Yorkville PGM and VGM Series Mixers - A Review

Yorkville PGM 8

Modern PA systems are going more and more to a passive mixing board combined with powered speakers, and there are a lot of small mixing boards on the market. 

The biggest determining factor of the type mixing board you will need is going to be how many actual mics you will need to plug into the board.

One thing to understand is that all boards on the market today count their stereo channels as separate channels, so a board with 4 mic channels and 4 stereo channels would be a 12 channel board. It is important to find out how many actual mic inputs come on any board.

This is one reason why I really like the Yorkville PGM8 and VGM14 mixers; the PGM8 board has six actual mic inputs, the VGM14 has 12 actual mic inputs. Both of these are higher than average mic inputs for 8 and 14 channel boards.

Yorkville PGM8 includes 6 actual mic inputs

The boards do share some similarities, but the VGM14 has some extra features we will get into!

The PGM8 by Yorkville 

The PGM8 by Yorkville, as mentioned above, has 6 dedicated mic inputs, a 7 band graphic EQ, built in effects and very good 3 band EQ on each channel. it also features a record in and out section with separate record out levels (a feature almost unheard of on this type of board). The PGM8 also has dedicated faders for the main Monitor volume, the internal FX return, and the Stereo return for outboard effects or other stereo source signals, such as CD players, etc.

The most useful of these is the master volume fader for the monitor mix. The PGM8 also features XLR outputs on the back of the board for easy connection to powered speakers or power amps. Many boards this size are limited to 1/4" outputs, which are also available on the PGM and VGM mixers.

Both mixers also feature a tough as nails construction with metal runners down the sides and curving around the front of the board.

(see pics below)

Note the Aluminum bracing and all metal construction - this is the same on the VGM and PGM mixers!

You can see the Aluminum bracing wraps around the front, giving the board excellent protection!

Faders, Buttons and Knobs oh My! 

The faders, buttons and knobs on these mixers have a durable, silky feel to them - the faders in particular have a nice long throw with good resistance, and the knobs and buttons both have a very robust feel and good build quality.

The VGM14 - What's the Difference?

The VGM14 is very similar to the PGM8, but it does have a few key advantages. The biggest is the number of mic inputs. At 12 actual mic inputs this board has enough capacity for most bands and church applications, but it does have some big advantages over the PGM8 besides the number of inputs!

Like the PGM8, the VGM14 has main XLR outputs on the back of the board, mirrored by 1/4" inputs on the front of the board, and of course the RCA record outputs. 

It also has several other very important features though!

The first is the swept mid EQ on the main mic channels - if you are not aware of swept mid EQ, it allows you to pick the frequency of the mid band EQ. The frequency sweep goes from 100Hz to 5K, giving you a broad range of frequencies for tonal shaping or feedback elimination.

The other main difference in the VGM14 mixing Board is that it has a 9 band graphic EQ, and the EQ can be selected to run either the mains or the monitor system. This is important as most feedback occurs on the monitor system, and this is a feature that is rarely seen on boards in this size and price range. 

The VGM14 also has slightly longer faders, but the board is just as robust, with the same Aluminum side rails for protection, and the same rock solid feel on the faders and the buttons and knobs!

If you are looking for small but extremely capable mixing boards, consider the Yorkville PGM8 and VGM14 for your mixing needs. Call one of the best music stores in Lincolnton for the best prices on these boards, and when you are looking for the PA Gear Lincolnton players need come to James House of Deals & Pawn to see what is available, and what the best system for your band or venue is!