eq

[Chris Shaeffer]

Nnnggg. I was just about to buy one of those. I might still have to since I can't in good conscience afford anything on the next level (yet still having 16 channels). It's either one of these or sticking with the 8-channel Behringer MX with the dodgy fader. Not good..

Hey, jp.

Over there across the pond you may have more luck than I did finding the mixer hunted down: used Soundtracs SOLO MIDI. Sounds better than the Mackie VLZ's but I haven't played with any of Mackie's newer/bigger stuff.

I paid $800 US (probably a bit high) for an immaculate 16x8x2 channel SOLO. Inline monitors that can be used as addition inputs at mixdown, yadda yadda. 6 auxs (5 switcheable between mix and monitor, 1 dedicated to monitor), 4 stereo returns. The only things it doesn't have that I wish it did was Q control on the EQ and phase flip.

I paid almost half that for the Tascam m520 and its a bit more mixer in some ways (killer VU meter bridge, 20 channels, 3 swept EQ's, phase flip, 3 freq. tone generator instead of just 1K, etc.)

I'm a huge fan of older gear in good condition.

Take care,
Chris

 

[Dr ZEE]

If you really think you need to spend that kind of cash and really need that sort of EQ ask Bruce Valeriani (Blue Bear Sound)... seriously. No, I'm not being sarcastic.

FALKEN, don't do it! I mean neither... neither ask neither spend.
If you have that kind of cash to spend - buy yourself a ticket to heaven instead or simply ROCK something harder and keep your green in you pocket - same result - HAPPY.
No sarcasm either

/respects

 

[FALKEN]

don't do what? buy a large frame board? i dont get it?

 

[Beck]

I think what ZEE is trying to say is you may be put off by Bruce’s wardrobe. He’s an eccentric, but should have some good advice in this particular area even if you can't dig his threads.

 

[reel buzzer]

Falken - maybe you can try to rent a Focusrite Red EQ for the weekend. That way you can at least try out a fine EQ before making any purchases. There are places in New York that will ship one to you as a rental. I'm not sure how the unlimited layers PC EQ bands can really outperform a simple good EQ on an instrument or vocal.

 

[Dr ZEE]

I think what ZEE is trying to say....

...hey, ...watch it! he's got bee-bee!
******
btw, I think renting is a good idea. It may help to realize that there's nothing much to any of "legendary gear" without making another step toward Chapter 7.
Also last time I've "checked" The Legends made a gear "legendary"...and not otherwise ...or am I wrong? May be. I guess it's arguable.
*****
so, ...watch it!

 

[EDAN]

Falken, what kind of board do you have? – I can’t remember. Boards with good EQ are definitely pricier. The M-300 series has nice EQ, 10k top shelf, 200 Hz-4 kHz mid and 50 Hz-1kHz low.

My M-308 EQ section is "ok", but a step down from the EQ on my old 388 for sure. I sometimes bypass the M-308 EQ section all together, you know, if it aint broke... kinda thing. I'm not all that crazy about the onboard pres either, again, they don't seem as good as the ones on the 388. I now use the built in pres on my FATMAN compressor and they seem to sound better to these ears.

 

[Beck]

The 388 EQ is very nice... a little more control than that on the M-300 series... another good reason to take a look at that system as an all-in-one.

 

[Beck]

...hey, ...watch it! he's got bee-bee!
******

You'll shoot your eye out!

 

[jpmorris]

The yamaha is nice..of all of the live boards I've seen in that range (3,000 or less) like the A/H's, Soundcrafts, mackies, etc. etc. the layout of the MG seems the best suited for recording. And they're not gonna break your bank either just to get a live board.

My MG16 arrived today. It's such an improvement over the Behringer that it's a revelation. Proper faders. Multiple busses. Channel arming buttons. A 48v phantom power supply that only goes to the XLRs and not the TRS jacks as well (I cut the 48v switch on the Behringer to prevent accidental electrocution of the precious TSR-8).

Next I'll have to actually mix something down through it

I suspect that a full-fledged professional board would probably have been too much of a jump from the Behringer. I still need to get my head around some of the new features in the Yamaha. Maybe one day..

 

[Herm]

I had the Mackie 24/8buss mixer and dont anymore if that tells you anything,
Not that I am an exspert. I have also used the soundcraft and did like it but it wasnt mine and didnt get to use it very long but i did like it better than my mackie.
One thing you want to remember about the mackie 8 buss is it will do a whole bunch of stuff but it doesnt even have the better mackie preamps in it. They are the older version before even the vlz. So you might want to keep that in mind when looking at the mackies. I used it with adats and then with a fostex e 16 and it just always seemed to sound thin and lifeless to me and I never did a descent mix with it.

