Teenage Engineering TX-6 Review: Firmware update with looper!

Teenage Engineering TX-6 Review: Is it the world’s smallest mixer?  · 

Source:
Marcus Schmahl

Firmware update through your browser  · 

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Marcus Schmahl

6 stereo inputs and a USB-C port  · 

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Marcus Schmahl

What a beauty!  · 

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Marcus Schmahl

Solid built quality  · 

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Marcus Schmahl

The TX-6 from Swedish hardware designer and manufacturer Teenage Engineering is a super-compact 12-channel mini mixer and audio interface all in one. In our Teenage Engineering TX-6 review, we check out how the small unit works in a studio workflow.

Teenage Engineering TX-6 – Highlights

• Compact and highly well-built 24-bit 12-channel USB audio interface.
• Mobile mini mixer with professional features
• Per channel three-band equalizer and compressor
• Integrated battery with 7h runtime
• Onboard synthesizer with sequencer
• Built-in tuner
• Two stereo multi-effects processors with eight effects for sound processing
• Record directly onto connected USB stick

New update 1.2.12 brings many new features!

[Update April 18, 2024] Teenage Engineering’s latest update for the TX-6 brings a lot of cool new features to the little box. You can get the update through the web updater (it works very well via the Chrome browser). The latest version is automatically installed within a few seconds.

The TX-6 has become even more versatile thanks to the new firmware update. Two new modes are included: sampler and looper. These open up further creative possibilities for users of this compact device. In sampler mode, the six mini track buttons are transformed into sample slots, in which users can record and play back samples up to 5.5 seconds long. These samples can be recorded in real-time and subsequently edited in terms of pitch, start, and endpoints. In addition, the TX-6 now offers a loop mode with up to 22 seconds of loop time.

Teenage Engineering TX-6 review – what’s it all about

Swedish manufacturer Teenage Engineering is known for its unique product designs in professional audio. With the OP-1 (now OP-1 Field), they created an instrument – you might even call it a complete workstation – that is unrivaled in this form.

This unique design, its built quality, and its many features are not cheap. That is reflected in the selling price, which has polarized many in the music production world.

In April 2022, TE introduced a small mixer and audio interface called TX-6 at a price of 1139 euros. It has since been updated with many more features through firmware updates.

How does the new TX-6 sound? Can I also use it in my studio with all my other equipment? How does it perform standalone in a mobile recording setup? Let’s take a closer look at our Teenage Engineering TX-6 review.

Unboxing Teenage Engineering TX-6

Unboxing the small audio mixer, I was surprised by just how good the TX-6 looks. And how high-grade it felt when I first took it out of its box. Besides the device, a quick start guide and a USB-C cable are inside.

TE TX-6’s form factor is indescribably tiny – much smaller than I had expected. And it’s super light. But that gives it an advantage, especially for smaller studios, live performers, and mobile recording situations that don’t offer much space.

How does it feel?

Despite its ultra-small and compact form, the TX-6 does not feel that small. All the knobs are effortless to operate and don’t wiggle in the slightest. However, turning them works smoother with slim fingers. But I never had the feeling of accidentally adjusting other knobs while turning them.

TX-6’s connections to the outside world, such as USB (power, audio interface, USB media for direct recording), and audio I/O are distributed on the front and back of the hardware.

Teenage Engineering TX-6 review – The workflow

The device’s battery starts charging when you connect it to the power supply. Once fully charged, you can use the mixer without a power connection for up to eight hours.

Before you start the TE TX-6, check whether a firmware update is available on TE’s website. Updating is straightforward: you install any update by connecting it to a computer via USB-C. The mixer is installed as an audio interface if you leave it connected to your computer.

Connected to my DAW Ableton Live, TX-6 even receives and sends MIDI controller values and 24-bit audio at 48 kHz. This means that I can remotely control software synthesizers with the mixer’s knobs.

