Best audio mixers for home studio recording and podcasting

Top pick: Mackie Onyx12 — 12 channels, onboard effects, phantom power and a USB interface, so you can mic a couple of hosts, a guest and still have room for instruments, with hardware monitoring that keeps latency out of your ears. It's the one that grows with a home studio.

Who the others suit:

• PreSonus StudioLive AR8c — podcast-first: bundled Capture/Studio One software and a built-in SD recorder for backup.
• Yamaha MG12XU / Allen & Heath ZEDi-10FX — clean analog sound and solid preamps if you mostly record live takes.
• Yamaha MG06 — small, simple, two mics only.
• Audio-Technica AT-UMX3 — plug-and-play USB for a solo podcaster.
• Rockville ROCKMIX 10FX — budget multi-channel with effects.
• Pyle PMXU63BT — cheapest way to get phantom power and Bluetooth.
• Mackie Mix5 — tiny utility mixer, no USB recording.