good console to start out with.

[trax]

What is a good console to start out with that has about 20 inputs.
I'm going to use it for recording.

[Michael Jones]

Originally posted by trax
What is a good console to start out with that has about 20 inputs.
I'm going to use it for recording.

Tell me something about your system:
What type of gear do you have now?
How are you currently recording?
What are you going to record?
How many output busses will you require?
Do you need an analog mixer?
Or a digital mixer?
Do you need motorized faders?
Do you need Midi Machine Control?
Will you use its mike pre's?
Or outboard mike pre's?
Or both?
What's your budget?

Just a few questions that may help in recommending a mixer for you.

[trax]

I need a analog console.My budget is 300$ to350$.

[jake-owa]

The Alesis studio 24 is a decent cheap board if you find a nice used one. I personally would scour ebay for a good 80's TASCAM and plan on doing some maintenence.

[JPickman]

Panasonics Pro Audio Division made some decent sounding consoles under the Ramsa Name, you can get some of them pretty cheap these days. I have a 16 channel for sale, but it is too heavy too ship.....Only reason I am selling is because I have a Matchless also. But some of them are reaaly nice for a low priced console (back in the 80s the one I have went for $7,000). I think they sound a lot better than a lot of the stuff out today for that you can by-it blows a 1604lz away. they do require more maintanence though.


-PickMan

[Tonio]

Jpickman,
Which model Ramsa do you have. I may be interested.
Also
What the heck is a Matchless?

[trax]

What is the cheapest console that has motorized faders.

[jake-owa]

Yamaha O2R I believe.

[Michael Jones]

Originally posted by trax
What is the cheapest console that has motorized faders.

Yamaha O1V, actually.
They sell for about $800 or so on e-bay now-a-days.
Sometimes more, sometimes less....

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by JPickman
Panasonics Pro Audio Division made some decent sounding consoles under the Ramsa Name, you can get some of them pretty cheap these days. I have a 16 channel for sale, but it is too heavy too ship.....Only reason I am selling is because I have a Matchless also. But some of them are reaaly nice for a low priced console (back in the 80s the one I have went for $7,000). I think they sound a lot better than a lot of the stuff out today for that you can by-it blows a 1604lz away. they do require more maintanence though.


-PickMan

Word!

I have a Ramsa WR-T820B...with the 100 mm MRP faders...sweet, smooth and not cheap. Ive be seing these used for about $1300. The non B models are about $750.
20 channels.

SoMm

[jake-owa]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
Yamaha O1V, actually.
They sell for about $800 or so on e-bay now-a-days.
Sometimes more, sometimes less....

That was my first guess...I never trust my first instinct.

[Shockwave]

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...h/d=tp?q=dps24

Get this and you never have to buy again. It has a very friendly user interface. It will be easy to use up front, and hold you when your ability grows.

Dan

[trax]

Is there there anyway that you can record with a analog mixer without hooking it up to a computer.

[c7sus]

A 2-inch 24 track tape deck would do that nicely................

[DDev]

There are numerous ways to record through an analog mixer without using a computer. As C7 mentioned, a 2" tape deck will do nicely, but you can also do it with standalone hard disk recorders (aka Alesis HD24, Mackie SDR24/96, Fostex D2424LV, etc. which are all 24 track machines under $2k), or you can build up 8 tracks at a time on digital tape format with ADATs or the Tascam MDMs. You could also go with a used 16 track tape deck.

Hope this is useful.

Darryl.....

[sjoko2]

Originally posted by c7sus
A 2-inch 24 track tape deck would do that nicely................

very nicely indeed ))))))

[Dethska]

How does the Alesis Studio 24 stack up against Soundcraft, Mackie, and others? I own the Studio 24 and am wondering if I should consider upgrading or not. I've never used anything else, so I'm curious if it's worth the time and money to upgrade.

[MikeA]

A TAC Matchless was a board built in the 80's by Amek. Not bad for a semi-pro board. They competed along the same lines with Tascam consoles. I worked a few sessions in Nashville at a demo studio that had just traded up to a Trident 80 series. It was a quantum leap in performance according to them but then you aren't comparing apples and apples there either. Check out the picture if I can get it to attach and not bitch...

[Sen]

Originally posted by sjoko2
very nicely indeed ))))))

or a 2" 16 tracker.....even nicer

[Tonio]

Hey thanks for the pic Mike!
Ok TAC Matchless, I guess that would be a step up from Tascam.
ahem depending on what model.

T

Originally posted by MikeA
A TAC Matchless was a board built in the 80's by Amek. Not bad for a semi-pro board. They competed along the same lines with Tascam consoles. I worked a few sessions in Nashville at a demo studio that had just traded up to a Trident 80 series. It was a quantum leap in performance according to them but then you aren't comparing apples and apples there either. Check out the picture if I can get it to attach and not bitch...

[keilson]

for $300-350 you're not gonna find anything with motorized faders. Do you already have a computer? What equipment do you own now?

[frederic]

Originally posted by Michael Jones
Yamaha O1V, actually.
They sell for about $800 or so on e-bay now-a-days.
Sometimes more, sometimes less....

Another option (if I may) is the TMD-4000 by Tascam. Though discontinued, they have the neat feature that they can be cascaded ((up to four) thus making a 128-ch console if you can find four of them.

Typically on e-bay they are 1000 to 1500 depending on how many interface cards they have.

As long as you have low expectations for the automation software, the mixers are very good actually.