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Author Topic: your characterizations of Si PERFORMER 3 and QU-32 mixes - ie, *AUDIO ONLY*  (Read 29631 times)

Brian McMahan

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I LOVE the Soundcraft "sound" as well as the ease of the workflow. Preamps have plenty of headroom, very similar to mixing on their GB series analog mixers. I've never had one freak out or fail on me in any way (knock on wood) and I've always been able to get a good mix out of them.

Great to hear!  But, just to be safe... Does Si preamp headroom in this case allow for / translate to / contribute to:

- quick + easy management of overall channel gain?
- fewer requirements in dynamic processing, per channel?
- fewer requirements in tonal processing / use of EQ, per channel?
- relatively quick + easy arrival at basic mixes? 

Your comments are the kind that I'm after, Ken.  Thanks much for sharing them.


Brian

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Ken Braziel

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I think John is referring to the ability to take one input and assign it to parallel channels so that he can process FOH and monitors separately.  e.g. heavy compression on a vocal channel for FOH but not in the monitor.

If so, yes you can do that, and even better: you can set up sends as "pre-dsp" so you can use all the compression/gating you wish for your mix, and it doesn't go to the monitors.
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Ken Braziel

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Great to hear!  But, just to be safe... Does Si preamp headroom in this case allow for / translate to / contribute to:

- quick + easy management of overall channel gain?
- fewer requirements in dynamic processing, per channel?
- fewer requirements in tonal processing / use of EQ, per channel?
- relatively quick + easy arrival at basic mixes? 

Your comments are the kind that I'm after, Ken.  Thanks much for sharing them.


Brian

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1. Yes, it allows you to gain up in sound-check and not have to worry about the musician's "show energy" giving you crappy overdriven preamp gack (forcing a pull-back on the gain & potentially messing with monitor mix)
2. I only use dynamics when necessary, not by default.
3. The preamp and converter quality is superb, so yeah I only use EQ with the original sound needs it, not for fixing deficiencies in the circuit.
4. Very quick workflow, intuitive for me as a long-time analog engineer. For instance: all sends already have a graphic, no need to insert or use up "processing slots"... when you select a Send, it is auto-solo'd so the monitor mix you are working on is in your headphones (or queue wedge if you're into that sort of thing).

I love that I can put anything on any fader, so when I'm doing festivals I have my standard Patch, and can rearrange the top layer quickly for each act - totally customized workflow that keeps evolving as I keep re-thinking where I'd like each piece of the puzzle.
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Brian McMahan

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Not quite the same, but I own an A&H QU16 and a Soundcraft Si Impact. For my tastes, I like the sound of the Soundcraft better. The QU16 is not bad by any stretch, though and I think it is quite a bit easier to use.
Excellent.  Thanks a ton for the concise summary, Carl.

Brian

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« Last Edit: May 28, 2016, 01:23:33 AM by Brian McMahan »
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Brian McMahan

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And rad detailed descriptions, Ken.  Thanks again...

Brian

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« Last Edit: May 28, 2016, 01:24:47 AM by Brian McMahan »
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Brian McMahan

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Also:  If anyone happens to have... or can obtain, or direct me to... reasonable evidence re differences in audio handling, between Qu16 / Qu32, or Si Impact / Performer 3... please feel free to lay it on me.  Would prefer to sidestep a T&M legitimacy focused debate... so please exercise discretion with related posts. 

Thanks much.


Brian

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Roland Clarke

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Also:  If anyone happens to have... or can obtain, or direct me to... reasonable evidence re differences in audio handling, between Qu16 / Qu32, or Si Impact / Performer 3... please feel free to lay it on me.  Would prefer to sidestep a T&M legitimacy focused debate... so please exercise discretion with related posts. 

Thanks much.


Brian

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You've had quite a lot of suggestions and opinions from people, I would suggest that gain is the same on any digital console, even if it is displayed differently.  Mic amps are not going to make a whole lot of difference, certainly not to the level you are going to hear discernible over a live sound system.  AD/DA conversion on the better desks out there is now pretty much of a muchness.  The Soundcraft works really well and offers sensible features at its price point, the qu doesn't do this as well.  You really either have to take the plunge blind based on what most of the guys here are telling you or go take a demo.  I for instance took a blind chance on an Presonus RM32ai, and in my opinion that and the Si are the best two desks I've heard less than £5000.  I got mine for really little money so I am sitting smug.  As an aside, at the qu16 price point I would prefer a x32, it's better.  My Presonus is better than both, but that's only based on my experience. Ymmv.
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Scott Olewiler

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I love that I can put anything on any fader, so when I'm doing festivals I have my standard Patch, and can rearrange the top layer quickly for each act - totally customized workflow that keeps evolving as I keep re-thinking where I'd like each piece of the puzzle.

When you say anything on any fader, you don't just mean any input to any channel, right? Most boards do that.

You mean you can decide to have channel 1 on fader 1 and channel 5 on fader 2, that sort of thing? 
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Bob Leonard

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Brian,
You've received a good number of replies, mostly concerning the Soundcraft Si series of boards. I personally, as I have stated many times in the past, spent almost 2 years trying to replace my APB with a digital mixer. Luckily for me I was able to actually listen to and use about any digital mixer available at the time for less than $10K. What I walked away with eventually was great admiration for Soundcraft's boards based on ease of use, build, and sonic quality. It's a big boast to state the Si sounds as good as anything APB, but that's the case in a nutshell.

One of my requirements was that the board fit in a rack, and that the board be expandable, and once again Soundcraft filled the bill. My first purchase was an Expression 1, and like everyone else I grew very, very attached to the board. However, I had my mind set on more features, more expansion, more quality, and better sound. The sound part is subjective, but I was swayed by more features, scribble strips, automation, ease of use, build quality, support, and more. I still have the Expression, but my go to board this minute is a Performer 1. Everything I need until I take the dirt nap, and I'll never look back.

There's a good group of very knowledgeable people who have replied to this thread. Read it again and then make up your mind and have at it. Good luck.
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Ken Braziel

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When you say anything on any fader, you don't just mean any input to any channel, right? Most boards do that.

You mean you can decide to have channel 1 on fader 1 and channel 5 on fader 2, that sort of thing?

The second thing. You can have any input OR output on any fader, completely arbitrary. So if I decide 1/4 into a set that I want the Delay return available on my top (mixing) level, just choose a channel, go to Fader Setup and choose the stereo return the Delay is on. No pause in the action, no restart, instantly I have it where I want it.
« Last Edit: May 27, 2016, 04:55:25 PM by Ken Braziel »
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