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[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Well as some of you may know, I just upgraded from a Yamaha MG166cx to a Mackie SR24 I bought off of Art. Just as I got excited about that, this weekend I got to use a friends GL2400 and finally understand what all you guys rant and rave about. I'm happy with the SR, as its going to suit me nicely and is a good upgrade from the MG, but now I wish I was able to fork over for a GL. Great EQ, features and layout. Not that any of this is new to you, but to me it was pretty cool. I used it in conjunction with 4 MRX525 (MR version) and 4 MRX528 (MR version) through a rack of XTI amps, DRPA+ and Eventide Eclipse. What a tease to a guy like me. I know to most of you this is every day stuff, but to us real lab loungers its what we cant have yet.


/drooling

[Keith Shannon]

Well, maybe it's not so out of reach. The GL2400 is the mainstay, but there's a newer line of A&H mixers designed along the lines of the GL series, but a bit more utilitarian. It's the ZED 4-bus series; the 420, 428 and 436 (16, 24 and 32 mic pre frames, each with 2 stereo faders). The basic layout and most of the core components are spec'ed exactly the same as the GL2400; the major differences make the ZED more suited for your average garage band, while the GL makes a better house or touring board.

Advantages of the ZED over a GL2400:
* Seperately-routable Mono out; good for subs, LCR mixes, or a mono house with additional sources (drums) in a recording off of L/R. On the GL2400, M defaults to an L+R sum, and requires more configuration to be put in LCR or "M-fed subs" mode.
* USB I/O interface. Record in stereo to any USB-capable device, playback from same. The USB output can be sourced from L/R (pre or post), MTX1-2, or the hardwired pre or post auxes (1-2 or 5-6). Playback from USB can be routed to the 2TRK playback (for recording monitoring) or to a stereo in, or both. From either of those points it can go direct to L/R; the stereo channel also has the option of mixing/routing/EQ via the channel strip.
* Top-loading patches make the ZED easier to use from within a road case than a GL's rear-loading jack panel.
* Cheaper. The 436 is at least $500 cheaper than the 2400-32, its GL counterpart.

Advantages of the GL2400 over the ZED:
* 4 matrix channels, each with an EXT-IN. ZED only has 2 and no seperate EXT.
* Per-channel pre/post fader on all 6 auxes on the GL. ZED only does this on Aux 3/4; 1/2 are hardwired pre while 5/6 are hard post.
* Switchable polarity reversal built into GL's mono strips; ZED requires an adapter. Both still have per-channel phantom.
* Switchable line-level pads on GL, can tame a hot mic or be turned off for a weak line-in. ZED has the pad built into the line-in jack, no switchable option.
* 4-light signal level indicator (Sig, 0, +6, Clip) on all faders including input channels on the GL; PFLing a channel to set levels is not really necessary. ZED only has Sig and Clip LEDs on inputs; groups and masters have the 4-light indicator, so the main mix can be monitored while tweaking something in PFL/AFL.
* Stereo faders on GL each have a mic pre that can make the stereo strip control a mono channel, or the mic pre can be used independently of the channel strip. ZED has dedicated stereo channels with balanced line-in and RCA-in, no extra pres.
* GL-series have the mode switches to turn the console from FOH to Monitor and in between; ZED is an FOH console plain and simple.
* Rear-loading jack panel means a smaller footprint when not cased, making the board better for installations.

[(BJ) Benjamin Fisher]

Yeah, I've looked into the ZEDs. I like several of the features on the GL that the ZED doesnt have, but the ability to easily record with the ZED is a very handy thing!

[Keith Shannon]

benjamin fisher wrote on Mon, 15 March 2010 16:22

Yeah, I've looked into the ZEDs. I like several of the features on the GL that the ZED doesnt have, but the ability to easily record with the ZED is a very handy thing!

I like the seperate Mono out; mic the drum kit and take a DI or mic off of any other loud stage source, and pump em into LR for matrix recording to USB, while keeping them out of the Mono house feed where they aren't needed. Or, set up an M-fed subs channel. Mono's it's own rail; either way, you have your L/R and all auxes/groups. On the GL2400, the only way to separate the mono mix is to basically assign it as the Aux 6 master, meaning you lose auxes 5 and 6 unless you happened to need Aux5 as a single-channel, post-fade aux. On the ZED, if you wanted the GL's default L+R sum, you just route everything to LR and M, and there ya go.

... But I digress. The GL2400 is a great series of FOH/Monitor mixers. I'm considering the GL2800 as a possible centerpiece of a HoW system. All the goodies of the 2400, 8 mono auxes and a stereo aux, 8 groups, 4 mute groups, AND the seperate routable Mono rail I like in the ZED. Me = Kid in candy store, and it's not even digital.