ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: 1 [2]  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy  (Read 10252 times)

Mac Kerr

  • Old enough to know better
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7551
  • Audio Plumber
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2011, 04:22:30 PM »

With a StudioLive, you can play back a 24 track recording and practice mixing on it.

Is there a 24ch mixer that you can't play back a 24 track recording and practice mixing on?

Mac
Logged

Rob Gow

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 426
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2011, 04:29:01 PM »

Is there a 24ch mixer that you can't play back a 24 track recording and practice mixing on?

Mac

Up in that price range, I have no clue. I never ventured into that neck of the woods.
Logged

Bob Leonard

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6807
  • Boston, MA USA
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2011, 06:34:34 PM »

You couldn't be more wrong about the APB Pro House. As an owner I can say that with the exception of maybe the Digico board that the APB is the best sounding board of all those you have listed. You're off base on the EQ. Not limited at all and the added features that include a variable high pass filter for each channel, four (4) stereo channels that bring the total channel count to twenty (20), advanced routing features, metering, etc. make this board the defacto leader in it's class according to most people user or not.

The price you're referencing seems to be high as well. Call Charlie Tappa at Pro Sound Service and you'll be surprized. He's a dealer for the product line and that's where I bought mine.

http://www.prosoundservice.com/


Logged
BOSTON STRONG........
Proud Vietnam Veteran

I did a gig for Otis Elevator once. Like every job, it had it's ups and downs.

Tim Padrick

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 927
  • Indianapolis
    • T.P. Audio
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #13 on: November 26, 2011, 05:14:00 AM »

From what you have described as your needs and use, I think I'd get a StudioLive24.4.2 with an extra FX unit or two (I like the Kurzweil Rumour) and a TC Triple C or two (I love those things).
Logged

Matt Sum

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2011, 02:21:21 PM »

Is there a 24ch mixer that you can't play back a 24 track recording and practice mixing on?

Mac

Hey Mac and Rob,

Thanks for the input.  Actually quite useful given that work finished late yesterday and I wasn't able to make it to my local audio store to try out the Si Compact and iLive.

I'm embarrased to say the idea of a multitrack didn't come to mind.  Only problem is finding a multitrack recording.  And probably more than that, finding a recording I'm familiar with.  Maybe people have some advice about this...

Cheers,
Matt
Logged

Matt Sum

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #15 on: November 26, 2011, 02:29:10 PM »

You couldn't be more wrong about the APB Pro House. As an owner I can say that with the exception of maybe the Digico board that the APB is the best sounding board of all those you have listed. You're off base on the EQ. Not limited at all and the added features that include a variable high pass filter for each channel, four (4) stereo channels that bring the total channel count to twenty (20), advanced routing features, metering, etc. make this board the defacto leader in it's class according to most people user or not.

The price you're referencing seems to be high as well. Call Charlie Tappa at Pro Sound Service and you'll be surprized. He's a dealer for the product line and that's where I bought mine.

http://www.prosoundservice.com/

Hi Bob,

Many thanks for chiming in.  I'd been hoping you might do so, given that I understand you were making a decision between analogue (with APB a main contender) and digital in the not too distant past.

I kind of kind of assumed that the flexibility of Q control offered by digital boards might be more useful than the APB EQ, but I obviously didn't think about the "musicality" of the EQ filters.  So I'm interested to hear your thoughts about the APB's EQ.  For high Q notching I guess I can use some outboard parametric...

I have little doubt that the APB board is the best sounding, based on what I've read.  Problem is, noone around town has one in stock for demos.  But the APB I'd be happy to buy sight unseen.

Thanks for the Charlie Tappa suggestion.  I was quoted about AUD$3550 for the APB.  By the time I pay shipping and lose out on the fact that the APB distributor in Australia doesn't honour warranties on internationally purchased units, I'd be surprised if Charlie can offer a significantly better deal.  However, I'll check with him.

