The CMX07
Looking for a cheap HD video mixer?
I needed a low cost mixer for training purposes at my local church's TV ministry, and after some searching on the internet short listed 2 products, the Edirol V4 VJ mixer and Cypress's CMX-07 video mixer.
The CMX-07 was the cheaper mixer by £200, but the main reason why I chose it was that for my TV ministry training application I needed to be able to simultaneously preview all my input sources, and the Edirol did not provide this. The CMX-07 also has an Audio Mixer, but I will not be covering this, as my audio is supplied from a proper mixer and plugs into the XLR inputs of the Sony PD170 used as the main Camera. If you are however pressed for space, then the Edirol V4 mixer is a good option worth considering.
The CMX-07 is manufactured in Taiwan and imported into the UK by CYP UK Ltd. The build quality is what you would expect for a mass produced item from the Far East, the joystick looks particularly vulnerable, and there is the conspicuous absence of a T bar for transitions (probably expected at this price range), instead an audio mixer type slider is used.
Design and Layout
The CMX07 has a cheap look, a plastic case and delicate controls, the unit however is very light and compact. The controls are well grouped, with the frequently used ones within easy access of the operator, the Audio Mixer controls are relegated to the far right.
What's in the Box
Included with the mixer is the Power Adaptor, a S-Video cable and a stereo phono cable.
Setup and Operation
Setting up the CMX07 involves connecting the various Video and Audio sources to the mixer, connecting the preview outputs to the respective monitors and mixer Audio/Video output to the recording device and program monitor.
There are 2 S-Video (4pin DIN), 2 Composite Video (RCA Phono) inputs, all 4 can be monitored simultaneously via their respective preview output (phono connection), 2 stereo audio inputs (RCA Phono) are also provided with the composite video sources, a stereo aux audio (RCA Phono) and a 3/4" Mic jack in the front panel completes the audio inputs. There are 2 S-Video, 2 composite Video and 2 stereo audio outputs.
Once everything is connected, switch on the CMX07 mixer which will go to its default settings. Even though the mixer has 4 video sources, you can only switch 2 at a time, so you need to configure both A and B buses with the required sources for switching. It should be noted that the mixer does not save any settings, so you need to configure the sources each time you switch the unit on. Cutting between 2 sources is accomplished by moving the "T" bar to either A or B bus and simply pressing the Video1 or Video2 button as required.
Basic Transitions (dissolve, wipe and PIP) are provided, again using the "T" bar on A bus, select Video1, choose the transition, on B bus select Video2, move the "T" bar from bus A to B and you have your transition. An auto take button is also provided with programmable speed.
Performance
Obviously this is not a broadcast quality switcher/mixer, and therefore the performance is not going to be brilliant.
The CMX07 specifications boasts that it has "Dual Time Base Correction for glitch-free source-switching", however in use I have found that when perfoming straight cuts between Video1 to Video2 there is a visible freeze on Video1, this occurs about 80% of the time, the dissolves on the other hand are pretty smooth and look professional to me (viewed on my 28inch WS TV). The processed output of the mixer seems to have a little bit of gain, as the same scene viewed from the camcorder recorded tape (ISO) has a lower contrast/Brightness level.
There are various digital effects (Negative, Mosaic, etc), which I've played with, but are generally not going to find use in a real production environment. There is a Blue Key mode which is supposed to allow Blue Screen work, I haven't tried this, but doubt the quality of the key would be very good. The PIP mode works quite well, and could be useful, a set of Background colours is also provided, though I have found no use for these in my application of the unit.
Conclusion
For its price, the CMX07 is actually good value for what it does, the main pitfalls being the absence of a T Bar, and the glitches during straight cuts. I have overcome the glitch problem by using the wipe transition in auto mode at its fastest setting.
Though the unit is advertised as a cheap 2 channel mixer, I have with a bit of ingenuity been able to use it to switch/mix a 3 Camera setup.
Having used the CMX07
mixer for over 4 years in a mobile setup at my local church to connect up to 3 church video cameras in a live switching configuration, I must say it provides good value for money, and would suit churches who want to startup a video/TV ministry, wedding videographers looking to mix 2 cameras live at a reception or even low budget corporate work. If you need something smaller, then I woud recommend the Edirol V4 video mixer.