Hi everyone,
I’m wondering if anyone has experience with the Videonics MX-1. What did you think of it?
I’m just getting into analog video stuff. I was thinking it might be a good starter, since it’s a bit cheaper than other popular models. I won’t be doing any glitch stuff, if that makes a difference. More interested in video art involving feedback, PIP, keying, etc.
Also, I also seem to remember hearing something about people tending to dislike the MX-1. Is this a thing? Why?
Thanks 
Here’s a snippet of something I’ve posted elsewhere about it…
Has 4 inputs, it can mix two channels at a time. Preview out for viewing menu or previewing channels.
Heaps of features: Inputs can be assigned to different channels (so the same signal can be processed parallel on multiple channels), add and layer a range of effects per channel, Chroma key, background and border colours, heaps of transition effects with either t-bar control or button trigger with adjustable speed. It’s a bit slow to respond, due to all that processing in a small plastic box… but can do some pretty wild things
That slow response is a bit painful if you’re trying to “perform” with it, ie if you get almost to the edge of the T-bar’s throw it will consider the transition completed then pause for a second before you can transition the other way. If you’re right on the edge of feedback or whatever and it completes the transition you’ll probably lose that magic spot.
That said, because you can parallel process the same input across multiple channels with different effects, it may be a good starting point.
The effects and transitions are good fun, it really imparts its own character on the source material. But yeah, a bit slow to navigate…
The biggest negative is probably that a preview monitor is more or less mandatory since so much functionality is within the on-screen menu.
This may not be a problem if only using in studio. But it does make performing with it less convenient and intuitive.
I haven’t used the MX-1 but I have an MX3000 and it’s a mixed bag. Some useful effects, decent user preset system, horizontal and vertical mirroring is really useful and wasn’t available on some nicer mixers that are jsut a couple years older. But on the other hand the keying is cumbersome to set up (you have to choose your key color by selecting it in the image with the joystick, but the cursor resolution is really low and it responds sluggishly so it can be tricky to get the right key color live). There’s some latency between when you move the lever and when a fade/transition actually starts, although after it starts it’s pretty responsive. The timebase correction is OK but it seems to get glitchy more easily than the handful of other mixers I’ve used. A preview monitor is basically mandatory because almost everything is handled in a menu system. I don’t know how much overlap there is with the MX-1 as far as gripes go.
When I got it they were cheap, I paid under $100 for it and at that price it was and is a great second mixer and it’s integral to my setup, but I just checked eBay and the prices are around $500 now - I’d have a really hard time recommending it for half that. On the other hand, I haven’t bought any vintage video gear in about 4 years so EVERYTHING seems offensively overpriced to me now.
I’m really excited about Andrei’s mixer project.
Welcome to Scanlines @rik_bs and @sub-shrub ! Feel free to introduce yourself and share your work here, if you want to: Introduce yourself!
I have done pretty wild stuff just using the Mx-1 and a video camera. My advise is if you can get a cheap one, go for it. I got mine for 20 bucks and i am still in love with it.
The gif below as an example of simple a mixer-camera-monitor setup
Thanks for the info, all. I ended up ordering an MX-1 on eBay for $200. I’ll try and remember to give an update in a few weeks when I’ve got the hang of it.