Another console/mixer opinions request...

captaincarpet · Post by **captaincarpet** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 12:38 pm

Hello

I am going to get new gear sooner or later, I will be buying preamps and microphones but I have also decided I want to mix on an analog desk. I want it to be good, but I can't afford the best. So I'm asking for some opinions.

Used Soundcraft ghost? Other used Soundcraft? Maintenance I know...

Allen & Heath Zed 16r?

Mackie onyx 1640i?

I missed out on a used "Satt sam 82" which is a mixer built for swedish radio late seventies/early eighties with Lundahl trafos, supposed to be very good, but seems to have very simple eq. I want to mix with my fingers, do eq and levels on the board, but use other preamps for most instruments, but I don't want the preamps on the board to suck. And I know nothing about doing maintenance on mixers...

It all confuses me, I kind of want to buy something second hand and not made in China, but mostly I just want the best I can get in this pricerange...

Very thankful for any advice..

timh · Post by **timh** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:04 pm

you might wanna check out the Tascam M-520. i just got one. $500 for the board, power supply, 4 patch bays, and all the snakes. havent fully mixed on it yet, but ive been running my turn table through it and other things and i like the eq for what it is. pre amps arent amazing but i dont think anyone expects them to be. I just really like the routing/ set-up of the board.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:06 pm

And your budget is....???

captaincarpet · Post by **captaincarpet** » Fri Apr 22, 2011 7:13 pm

I will probably be getting a loan, so I'm just trying to decide where to put the money... But I would say the budget for a mixer could be around 3000 dollars (maximum).

Matt C. · Post by **Matt C.** » Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:18 am

if that's your price range i would probably skip the Tascam M520. i have one and i'm reasonably happy with it (especially considering the price, i paid $300 plus a bit more to have it gone over by a tech). it sounds fine but not great, and while the routing options are pretty flexible, there are also some weird bits that can be an inconvenience. i'm sure you can get someting much better in your price range.

timh · Post by **timh** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 7:43 pm

mattcastore wrote:if that's your price range i would probably skip the Tascam M520. i have one and i'm reasonably happy with it (especially considering the price, i paid $300 plus a bit more to have it gone over by a tech). it sounds fine but not great, and while the routing options are pretty flexible, there are also some weird bits that can be an inconvenience. i'm sure you can get someting much better in your price range.

definitely. i wouldnt even have posted if i knew that price range.

maybe look at some tridents?
or theres always the Allen&heath R16...

cjogo · Post by **cjogo** » Sun Apr 24, 2011 8:29 pm

I would really do a research on studios, retail/wholesale closings etc .. if you have that kind of budget for a board ..

Not sure how many channels you need ? ...... The Soundcraft is a good board -- lots of Allen Heath in that range . I did use the Tascam board -- but, traded up to our last analog board ~~ the Behringer MX-2442A Eurodesk --

You could buy a few nice racks of gear >> spending under $500 on a Behringer with a $3k budget....

We are now using only a automated digital board these days....

captaincarpet · Post by **captaincarpet** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 1:51 pm

Are there really Tridents in that pricerange? Are you talking about the new one whatever it's called? I wouldn't be getting any behringer, then I think I'm ok with my Soundcraft spirit. Maybe I'm actually just better off buying preamps and outboard eq. It's the analog mixing, it just feels like something I'd rather do. Maybe a used soundcraft and then find someone who can hotrod it somehow. Thanks for your replies. It does seem like there is a big gap between the budget massproduced stuff and the superexpensive stuff. Quality "mid-end"... does it exist?