This also works with any current iOS device so that you can use your iPhone on the road as a (multitrack) recorder. You can directly connect a USB stick or a USB hard drive to the TX-6 for recording. Perfect for mobile use!

Connecting the TX-6

The device has a very logical layout. Most should be able to grasp the user interface pretty quickly. On the left side, you have the mixing elements. Six faders for the volume of the six stereo channels and three pots per channel, whose functions can be freely configured.

The mixer’s features are set up on the right. Two additional buttons on the front activate TX-6’s settings for cue and aux connections. Due to its small form factor, there are no separate controls for many functions. That means you must often scroll through menus with the clickable endless controller.

Using the TX-6 in my studio

Unfortunately, you must be careful what sizes your audio cables` plugs have. Because if you use the “usual” ones you might run into space issues due to the ports sitting very close to each other. If you use slim cables to connect to the stereo inputs, the cue, and the headphone outputs, however, they fit just fine.

As soon as you plug in a cable, TX-6 asks which type of input you want to use: mono, stereo, or dual-mono/split. This means that you can connect to twelve channels, which can then be processed simultaneously and even sent to a DAW.

The included inputs have enough headroom that you rarely overdrive them accidentally. Of course, as with any digital mixer, you should avoid clipping.

The sound quality of the TX-6 is absolutely professional. You have an adjustable three-band equalizer, a high-pass and low-pass filter, and a one-knob compressor per channel to further shape your input signals. You can even add a limiter to protect the main output.

Conclusion on our Teenage Engineering TX-6 review

The form factor and weight of the Teenage Engineering TX-6 definitely make it a good choice if you have limited space in your project studio. In addition, the integrated battery makes it a perfect fit for live performing or as a mixer for mobile recording setups.

The integrated effects work well for post-processing, refining, mixing, and even “mastering” your multitrack projects. Up to twelve audio tracks can be combined and streamed to a recording device via audio out. Same goes when the TX-6 is connected to iOS devices via USB-C, or directly to your computer. You can even control compatible MIDI devices remotely via Bluetooth.

Still, it does have a hefty price tag. For a similar sum, you can certainly get much higher-quality audio interfaces. But most of them don’t have the special features of the TX-6.

Therefore, before buying, consider how you want to use a mixer or audio interface. If the small box fits your setup, you will certainly not regret the purchase.

I could do without the integrated synthesizer. For this, a built-in recorder with its memory would have been much more helpful. And for synchronizing various sound generators, an Ableton link integration would not be a bad idea. But that’s something TE might still add in a future firmware update.

With the TX-6 from TE, you get an excellent, rather unique, great-sounding mixer and audio interface. For me, this hardware is an absolute gain for my live performances, mobile recordings, and small recording sessions. But if you are seriously considering it, thoroughly test it.

Price, Pros, and Cons

Teenage Engineering TX-6 is now available here at Thomann* (Affiliate). The matching cables are also available here at Thomann.*

Pros and Cons Teenage Engineering TX-6

Pro

• Compact and well-built 24-bit 12-channel USB audio interface
• Mobile mini mixer with professional features
• Per channel three-band equalizer and compressor
• Integrated battery with 7h runtime
• Onboard synthesizer with sequencer
• Built-in tuner
• Two stereo multi-effects processors with eight effects for sound processing
• Recording to a connected USB stick or external drive
• New features via firmware updates

Cons

• Price
• “Slim” inputs/outputs require plugs with a small circumference
• No XLR connector for microphones – no phantom power
• Knobs are not for big hands/fingers
• No built-in memory for recordings
• Ableton Link missing

More on Teenage Engineering and the TX-6

Videos

Originally published on Gearnews.de by Marcus Schmahl. Translation by Julian Schmauch.

This Teenage Engineering TX-6 Review contains affiliate links and/or widgets. When you buy a product via our affiliate partner, we receive a small commission that helps support what we do. Don’t worry, you pay the same price. Thanks for your support!

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