help a live sound noob out.

[appleburger]

i'm looking into getting a decnet live sound system together and need a little help. i'm looking for something as cheap as i can go without sacrificing too much quality. the highest i can go is around $2k. i know for that price, i'm not going to get anything amazing, but thats my budget for the console. i've searched around and so far have come up with a few possiblities:

allen & heath gl2400
mackie sr34x4
yamaha mg2414
behringer mx9000 eurodesk

from what i've gathered from searching:

1.) behringer sucks. they break, they sound bad, the have bad customer support.
2.) mackie's are about the same but not quite as bad

i work with an allen and heath ml4000 at work and i like it a lot. of course, not as much as the ssl 4k g+ i work with at school, but thats another story.

any suggestions or guidance would be GREATLY appreciated. thanks.

[Scodiddly]

Look around for used equipment, that's usually where the biggest savings are to be had.

Also look at recent Peavey stuff.

[Milkmansound]

I second the used idea - I got my GL2000 for cheap, cause it needed minor work. The new GL is basically the same thing, sans a few features and the whole "newness" thing. If you want something great and want to save cash - get it used!

also, do not let anyone talk you into the midas venice! I can write a novel about how much that thing is over priced and over rated.

[joel77]

I have the G&L 2200-24. An awesome mixer. Great mic pres, very good EQ and usefull routing. Does everything I need!

Joel

[chris harris]

is this for an install? small or larger venue? how many different engineers will be using it?