Matt C. · Post by **Matt C.** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 2:15 pm

there are some old Trident boards that sell for about that much, but i forget which models are which. TAC Scorpion is another one that i've heard is good and can be had cheaply (there is a 16x16x2 Scorpion console for sale in my area for i think $1250). another seemingly popular route is buying an old Soundcraft board and getting it checked out and modded by a good tech, which again i'm pretty sure you could do easily within your budget.

jgimbel · Post by **jgimbel** » Mon Apr 25, 2011 10:26 pm

I've got a TAC Scorpion. I haven't gotten to use it set up properly very much, but I've loved it so far. Seems like it may meet your requirements. Not everyone loves them, some people adore them. Nice board.

joel hamilton · Post by **joel hamilton** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:12 am

captaincarpet wrote:Are there really Tridents in that pricerange? Are you talking about the new one whatever it's called? I wouldn't be getting any behringer, then I think I'm ok with my Soundcraft spirit. Maybe I'm actually just better off buying preamps and outboard eq. It's the analog mixing, it just feels like something I'd rather do. Maybe a used soundcraft and then find someone who can hotrod it somehow. Thanks for your replies. It does seem like there is a big gap between the budget massproduced stuff and the superexpensive stuff. Quality "mid-end"... does it exist?

The gap is very wide between the kind of thing you are talking about (" hand made") and 3000 dollars, unless it is very, very broken.

A console is really not a bulk discount type of device. To get something that you would rack up a pair of the EQ's, or want to really use the pre's on everything... that costs money.

Just because you are buying 24 of them (or whatever number inputs you would want) doesnt make the neve pre/eq any more affordable than if you were looking at racked pre/eq units, you know?

BUT:

that all changes when concessions are made to build quality. Non modular. Single motherboard type assembly like a soundcraft ghost. It can work so well. The ghost is absolutely the console I would get if I was looking in the 2500-3500 range. A clean, 32 channel ghost. you will get everything you need routing wise, and good EQ, with useable pre's that are totally in the sytek type range of quality, regardless of living in a rack or whether there are burr brown 5534's in them or not...
there seem to be a bunch of people who have modded those things, and I guess that is worth looking into. I personally would just do as many records as I could on the ghost and save whatever money you can to get the next level up, and repeat until you are whwerever you want to be in the end... Neve? SSL? API? wherever you see yourself landing in the future.
That is exactly how I did it. Literally. Work on what you have.Dont make excuses for it. do great work on whatever you have. Save money. Get the next thing. Repeat for a lifetime.

LupineSound · Post by **LupineSound** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 5:23 am

I just got a Mackie Blackbird and those Onyx preamps sound great (at least compared to the stock Digi 002 preamps I was using).

captaincarpet · Post by **captaincarpet** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 6:16 am

Thanks! Great answers! Haven't got my loan yet, but it looks like I might get it.... Swedish banks... Might as well do the research in the meantime.

Anyway, now a guy is selling 8 racked modules from an Amek M2000 from 1978, recapped and with Burr-brown op-amps. I almost don't know what that means. The words sound impressive.

He's selling it for circa 2600 dollars. It's preamps and eq, channelstrips. Any opinions on this price, or on the Amek M2000? Couldn't find much info on this console...

getreel · Post by **getreel** » Mon May 09, 2011 5:21 pm

I like the Soundtracs Topaz and the Ghost. I've also owned Tascams and a Seck before and used tons of other consolestoo. The Ghost is my overall favorite and I bought a 32 channel last year for around $900 in great condition with no issues. Great deals can sometimes be had on these consoles. There are literally tons of good analog consoles out there now going cheap. Good luck on your search.

Nick Sevilla · Post by **Nick Sevilla** » Mon May 09, 2011 5:52 pm

captaincarpet wrote:Thanks! Great answers! Haven't got my loan yet, but it looks like I might get it.... Swedish banks... Might as well do the research in the meantime.

Anyway, now a guy is selling 8 racked modules from an Amek M2000 from 1978, recapped and with Burr-brown op-amps. I almost don't know what that means. The words sound impressive.

He's selling it for circa 2600 dollars. It's preamps and eq, channelstrips. Any opinions on this price, or on the Amek M2000? Couldn't find much info on this console...

Hi,

IMO, stay the F%&K away from AMEK circa 1978. They are not "desirable", nor "vintage", nor anything.
If you get you hands on the M3000 or newer (1979, and later), or the AMEK 9098 series, then you have something to write about.

Cheers

Message Board

Another console/mixer opinions request...

Another console/mixer opinions request...

Who is online