First Impressions of the TOFT ATB - 16

alanhyatt · Post by **alanhyatt** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:54 am

Hey guys...We are here at TapeOP CON...SO stop by and see the console.

Like everything else, the first production run had some quirks. We fixed everything we knew about for those on the Pilot Program. If anything still exists out there, we stand behind our products 100%.

This project has been a project that involved the end users. People like you telling us what they wanted out of a console, and Malcolm Toft designing it the way he knows how, which based on all of his designs...he knows better than most,

There have been changes and improvements on the 2nd production run, which is at the dealers now and almost sold out. We will continue to make any changes and or improvements to the ATB to make it the best it can be for the costs...which have gone up a little.

QC is very good on this console...RoHS solder is a pain, but we have finally got that wired out now. All in all, we are very pleased with the build quality, and the high end users like Tchad Blake, Randy Jackson, Beck, Hard FI and others seem to be thrilled with the console.

If I can help address any questions, let me know.

Electro-Voice 664 · Post by **Electro-Voice 664** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 6:24 pm

Raymond,
I was reading through the pdf manual and was curious about the star grounding section. Did you mess around with this concept? From what I gather, if you?re connecting balanced gear you can unsolder the (cords) sleeve (grounding) at the outboard end and keep it connected at the console end. Any grounding issues or comments?

Also does anyone have a favorite dealer for these?
Thanks

Red Rockets Glare · Post by **Red Rockets Glare** » Mon Jun 25, 2007 10:22 am

Electro-Voice 664 wrote:Raymond,
I was reading through the pdf manual and was curious about the star grounding section. Did you mess around with this concept? From what I gather, if you?re connecting balanced gear you can unsolder the (cords) sleeve (grounding) at the outboard end and keep it connected at the console end. Any grounding issues or comments?

Also does anyone have a favorite dealer for these?
Thanks

My ground is a 10 foot copper rod pounded halfway into the earth outside my studio.

gungadin · Post by **gungadin** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:10 am

I've had my ATB 16 plugged in and running for a week now and I'll agree with all the fine things Raymond had to say about it. (Raymond - you work with Dan Long? Holler at him for me!)

Yesterday I finished the first mix on the board. Its also the first mix in my studio. Its also the first otb mix I've ever done.

This seemed like a good place to post it - if anyone's got any feedback I'd be most appreciative.

I can't tell if my ears are just fatigued with the tune or if there's something funny going on with the drums. The low mids are also tiring my ears out. Should I have notched out more eq in the individual instruments? Should I just eq the whole mix? Save it for mastering?

Maybe this is the wrong forum for this...
best,
Andy

http://www.gro-beak.com/tunes/Horatio_S ... -18-07.mp3

trodden · Post by **trodden** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:29 am

gungadin wrote:I've had my ATB 16 plugged in and running for a week now and I'll agree with all the fine things Raymond had to say about it. (Raymond - you work with Dan Long? Holler at him for me!)

Yesterday I finished the first mix on the board. Its also the first mix in my studio. Its also the first otb mix I've ever done.

This seemed like a good place to post it - if anyone's got any feedback I'd be most appreciative.

I can't tell if my ears are just fatigued with the tune or if there's something funny going on with the drums. The low mids are also tiring my ears out. Should I have notched out more eq in the individual instruments? Should I just eq the whole mix? Save it for mastering?

Maybe this is the wrong forum for this...
best,
Andy

http://www.gro-beak.com/tunes/Horatio_S ... -18-07.mp3

Pretty song! nice. I'd just turn the drums up some more, maybe the overheads..

I find the stereo delay thing on the snare distracting (doesn't seem to be happening at the end of the song), but that is just a preference/opinion!

If i had done what you've done, i'd be really happy.

gungadin · Post by **gungadin** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:51 am

thanks Trodden! haha... there's no stereo delay on the snare but I hear what you mean. perhaps its poor panning/level of the snare wrt the oh's. you're right, it is distracting but somehow it fixed itself by the end...

sad iron · Post by **sad iron** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:32 am

gungadin wrote:I've had my ATB 16 plugged in and running for a week now and I'll agree with all the fine things Raymond had to say about it. (Raymond - you work with Dan Long? Holler at him for me!)

Yesterday I finished the first mix on the board. Its also the first mix in my studio. Its also the first otb mix I've ever done.

This seemed like a good place to post it - if anyone's got any feedback I'd be most appreciative.

I can't tell if my ears are just fatigued with the tune or if there's something funny going on with the drums. The low mids are also tiring my ears out. Should I have notched out more eq in the individual instruments? Should I just eq the whole mix? Save it for mastering?

Maybe this is the wrong forum for this...
best,
Andy

http://www.gro-beak.com/tunes/Horatio_S ... -18-07.mp3

Hey Andy, It's Jason Lewis.....

tune sounds really good. I would agree with Trodden that the drums just seem to quiet and weighted toward the left channel. Maybe a little too verby? What was the micing configuration.

