I've been searching for mixers, and speakers. I'm setting up a small practice room in my basement.
I've been using my school's. This was working, never really looked much into speaker types and mixers.
So!
Is there a common guide for figuring out different mixers? Powered mixers, unpowered, when to use what loudspeakers? Active/Passive?
I'm looking at buying a Behringer UB1002, to begin with, seeing as I don't need anything larger than this.
Which speakers would match, and why?
Generally you want to avoid powered mixers for all but the simplest cases. They greatly limit your ability to expand and are more trouble to maintain since the amplifier and the mixer are in the same unit. They are most commonly used for simple setups where only basic controls are needed and quick, portable setup is a necessity.
Using an unpowered mixer, fed in to a power amp and then fed in to unpowered speakers will give you the most adjustable, future proof, easy to maintain system. There is great advantage in being able to swap out pieces individually instead of having to replace a more expensive piece of hybrid gear.
The speakers to use depend on what you are trying to do. For a small room where you want accurate sound, I'd recommend picking up a decently reviewed pair of studio monitors in whatever your price range is.
