Got a free Soundcraft Spirit Studio 24-8-2.. a few Q's

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Crocoduck5000
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Got a free Soundcraft Spirit Studio 24-8-2.. a few Q's

Post by Crocoduck5000 » Fri Dec 04, 2009 12:24 pm

So I used to work at a studio in Davis CA. Anyway, I caught up with the main engineer there and he gave me this hunky thing that I used to work on:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/271 ... 7b271f.jpg That isn't the picture of the unit but it's the same model I Google searched.

Anyway, I currently live with my bandmates, and we mix ITB with Logic 9 and a Mackie 1220 Onyx Mixer with Firewire (a total of 4 XLR inputs plus 14 more 1/4"). The fact is though is that sometimes we would like to use more than four XLR inputs and perhaps this would do the trick. However, mixing OTB would be out of the question since the Mackie has only two main outputs and no channel outs (at least not through the Firewire). Plus I'm getting a little sick of the Mackie since I use it for Mainstage and I only have two outputs for it. i was thinking of getting another Firewire interface to accompany it, though I am a bit low on my budget.

Basically I am just asking what anyone else would do in my DAW situation given my new piece of gear. I always wanted to do analog summing though I know that I cannot necessarily afford an interface with 24 outputs 0_0. Maybe have 8 outputs that are bussed with a MOTU Ultralite and then sum those? Until then I would just use the Soundcraft as an extra source of preamps.

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losthighway
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Post by losthighway » Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:05 pm

Free! That is insane!

I guess santa came early to your neighborhood.

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:31 pm

Well I did save his ass quite a few times during sessions...

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Snarl 12/8
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Post by Snarl 12/8 » Fri Dec 04, 2009 1:49 pm

If it was me I'd go for one of those stand alone 24 track hard disk recorders. I dunno though, is that mixer considered a good summing box?
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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:02 pm

Snarl 12/8 wrote:If it was me I'd go for one of those stand alone 24 track hard disk recorders. I dunno though, is that mixer considered a good summing box?
I know it isn't the best Soundcraft model, but considering my origins I definitely think it would be a step up from having a single Mackie mixer/firewire interface with no outs. If I sold my Mackie and got a used MOTU interface with expansion capabilities in conjunction with my new mixer do you think that would be a wise move?

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Post by calaverasgrandes » Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:27 pm

I would definetly look at a motu 828MKII. (especially since you are on a mac!)They are going for $3-400 used these days. Sometimes cheaper. If you can find a working one with the dud LCD that would shave a few bucks off. And there is nothing you can do from the LCD that cant be accomplished from motu's cuemix control panel.
Some folks will bag on the sound quality of them and mine does sound a lot better since I got it upgraded at black lion. But you know I had some old mixes up a few weeks ago and they dont suck at all!
also the 828MKII have spdif, toslink/adat, midi and smpte, which is more than I can say for some other similar boxes out there.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Post by dsw » Fri Dec 04, 2009 4:54 pm

I know it isn't the best Soundcraft model,
No no, that's a beauty you got right there. That is an EXCELLENT board. Hang on to it with both feet.
"Analog smells like thrift stores. Digital smells like tiny hands from far away." - O-it-hz

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:16 pm

calaverasgrandes wrote:I would definetly look at a motu 828MKII. (especially since you are on a mac!)They are going for $3-400 used these days. Sometimes cheaper. If you can find a working one with the dud LCD that would shave a few bucks off. And there is nothing you can do from the LCD that cant be accomplished from motu's cuemix control panel.
Some folks will bag on the sound quality of them and mine does sound a lot better since I got it upgraded at black lion. But you know I had some old mixes up a few weeks ago and they dont suck at all!
also the 828MKII have spdif, toslink/adat, midi and smpte, which is more than I can say for some other similar boxes out there.
I'll definitely check that out. My I can probably sell my Mackie for more if I try. Any cheap-yet-effective D/A converters you recommend to accompany the MOTU via ADAT?

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calaverasgrandes
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Post by calaverasgrandes » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:30 pm

Thats kind of the quandry. Aphex makes the 142 AD but its only 48khz capable. The Behringer stuff is lousy. The Presonus digimax is kinda pricey, the digimax fs is cheaper, but still over 5 bills.
Possibly you could find an alesis analog to adat converter. I know BLA used to mod those, so it may be a good unit?
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Sun Dec 06, 2009 2:58 pm

calaverasgrandes wrote:Thats kind of the quandry. Aphex makes the 142 AD but its only 48khz capable. The Behringer stuff is lousy. The Presonus digimax is kinda pricey, the digimax fs is cheaper, but still over 5 bills.
Possibly you could find an alesis analog to adat converter. I know BLA used to mod those, so it may be a good unit?
I only mix in 24/44.1 anyway most of the time. The Aphex is sort of what I'm looking for (from what I'm googling)

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Post by calaverasgrandes » Sun Dec 06, 2009 3:12 pm

not sure if it does 44.1. IIRC it was designed for a specific system that runs at 48k. Us studio dorks kind of co-opted it. I just checked out the PDF at the aphex site http://www.aphex.com/pdf/141/Aphex_141_ ... manual.pdf
and I am even less clear on whether it will do 44.1.
I am a huge fan of 88.2 because it downsamples to 44.1 very well. I also like to think that I am capturing more information than can possibly make it to the final mix, as opposed to the opposite! So I have been looking for something like the Digimax FS, but as an AD only.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Sun Dec 06, 2009 5:23 pm

calaverasgrandes wrote:not sure if it does 44.1. IIRC it was designed for a specific system that runs at 48k. Us studio dorks kind of co-opted it. I just checked out the PDF at the aphex site http://www.aphex.com/pdf/141/Aphex_141_ ... manual.pdf
and I am even less clear on whether it will do 44.1.
I am a huge fan of 88.2 because it downsamples to 44.1 very well. I also like to think that I am capturing more information than can possibly make it to the final mix, as opposed to the opposite! So I have been looking for something like the Digimax FS, but as an AD only.
88.2Khz has generally been my preference while mixing ITB. However the difference has been negligible for me in practice, and as a 22 year old college student along with working 30 hours a week I just may need to settle for a converter with 44.1Khz capabilities if I'm going to go down the OTB route (that sounds acceptable).

I know you may cringe by this suggestion, but i have been reading up on the Behringer ADA8000 and there seems to be a general consensus (according to internet message boards, mind you) that it sounds acceptable for what it's worth. As for a future upgrade, Black Lion Audio apparently does a pretty good mod for it. that costs around 250 or so down the line...

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Post by calaverasgrandes » Sun Dec 06, 2009 5:26 pm

I had an ADA8000 for a couple of years. I finally determined that it was the weak link in my setup. It will pass sound and all, but its not very good at resolving complex sounds like drum cymbals or heavy guitars.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Crocoduck5000
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Post by Crocoduck5000 » Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:04 am

calaverasgrandes wrote:I had an ADA8000 for a couple of years. I finally determined that it was the weak link in my setup. It will pass sound and all, but its not very good at resolving complex sounds like drum cymbals or heavy guitars.
I guess I'll take your word for it. This board is ridiculously huge and in order to accommodate it I have to spend a ton of money it seems... Until then I'll just use it as a source of 24 extra preamps!

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Post by chuckfurok » Mon Dec 07, 2009 10:29 am

I have the 16 channel version and I recently did some mixing on it, my first OTB mix I tried on it (been using the preamps for years). The mixes came out awesome! I kept thinking I needed to sell the board but now I am going to keep it for a long time, hopefully do some mods. I really wish I had the 24 channel version for more effects returns. I have a 002 with Digimax FS so I can get 16 channels out.

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