The only other thing I hear it toward the end of the tune, when everything gets louder instruments seem to start to compete with each other in a kinda confusing way... I get what you're going for, but maybe you could dial back a little there. It gets nice again toward the end.

Arrangement-wise, you might be able to get the effect you're looking for from pushing the instruments up by beefing up the vocal arrangement some, maybe with call and response vox or something just to sweeten the pot. The vox is really what's making this song go, so I feel like you need to keep it front and center at the climactic moment.

BTW, is that Fiona McBain?

Sounds real nice overall and I am jealous of your ATB. Hoping my Allen and Heath System 8 2416 holds up until I can afford the Toft...like for another five years...

Great to hear what you've been working on.

If you've got time, I'd love to know what you think of the mixes I recently put up over on my myspace page. http://myspace.com/thejasonlewis

Hope NYC's treating you well.[/quote]

gungadin · Post by **gungadin** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:02 pm

hey Jason! Thanks for the critical listen! I'm about to have another go at it and I appreciate the input.

v. good to run into you here. The singer is a girl named Kate Lundell. She wrote the song, as well. And that's our old friend Bob Packwood playing the organ and Mellotron.

(btw... apologies to the board for hijacking the atb thread. if anyone has any other pointers maybe its better to PM me, thx)

bantam · Post by **bantam** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:36 am

Alan or Ried,

is this this accurate? it is posted by oram

http://www.oram.co.uk/trident_toft_comparison.htm

bantam · Post by **bantam** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:14 am

well i pickup up the 16 ch version of the atb and i am very impressed. great little desk. ...still curious about that white push button switch on the bottom of the channel strips in the pictures... anyone?

matta · Post by **matta** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:43 pm

still curious about that white push button switch on the bottom of the channel strips in the pictures... anyone?

As far as I know it controls the SOLO functions with regards to being PRE or POST, out of the factory it is set to POST, but it user switchable.

Matt

zyabo · Post by **zyabo** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 2:05 am

Hi everyone

I have a question about the Toft desk:

I wasn't sure about it when I red the instruction...

Monitoring back on individual channels...

The desk has monitor inputs, so you can send the tape outs to the monitor inputs on the desk... Then It says in the manual that you don't have to re-cable, just press the button I/P Rev...
My question is: Can you use line inputs and monitor back with this button pressed not having to conect your tape outs to the monitor ins? Sort of a mix b in mackie 8 bus...

Thank you.

Babaluma · Post by **Babaluma** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:00 am

and to add to that, any more thoughts on this desk from people who have used it? am thinking of going for the 16 or 24 in the new year.

Red Rockets Glare · Post by **Red Rockets Glare** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 8:55 am

I have had some trouble with my TOFT ATB 16 in the past 8 months that has become something that I want to write about here and share with you guys that have been watching this post and reading my past praise of the board.

After about 6 months of use the stereo buss started acting up and letting signal through even with all the faders down.
I unhooked it, called in sick and drove it down to Gardena for them to take a look. They replaced the master fader and all was well for another few months, until it started happening again. At this point a few other problems had developed. Channel 14 had a lower gain than the other channels by a long shot, and channel 16 would cut out now and then.
The other engineer at my studio took the board in and couldn't get the problems to replicate.
A frustrating week later I called TOFT and they offered to guide me through the master fader fix over the phone and deal with the other channels when my studio wasn't as booked up. The master fader fix lasted about 2 months and then it began happening again.
Yesterday I unhooked it, called in sick to work and took it in for the 3rd time. The problems wouldn't repeat for about 30 minutes, then when the board got warm the problems all showed themselves apart from channel 14's low level.
Before this happened it was suggested that I had my patch bay hooked up wrong and several other ideas were thrown around that put the blame on me, even though this problem had happened a few times before with this board.
At this point I asked to speak to the person in charge to ask for a new board. The person I spoke to was very short with me and flat out refused to do anything except keep repairing my board. He reminded me that I didn't pay full price for my mixing board. I thought this was really a strange way to treat someone that is essentially beta testing his product. I reminded him that this most likely wouldn't be happening to me if I'd bought a Mackie.
Turns out that several of these first boards have been coming back with similar problems.
Another really caring employee showed up at this time and helped me fix even the channel that I couldn't get to misbehave in the shop.

At this point I would have to say I wish I'd put my nearly 3 grand into a vintage Trident, spent about the same amount of time and energy getting it dialed in and skipped my experience with TOFT.

I would suggest you not buy a TOFT mixing board at this point. While they sound great, they are not made to last and their customer care sucks.

-Raymond Richards

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 9:28 am

WOW...that sucks!
Sorry to hear about your troubles.

What kind of warranty is there?

That's bullshit,they should just replace the board that they most likely know is a defective first run.
Someone like me in the midwest would be screwed bigtime on shipping.

I for one am off the fence about getting one of these.

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First Impressions of the TOFT ATB - 16

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Re: first mix on ATB 16

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