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[Stephen Kirby]

The USB gives you 32 more inputs without a stagebox.

How does that work?  ADA8000 and no gain control from the board surface?

[Rob Spence]

How does that work?  ADA8000 and no gain control from the board surface?

ADA8000 is ADAT, not USB.


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[Callan Browne]

The USB gives you 32 more inputs without a stagebox.

The USB card won't give 32 more channels in the SI Impact - it will give you another way to use the 32 it already has.

The SI Impact has 40 DSP input channels (32 mono inputs and 4 stereo channels/returns).
The Expression (66) and Performer (80) both have more a higher number of usable inputs, if that's what is important to you. Inputs can be sourced from the on-board inputs and/or options cards like USB, MADI, Dante, etc.

[Dave Garoutte]

The USB card won't give 32 more channels in the SI Impact - it will give you another way to use the 32 it already has.

The SI Impact has 40 DSP input channels (32 mono inputs and 4 stereo channels/returns).
The Expression (66) and Performer (80) both have more a higher number of usable inputs, if that's what is important to you. Inputs can be sourced from the on-board inputs and/or options cards like USB, MADI, Dante, etc.

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It will get you to your 40 inputs (8 more).
It could let you input break music without using a mic pre.

[Jamin Lynch]

Well if you need 32 mics plus some line inputs, then a 32 input board is too small.

In my opinion, if I am doing shows that require more than 32 inputs, then I expect they are paying enough to have an appropriate sized mixer.

That said, I have one with 32 xlrs and nothing else and a couple with up to 40 inputs but at my level, I don't come close to using them all. I sure do exceed 16 often enough though.



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I have a Performer 2 and a stage box. I don't often need 32 channels but it's nice to know I can handle it if needed. 

[Bob Leonard]

I have no experience with the Performer, but I can't help but notice that for equal amount of channels on board, you will pay over twice as much for a Performer over the Impact!  I understand that if you need 80 channels then you have no choice but how many of us ever use more than forty channels? If you do, you are probably looking at a much more expensive board anyway.  Do the features justify such a huge difference in cost between the Impact and Performer?

The answer is yes, there is a justified price increase. Those of us using the Performer series will probably all attest to a higher level of quality over the rest of the Si series. You also start to merge with the Vi series in that many of the components are taken directly from that series, as well as components from Studer. My big deal as most are aware has always been the quality of the board and the quality of the sound. That's why I would still own an APB board if I hadn't made the digital choice a while back, and that's why I own a Soundcraft digital board.

I'm at the end of my long road and I see the Performer as the last board I'll need. All the options anyone could want, need, or use in a small package, but with incredible expansion capabilities. And personally, although I'll never need them, I could see working40+ channels or more on the board simply because of the channel strip design combined with the one touch system Soundcraft uses. Board functions are just too obvious and easy to use, even for a dummy like me.

[Michael Abernethy]

Hey guys, thanks for the great feedback. I'll go with the the impact now for sure! unless anyone knows anything about a replacement expression coming in the near future

[Bob Leonard]

The USB card won't give 32 more channels in the SI Impact - it will give you another way to use the 32 it already has.

The SI Impact has 40 DSP input channels (32 mono inputs and 4 stereo channels/returns).
The Expression (66) and Performer (80) both have more a higher number of usable inputs, if that's what is important to you. Inputs can be sourced from the on-board inputs and/or options cards like USB, MADI, Dante, etc.

That is incorrect.

To clarify.

The MADI/USB option, which I own, allows for an additional stage box to be attached supporting the number of channels/inputs IN the stage box up to 64.

If the card is set up to use 32 channels of MADI and 32 channels for the USB option then you can support 32 additional channels via a stage box and use the USB channels for recording through a DAW. I use Cubase.

If you use the second option port for an additional MADI card you can support 32 + 32, 64 additional channels for a total of 80 channels, in a Performer 1.

Channels are added and show up in contiguous order across the board starting at the last board physical fader number. I.E. If the board is a 16 fader/channel Performer 1, then the additional channels will start at 17 and end at 48 using a 32 channels stage box.

You can support up to 64 channels using the MADI cards and the stage boxes at the link below;

http://www.soundcraft.com/products/compact-stagebox

http://www.soundcraft.com/products/Mini-Stagebox

You can also fit a pair of the adapter boards at the link below and configure to your hearts desire;

http://www.soundcraft.com/products/Si-Option-Cards

But you won't, will not, can't add to the channel count using the USB port on any of the cards.

MADI USB Combo *
The Soundcraft® MADI-USB Combo card offers digital audio connection between an Si series console and Apple® Mac® or PC with a USB port as well as any of the Soundcraft range of Stageboxes via Soundcraft’s proprietary Cat 5 MADI connection.
 Part Numbers:
 5049248


MADI
The MADI I/O card can establish a 64-channel MADI input and output to a remote device such as stage rack, another console or Broadcast feed to an OB. Optical inputs and outputs are provided on SC connectors and are available in single and multi-mode versions. The auxiliary interface can be used as a redundant link. A Cat5 version of the card is also available.
 Part Numbers:
 Single Mode Optical - 5019983.v
 Multimode Optical - A520.001000SP
 Dual Cat5 - A520.005000SP

[Dave Garoutte]

One possible bit of confusion;
The number of possible inputs can WAY exceed the number of mix channels.
With two MADI cards, you have access to 96 input channels (64+32) and how ever many are native to the console; 16+, 24+, 32+.
With one Madi card and a stagebox, add the native inputs to the stagebox inputs (16 or 32).

You are limited to the number of mix channels of each board; 40, 66, 80.
But you can pick and chose and route from any of the available inputs.

[Alec Spence]

Those of us using the Performer series will probably all attest to a higher level of quality over the rest of the Si series. You also start to merge with the Vi series in that many of the components are taken directly from that series, as well as components from Studer.

Are you sure about that?  Objectively?  In blind testing?

Soundcraft say that both the Expression and Performer use Vi pre-amps, and I've never seen anything to suggest that the Performer has an audio performance premium over the Expression.  Though, yes, it does have greater mix capability, scribble strips - not to mention DMX 

Which made me look harder at the Impact - can't find any boasts about the mic pres in the Impact - wonder if they've cut corners there, or have given up on the "how good the pres are" line?

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