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[Mike Sveda]

I am waiting to hear if anyone has put the new Crest HP8 to the test in a live show yet. It looks like ti would great and has a nice layout of features and dirt cheap ($5500 for a 48 channel).  I wonder how it compares to a Venice or GL3300.  We hope to demo a unit this summer (according to the Crest rep) but my main sound guy has a hard time thinking ti will cut the mustard compared to the other boards we are looking at too. (Soundcraft MH3; Midas Verona, A&H ML4000)

It would be awesome if it sounds close as the others listed since the HP8 would make a good monitor board once we decide to go with a digital console in a few years when the prices start to drop on them.

[Steve Payne]

Well, you're gonna just have to keep waiting, because even though Crest is running full page adds for these consoles in every trade, they are not yet delivering.  Moving on to other matters.  You will NOT buy a new 48 channel HP8 for $550.  It will likely compare favorably to a GL3300 and be layed out much more logically than a Venice but not sound as good.  It will not "cut the mustard" when compared to a Verona, MH3 or ML3000.  I will quite likely be very good value for money spent.  You will, if you are a savy consumer, get what you pay for and nothing more.

I have my name on the substantial waiting list for an HP8 to replace our current bottom of the line console an AH GL2200.

[ThomasDameron]

I'm in a similar place at the church gig I do.  Hopefully hearing what we've done can help you make your decision.

We definitely considered getting an HP then later demoting it to the monitor board position and getting an MH-3 or similar (decide when we get there) to take it's place.  However, because of the failure of the board that we had been limping along on, the upgrades got expedited.  

Because they aren't shipping the HP-8, it was not an option and also it's too big for where we are now (but we're moving and we could fit a pm4k in the new place if we wanted). We're renting a Venice from the rental house that I work for until the 01v96 we're getting arrives.  The Venice is cool, and perfect for what we're doing now, but it is just too easy to outgrow and it doesn't make much of a monitor board.  The 01v was chosen because it will make a great monitor board (for our needs) and it will be great to travel with us when the band plays conferences and concerts and their ear mixes will stay dialed in and consistent.  If the house system is acceptable and accessible we'll use their FOH and the 01v will stay on stage, if not, I'll mix their ears from house and use the 01v for both.

This is not a Yamaha ad by any means, it's more of a knock on Crest for teasing us with such a nice looking product, but not moving it out on schedule (they must have taken lessons from TC as their EQ-station is just now being demoed but has a last August? original release date).  I'd say if you can be patient, get an HP (at least over a gl3300), but we haven't been able to touch a real life model either (we're a Crest dealer and it hasn't changed anything).  If you can come up with the money, the other boards you listed are superior (and for functionality, the Vca ones are a considerable step up).

hope this helps,
td
(love the spell check, but didn't much like when hitting back after the preview page erased my original post...I'm learning)

[Andy Peters]

td wrote on Sat, 17 April 2004 23:11

, it's more of a knock on Crest for teasing us with such a nice looking product, but not moving it out on schedule

Methinks Crest would rather ensure that the product they ship doesn't have any major defects that'll essentially ruin it.  I'm sure the problems with the CA amplifiers still weighs heavily on their thinking and testing.

--a

[Brent Handy]

That's kind of stating the obvious.  If you have $10-12k for a Midas Verona or an Allen & Heath ML3300, why would you consider the $5k Crest?  You couldn't compare three more different consoles IMO.

[Steve Payne]

Brent,
Indeed and agreed.  I am attempting to respond to and dispel some fuzzy thinking expressed in Telemike's post.  

[Al Limberg]

I have to agree with you Andy.  It's also not unusual for a manufacturer to seed the market with trade show displays and advertising.  When one thinks about it, you have to wonder how many GL-series (and Venice and GA/3212 and.....)  board purchases have been postponed in order to get a 'hands-on' with the HP before commiting.  No one wants to be the one wishing they had waited.

JMHO,
Al

[Mike Sveda]

The onlw reason we are lookig at the $5600 Crest HP as our main FOH/monitors board is fro short term (a few years) until we do a system upgrade and get a digital console or something in the $25k-50k range, then the HP8 would go down to the stage and we would set it up as a monitor board.

Most likely, the MH3 will be the top contender but we will not know for sure until the Soundcraft rep delivers one for us to test drive.

Our requirements:

48 mono XLR channels plus some stereo channels for cd, tape, efx...
Minimum of 8 auxes, would like to have more (10-16)

VCA's would be nice.

[Brent Handy]

For under $12k, you can have a Verona, with 40 mono, and 8 dual function channels, where each is stereo if you like, plus you can use the mic inputs at the same time.

[Mike Sveda]

We are going to test drive a Verona soon.  The only downfall with the Verona is 8 auxes.  That means 1 efx send and 7 monitor sends.  That leaves 6 mixes for the main act (usually IEM) and 1 monitor for the opener.  Plus we have to re-patch our monitor racks to have that one send go to multiple amps for the wedges.  It would be easier if we had more auxes so we can leave the monitor amps patched normally.  (we have to tear down the sunday morning service setup for the evening concert event and then re-setup at the end of the night)

[ProSoundWeb Community]