Cheers,
Matt
Logged

Samuel Rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1879
  • Washington, D.C.
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #16 on: December 02, 2011, 01:49:07 AM »

When I read the usage part of your post I was thinking Mixwizard, Mackie Onyx, maybe Studiolive. Then I saw $$,$$$ digital choices???

I don't know your situation, but from your post there seems to be a disconnect. You need to have a bicycle available to share, but you're window shopping BMW and Audi.

My thoughts exactly! I work at a club that has 250 seats, music 7 nights a week, a EV QRX rig and they have an LS9-32 with an analog snake. Nobody there feels like they have "underbought".

I understand the allure of gear, seriously I do. But if you were me, I'd hope someone would tell me to scale back my ambition by almost half. Consider an LS9-16 or an SiCompact-16/24 with analog snakes as really premium small format choices, but seriously consider really reasonable and still awesome digital options for small event guys like the Presonus 16/24 or an 01v96.

Those options are all going to give you major features over your average weekend warrior's analog rig, but you'll have a used 2001 BMW 335 CI worth of cash left over and you'll be able to lend them out to your local church with less fear, more practicality (aka they will be able to use it. IMO An any iLive is for professional, not entry level use (despite how great the layout is).
« Last Edit: December 02, 2011, 01:55:43 AM by Samuel Rees »
Logged

Matt Sum

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 13
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #17 on: December 02, 2011, 05:09:50 PM »

My thoughts exactly! I work at a club that has 250 seats, music 7 nights a week, a EV QRX rig and they have an LS9-32 with an analog snake. Nobody there feels like they have "underbought".

I understand the allure of gear, seriously I do. But if you were me, I'd hope someone would tell me to scale back my ambition by almost half. Consider an LS9-16 or an SiCompact-16/24 with analog snakes as really premium small format choices, but seriously consider really reasonable and still awesome digital options for small event guys like the Presonus 16/24 or an 01v96.

Those options are all going to give you major features over your average weekend warrior's analog rig, but you'll have a used 2001 BMW 335 CI worth of cash left over and you'll be able to lend them out to your local church with less fear, more practicality (aka they will be able to use it. IMO An any iLive is for professional, not entry level use (despite how great the layout is).

Hi Samuel,

Thanks for the advice.  It's sounding like the sensible, consensus option to not go for the iLive or SiCompact with Compact Stagebox or Digico SD11.

Do you have an impression regarding analogue (like APB) versus something like a StudioLive?  Sure Studiolive has built in effects and dynamics processing (and arguably more flexible EQ, although Bob L might disagree), but a digital console without recallable headamps, motorized faders and super flexible routing just seems not quite right.  Perhaps the o1v6 as you suggested, fits the bill, but I imagine it would be relatively expensive (for what it offers), given that the LS9-16 seems to sell for ~$8500 around my part of the world.

I've disavowed myself of the idea of getting a digital snake like the Roland.  Just cheaper and not much more bulky to get an analogue snake since we're only looking at 24 channels (sends and returns) or so.

Anyway, I'm off to have a play with an Si Compact and iLive today.  Maybe I'll also play properly with a Studiolive.  They should have a multitrack recording in store.  I'll share my thoughts after.

Cheers,
Matt
Logged

Samuel Rees

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1879
  • Washington, D.C.
Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2011, 01:24:33 AM »

I'm a big fan of the Si Compact's user interface. I'd prefer the SI Compact 16 to the 01v96 because of the recallable headamps and UI, but I know people who really love and swear by the 01v96 its a well respected product. The Studiolive does have some downsides compared to these other consoles, but it is also significantly less expensive I would expect less features. Recallable headamps and flying faders are a big construction expense. It is the only 16 channel console mentioned you can pick up for less than $2000!

As someone who moves around a lot, I would prefer getting a small format digital console over analog. You definitely have to consider the rack of compressors, gate's, FX processors and graphic EQs you would have to buy and bring along with the APB. If you don't need many channels, you can get one of the rack.
Logged

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Help me decide which small format mixer to buy
« Reply #18 on: December 03, 2011, 01:24:33 AM »


Pages: 1 [2]  All   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.046 seconds with 25 queries.