Boredbrain Xcelon SL: 8-Channel Analog Performance Mixer for Electronic Musicians
With per-channel compressor and sidechain, DJ-style analog filter, and hardware effect sends!
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Boredbrain Xcelon SL · Source: Boredbrain Music
Boredbrain Xcelon SL · Source: Boredbrain Music
Boredbrain Xcelon SL · Source: Boredbrain Music
Eurorack champs Boredbrain step up their game with Xcelon SL, a drool-worthy eight-channel “performance mixer” that looks to combine the best of both studio and DJ worlds.
Boredbrain Xcelon SL
It just makes sense. Electronic music is very dynamic in performance. What it lacks in musical complexity, it makes up for in constant changes. DJs have their effects-packed mixers and controllers to go wild on, but live musicians tend to get the short end of the stick, having to rely on mixing boards made for studios and not live shows. Enter Xcelon SL, a new “performance mixer” from Boredbrain Music.
The company, which has found a sweet spot between Eurorack modules and patch bays, has created the product it was born to make. Taking cues from the Xcelon Eurorack mixer module, the new Xcelon SL – which was on display at Buchla & Friends this past weekend – offers eight channels of either mono or stereo, each with gain plus a drive switch, EQ with a mid switch, a compressor with punch boost, plus volume sliders, mute buttons, and even cue, with a crossfade option per track. As you can see, this is more than just your typical desk.
Boredbrain Xcelon SL: Filter, Sidechain and Effects Sends
Like modern DJ mixers, Boredbrain Xcelon SL sports a filter. Parked right in the center for easy grabbing, it’s a DJ-style affair with a sweep from lowpass to highpass, plus separate resonance controls for each.
Need more pump in your mix? You’re in luck, as there’s a sidechain for the per-track compressor, with controls for frequency, threshold and decay, and what looks like both channel 1 and external options.
Lastly, although there are no onboard effects, you do get two sends, with per-track knobs for dialing in each and a pre-mix option.
Boredbrain Xcelon SL: Connectivity
While Xcelon SL is fully kitted out with quarter-inch (6.3mm) jacks on the rear for all your hardware (stereo ins, a microphone, two stereo sends and returns, and master out), the front panel offers minijack outs, with one per channel plus an external stereo in, an auxiliary in, and a record out. This makes it convenient to connect to your Eurorack rig.
Boredbrain Xcelon SL: Pricing and Availability
Boredbrain has yet to announce much concrete information about the Xcelon SL, saying just that it’s coming soon. As such, we don’t know when it will be released or how much it will cost. Given its all-analog components and likely solid build quality, we can’t imagine it will be cheap. However, for the right musician, this will likely solve a lot of live performance problems. I’m actually pretty excited about it, although I doubt I’ll be able to afford one.
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More Information
- Boredbrain Music homepage
- All about Boredbrain
- All about mixers
- Buy mixers at Thomann*
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