Can you say British EQ? Heck even mackie,s new mixers are claiming to have the world famous british eq now instead of what they had before.

Soundcraft!

 

[jpmorris]

Well, I've just done my first test mix through the Yamaha, and it was a lot less of a struggle than trying to mix that track through the Behringer. I believe it was money well spent, at least for my purposes.
Now I have to decide what to do with the MX802a..

 

[SillyBee]

Interesting Site:

http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/data/

From Dr. Know's Free Reference Library: http://www.gbaudio.co.uk/

 

[FALKEN]

seriously, if they had put a full eq section on that board it would be all anyone would ever need.

but they lie in the product description; even the one listed on that link above. Unless I am stupider than I ever imagined, it does not have 4 stereo busses. It has 4 mono busses that can be panned. = not the same thing. sort of pissed me off when I found out.

but the layout, the buttons, the faders, the sound, everything kicks ass. but the eq is sort of weak, granted I have not been using the board very long.

 

[Dr ZEE]

My MG16 arrived today. ...A 48v phantom power supply that only goes to the XLRs and not the TRS jacks as well (I cut the 48v switch on the Behringer to prevent accidental electrocution of the precious TSR-8)...

are you sure about it (trs(s) get 48v?) ?

 

[jpmorris]

are you sure about it (trs(s) get 48v?) ?

I took a voltmeter to it. I may double-check that, though. Looking at the diagram again, I was assuming that the 48v wouldn't roll back around (but it might. My basic electronics leaves a lot to be desired).

 

[Dr ZEE]

You'll shoot your eye out!

hah hah ... have done that many times and never learned the lesson
*************

The things that caught my damaged eye here are combination of things being placed in the same can: a need for a right tool, high priced gear, word "legendary" and ask a guy who "knows" advice.
When I see a "mixture" like that I think of: "Ouch! This may hurt if someone will drink this cocktail in one shot."
I don't know.... I wish I could write well to put it all together....
Here... I've found THIS ARTICLE . It may seem to be off topic, but I'd recommend just at least go through it... or just read "the conclusion". The "blah" there is about capacitors, but take it as general observation. Here's the main quote as I've found it :

Once these rumours start they take on a life of their own, and it then becomes almost impossible to get the discussion back into the land of reality.

The world of hi-fi and audio-recording is way overpopulated by stories with good health and long legs. These stories are also well guarded by often quite militant "gangs" of highly opinionated self-appointed Engineers In-Charge. Some of them are servants of the industry, some of them are servants of their own ego, some are - both . It's pretty tough out there when trying to sort things out. Add to the mix your own high opinions and distorted temperament (everyone has to deal with the "devil within" ) . I sure can understand, that when you plug-in into your set-up something that cost more than the floor, walls, roof and the entire set-up plus if it has that "legendary-label" on it (a story behind it) - IT MAY BE VERY HARD to keep your mind straight and be objective.... It is hard, but not impossible!



/respects

 

[FALKEN]

I dont understand this at all.

How could you be calling good eq snake oil? or are you calling something else snake oil? I am so confused by this.

 

[Dr ZEE]

How could you be calling good eq snake oil? or are you calling something else snake oil? I am so confused by this.

I call a good eq - good eq ... or actually, just eq. Because that's what it is. No more - no less.
A person who asks you to give up all your diamonds for an eq (because there's a magic in it!) is a snake oil dealer.
The magic is not in the eq... if there is a "magic" - it's somewhere else. It can be in the heart, in the soul ...simply in the air.... but not in the eq, that's for sure

/respects

 

[FALKEN]

Mike,

I usually enjoy your posts. This one is sort of confusing me though. Nobody told me that eq would be magic. I came to this conclusion on my own, through my own experiences, as stated in the first post of this thread. sure, magic happens in the heart or whatever. Say I've got a band that has this magic. the songs are happening, the musicians are all great and have come up with great parts, the singer is good and the lyrics aren't stupid either. The fact is that you want this band to sound as good as possible. you've got 16 tracks layed down and they all have to fit together. just because the bassist and guitarist both have great tone going on, doesn't mean that those tones are going to come through on the recording once its mixed. even IF the room and mic placement and performance are happening. if you don't have useable eq, you might get lucky, and you might not. you cant plan for everything in a session. and I have come to the personal conclusion that live boards do not generally have eq that is acceptable for recording.

now, since I just might go and spend all my diamonds, please keep on trying to talk me out of it! point out where my thinking is wrong! please!