether you are monitoring a live performance, checking a mix or simply listening back between takes, the headphone amp delivers the full character of the MIX BUDDY’s mix with the same uncompromising clarity you would expect from everything else in this box.
- A whopping 19 input x 8 output instrument-centric desktop mixer with a never-before-heard clarity for instrument level sources.
- 4 stereo (or 4 mono + THRU) HI GAIN channels powered by Toshiba 2SK JFET 12dB gain buffers.
- 3 stereo (or 3 mono + THRU) UNITY channels powered by Toshiba 2SK JFET unity gain buffers.
- Volume control, stereo / mono + THRU switch and mute per channel.
- Dedicated microphone preamp with JFET input stage, up to 70dB of gain, dedicated gain and level controls and phantom power.
- Additional stereo balanced line level input stage.
- 2 independent balanced master outputs with dedicated ground lift.
- Master Main Out goes through the built-in Heritage Audio 73 DI 2 active DI, and it is switchable between line level and mic level output.
- Main Out 2 is a clean transformerless output.
- Stereo or mono AUX effects loop for hardware effects integration.
- Powerful independent headphone amp with volume control.
- AUX send knob per channel with pre/post fader switching.
- Global FX on/off switch for instant wet/dry comparison.
- Mic preamp input compatible with guitar pedal effects chains via AUX loop.
- Elegant desktop design.
- Built like a tank.
July 27, 2025
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