Home / Versus / Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 vs BEACN Mix Create

Streaming audio ยท Which to buy first

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 vs BEACN Mix Create: which should you buy first?

These aren't interchangeable. One gets an XLR microphone talking to your PC at all; the other gives you physical control over the mix once several audio sources already exist. Most streaming desks eventually want both.

Jump to picks See decision specs

The short answer

Buy the Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 first if an XLR microphone is your next purchase; it's a preamp and audio interface, not a mixer. Buy BEACN Mix Create first if your microphone already works and the real problem is juggling game, chat, and music volume with a mouse. Mix Create has no XLR input at all, so it cannot replace Wave XLR MK.2's job, and Wave XLR MK.2 has no physical multi-source routing, so it cannot replace Mix Create's.

Page freshness
Before orderingRecheck the exact configuration

These solve different links in the same audio chain.

Don't pick a "winner" here the way you would for two competing mice. Figure out which specific problem you have right now, and buy the product built for that problem.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate disclosure: MMOSetup may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Recommendations explain the use case and tradeoff first.

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 audio interface with USB cable and quick start guide
Best for getting an XLR mic working

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2

Best for: a streamer whose next purchase is an XLR microphone and needs a preamp, phantom power, and clean gain to make it usable.

Tradeoff: multi-source mixing lives in the Wave Link app, not on physical per-channel controls the way Mix Create provides.

80dB of gain drives demanding XLR mics without an external booster, with a Wave FX processor for onboard voice effects and touch-mute with LED feedback.

Check current price on Amazon
BEACN Mix Create audio mixer with 5-inch display and four control knobs
Best for routing sources you already have

BEACN Mix Create

Best for: a streamer whose microphone already works, but who wants physical control over game, chat, and music volume instead of alt-tabbing sliders.

Tradeoff: Tom's Hardware found it "complicated to learn" with software bugs, and it has no XLR input of its own.

A 5-inch display with 4 knobs, 4 mute buttons, 2 paging buttons, and a dedicated submix button for a separate stream-facing mix.

Check current price on Amazon

How Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 and BEACN Mix Create differ where it matters

These serve different jobs, so most rows have no real equivalent on the other side. Values are manufacturer specs plus one Tom's Hardware finding on Mix Create.

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2 vs BEACN Mix Create, decision specs
Spec Wave XLR MK.2 Mix Create Edge
XLR microphone input Yes, 80dB gain None ("no XLR support" per Tom's Hardware) Wave XLR MK.2
Physical routing controls None; routing lives in the Wave Link app 4 knobs, 4 mute buttons, 2 paging buttons, 1 submix button Mix Create
Display LED level meter only 5-inch LCD showing sources and levels Mix Create
Onboard voice processing Wave FX: compressor, EQ, voice enhancer Not a signal-processing device Wave XLR MK.2
Stream Deck integration Native, via Elgato ecosystem Not documented Wave XLR MK.2
Price tier ~$170 class ~$230 class Wave XLR MK.2

Amazon availability and configuration can change. These are complementary categories, not direct substitutes, so treat this table as "what each one adds," not a spec-for-spec contest.

They solve different parts of the same audio chain.

Wave XLR MK.2 is where a microphone becomes a signal at all

An XLR microphone is a passive device; it needs phantom power and a preamp before a computer can hear anything usable from it. Wave XLR MK.2's 80dB of gain and 24-bit/48kHz monitoring path is that preamp stage, plus Wave FX processing (compressor, EQ, voice enhancer) applied to the signal before it ever reaches your recording or streaming software.

Mix Create is where multiple sources become one mix

Once a microphone, game audio, chat, and music all exist as separate sources, Mix Create's 4 knobs, 4 mute buttons, and 5-inch display give you physical control over each one plus a dedicated submix button for a separate stream-facing balance. Tom's Hardware called the customizable mixes "excellent for content creation," but that only matters once you have several sources worth separating in the first place.

Buying the wrong one first solves nothing

A brand-new XLR microphone plugged into Mix Create produces no audio at all; Mix Create has no XLR input, confirmed directly by Tom's Hardware's "no XLR support" con. Conversely, Wave XLR MK.2 alone won't give you a physical mute button for your Discord channel or a separate stream mix; that routing lives in Wave Link's software, not on hardware knobs.

The realistic end state is both, in the right order

For a serious streaming desk built out over time, similar in spirit to layering peripherals the way an OSRS setup adds pieces one at a time, Wave XLR MK.2 solves the microphone signal chain first, and Mix Create solves routing once there's more than one source to balance. Buying them in the wrong order just delays whichever problem you actually have today.

Which mixer workflow fits the desk?

Buying your first XLR microphone

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2

Without a preamp and phantom power, an XLR mic produces no usable signal at all; this is the non-optional first purchase.

Wanting Stream Deck-native voice control

Elgato Wave XLR MK.2

Its place in the Elgato ecosystem gives it direct Stream Deck integration Mix Create doesn't document.

A working mic that needs better mix control

BEACN Mix Create

Physical knobs and mute buttons replace alt-tabbing to a volume mixer mid-stream, once the mic itself isn't the bottleneck.

Running a separate stream-facing audio mix

BEACN Mix Create

Its dedicated submix button is built specifically for balancing what you hear against what your audience hears.

What neither one fixes

Neither product improves a poor room's acoustics or an unsuitable microphone; an audio interface and a mixer both amplify or route whatever signal already exists, good or bad. Tom's Hardware's review of Mix Create noted real software bugs and a genuine learning curve, so budget setup time rather than expecting either device to work perfectly out of the box. Neither replaces a clear plan for what Discord, game, and stream audio should each sound like before you start turning knobs.

Questions people ask about Wave XLR MK.2 vs Mix Create

Does BEACN Mix Create have an XLR microphone input?

No. Tom's Hardware's review lists "no XLR support" directly as a con. Mix Create is a routing and submix controller, not an audio interface, so it has nothing for an XLR microphone to plug into on its own.

Can Wave XLR MK.2 control Discord and game audio separately?

Only through its Wave Link software, which supports multiple channels and mixes, not through physical per-channel controls. Mix Create is built specifically for that job, with 4 knobs, 4 mute buttons, and a 5-inch display dedicated to routing separate audio sources like chat, game, and music.

Can I use Wave XLR MK.2 and BEACN Mix Create together?

Yes. That is the realistic end state for a serious setup. Wave XLR MK.2 gets a physical XLR microphone into the PC with clean gain. Mix Create gives that signal, along with game, chat, and music audio, physical per-channel routing and mute control. Neither replaces the other's job.

Which should I buy first with a USB microphone?

Mix Create, since a USB microphone doesn't need Wave XLR MK.2's XLR preamp. Mix Create's routing and mute controls apply directly to a USB mic's existing signal, which is exactly the setup Tom's Hardware tested pairing it with the USB-based Beacn Mic.

Which should I buy first with an XLR microphone?

Wave XLR MK.2. An XLR microphone needs phantom power and a preamp before it produces usable signal. Mix Create cannot provide either. Get the signal chain working. Add Mix Create when routing and mute control across sources becomes the next bottleneck.