Crest vs A&H

[Rubo4]

WEll since i didn't buy the Amek/Tac 16:8:2 - was too noisy and 6 bad channels, I decided to buy a new console adn stop looking for old stuff. I've narrowed it down to either your XR20 or A&H GL2200/16. I've heard the Mixwizard 14/4/2 in action and it was very warm and lots of head room. I like analog warm sounds rather then crystal digital. So my main factor would be sound quality not features. Since I'm in Toronto - where no one actually caries Crest stuff, so no chance to listen to one, unless I order it and buy it or loose the deposit. Can someone tell me which one sound more warm fuller and less noisy and any other details. I'll be using it mostly for recording with my synthesizers through Motu 1224 and back from Motu 1224 to the mixer. I also plan on using it for live - when I learn enough and have about two hours of music (electronic stuff mostly Techno).

Cheers

[tyler657recpro]

The pre's in the crest are better. The EQ is better, and all the routing options are another great thing to have. I'm getting one. You should too. Also, keep in mind that the A&H is giving you 8 more channels, for the same price, and the one that would be comparable to the crest is the A&H mixwizard 16:2:d, and that costs half as much as the crest, so that gives you a little bit of an idea.

[Rubo4]

When you say better, can you be more specific. Is it warmer or more responsive. I don't need more then 16 channels, so even if I could get GL2200/24 fro the same price as XR20, I would still buy GL2200/16.

"Also, keep in mind that the A&H is giving you 8 more channels, for the same price, and the one that would be comparable to the crest is the A&H mixwizard 16:2:d, and that costs half as much as the crest, so that gives you a little bit of an idea." What do you mean by that?

[tyler657recpro]

What I was trying to say was, the A&H, costing half as much, for essentially the same thing, minus the subgroups on the crest, costs half as much, and using the logic of you get what you pay for, the allen-heath, and crest are in very different categories as far as quality goes. All of the components in the crest are going to be much higher quality. Although, it sounds like you may be looking for a warmer sounding board, which I believe the A-H is, but being a solid state, its not going to be THAT much warmer than the crest is, which will be more, what you put in, is what you get. If you are primarily recording in the studio, I would go with the crest, sacrificing the warmth of the A-H, and then buy like a PV-VMP2 tube pre(700), and or an HHB-Classic 80 tube pre(700), or a joemeek vc1q (500) (little less warm, more like the a&h pres), which would both give you that warmth that you seem to want, and then you'd still have the option to go with a very discrete preamp (but not digital still analogue), which you wouldn't be able to do with the allen and heath. You can't take away warmth, but you can add it later.

Now on the other hand, if you're doing mostly live sound, get the a&h, or maybe a soundcraft (less warmth), because would benefeit from the extra channels, unless you think 16 is enough, then get the crest. All the routing options on the crest make it alone worth it. And it LOOKS a hulluva lot cooler too!(doesn't really matter, but hey) The crest I assure you has tons of headroom, and will sound great! But so will the A&H.

It's pretty much what you want out of a mixer. And if you don't need more than 16 channels, why not get the allen-heath wz16, for 900 instead of the GL2200 for 1800?

[Rubo4]

Thanks fro the details. The problem is I don't have any money to buy a mixer plus a Tube. Also 16/2 model doesn't have any sub outs, and I need at least 4, so I can use them as my aux from 1224. I want to be able to control the plugin from the mixer's aux, that's why I need s many subs as I can get. I contacted Crest about anybody in Toronto who might carry these models, so I can listen to one in action. I also found Gl2200/16 for $1600 with S/H and Crest fro $1850 with free S/H, so ther is not much price range here. Do you know if the Crest is a modular where each channel can be taken out and the console would still work. Im leaning towards A&H now, since you tolsd me it's much warmer.

[Krakit]

I've been brushing with Crest my whole life. Arm & Hammer toothpaste sucks!

[tyler657recpro]

Rackmount mixers usually aren't modular, and I don't think that GL2200 is either. I'm sure you'll be happy with either one.