advice on mixing boards?

[napalm229]

Hello again folks......

The advice so far has been great. I really didn't want to have to post this here....but being a newbie, I thought I had better....

What are the main differences in the sound quality of different mixing boards? In other words...do certain mixers have more warmth to them, or is it a matter of range of frequencies..etc?
I was wandering because everyone in the mixing forums seem to have different opinions about mixers. I am looking to buy a mixer for my setup that I am buliding...if it helps, I plan on using the Mackie HD24/96. Also, if I were to go the route of the digital *bus mixer...what real advantages/ disadvantages would there be to that?

I had planned on keeping the cost to around $1500 for the mixer if I could....I will be the only person recording instruments, don't have a band to have to worry about right now. I had planned on going analog, but if there is enough benefit to going to the D8B....I can always save more (I have been saving for this for a LONG time). So, what brands do you guys think I should really focus on? I can go to the local music shops and test 'em out, I just wanted some unbiased opinions before I get some guy trying to feed me something just because that is what they deal in.

Once again, this site is a godsend for folks like me....any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[TexRoadkill]

The biggest difference with budget mixers is usually the number of bells and whistles like Direct outs, aux sends, busses etc. Depending on your needs those can be extremely important. The biggest sound difference is usually the preamp and EQ quality. Cheap mixers can also add a lot of noise when you have all the channels and busses up.

Digital mixers have the advantage of built in effects and complex routing but they also require expensive analog to digital convertor cards if you want a lot of inputs and outputs.

If you plan on mixing 24 channels on an analog board you will need a 24ch mixer like the Mackie 8buss or one of the larger Soundcraft or Allen and Heaths.