Analog Mixer - Please Help

L

louloomis

New member
Hi. I want to buy an analog mixer to use for recording with my PC.

I have used firewire standalone interfaces, etc. and I want to go back to using an analog mixer. I only need to record 2 tracks simultaneously, while also monitoring through the analog mixer what's already been recorded and what I am currently recording.

I have an analog mixer now but it demands that I use the Aux sends to send a signal to the soundcard on my PC. I don't want to do this nor do I want to use the inserts, etc.

What I want is a mixer I can use where I can leave everything plugged in and just press a button to route whatever channel(s) I want to an output for recording...while still monitoring through the mixer.

I know the newer Mackies have the "Alt 3-4" bus thing which does this, but I am concerned about build and sound quality. I'd rather go with a different brand.

Does anyone know what mixers (short of much more expensive "real" 4 bus mixers) nowadays can provide for the requirements I have?

Thanks,
LL
 
Are you looking for a totally analog desk? The ideal setup would probably be to go for a analog desk with Firewire/USB connectivity. You therefore also don't even need a dedicated soundcard. I know a few brands depending on your budget - Alesis and Yamaha make some firewire desks and if you wanna splash I think I saw an Allen&heath too.
 
Hi. Yeah....I'm really looking for a totally analog desk. I think that I'd rather keep any interface-related hardware separate from the mixer.

Thanks,
LL
 
The older Mackie 1202-VLZs are solid and produce quite decent results. I think all but the oldest 1202s, including pre-VLZ have the Alt 3-4 buss. I looked on eBay for a while for exactly what you are describing. I kept getting outbid on the Mackies and then I decided to get a Mixer with a 'sound'. I found a Soundcraft 200B 8ch. I love it. It has 4 busses plus a main mix, control room out, 4 auxes, 8 returns, switchable phantom for each input and if you get the good input modules, they have 4-band EQs with 2 sweepable mids - the basic input modules are 4-band, all fixed freq. They sound good too. The faders are big and feel great, like a real board. The 200B as opposed to the 200 is wired pin-2 hot, like standard XLR. The 200 is reverse.

The thing is it is huge, but fully modular. External power supply and 4 VUs. I can record to the computer by sending to the 3-4 buss. And the computer plays back through a return, so it will never accidentally be routed back to the 3-4 buss and make a feedback loop.

Soundcraft also makes a newer mixer in two flavors, compact 4 and 10 I think. I considered the 10 bacause it has all the right routing options. It just calls everything by a different name to make it 'simple', but I know just enough to make that harder to understand. It seems to use their lowest level preamps about which I've heard no one comment at all. So I went with the minorly legendary 200B.

They also come in 16 and 24 channel versions.

Good luck.
 
This is really helpful. Thank you very much.

I'm a big Soundcraft fan actually and also have been debating getting a 200B for the very reasons you outlined. I am just a bit concerned about the power supply for it since they seem to be getting more and more rare each month.

In terms of that new compact series you mentioned...I'm starting to hear good things about it (since I posted the question that began this thread).

I hope you enjoy your rig and thanks again.

I'm still hungering for that Soundcraft as I used to work on a 16 ch. (I believe it was 16 ch.) 200B way back when.

Thanks,
LL
 
Glad to help.

There's a $400 16 channel with sweepable mids on the Philadelphia Craigslist that's been driving me crazy. I only just bought mine recently, and I don't have room for 2 let alone the 16 anyway, but...

I have the manual for the 200B (available on Souncraft's web site) and the full schematics, which are no longer available on the Soundcraft site if you get one and ever need them.

Everyone on the boards seems to be of the opinion that you need to recap the 200Bs and their power supplies by now. I've been thninking about doing it - I had to repair one of the group outputs when I got it, so I thought I should try it. Mine sounds really nice, though, so I'm not in an extreme hurry to do anything just yet.
 
Thanks, you know I saw that one on the Philly Craigslist! Makes me drool......

Yeah, I hear you about the cap job. I know it's a different animal, but I spent good money to have an amp re-capped and when I got it back it was and remains truly a mindblowing difference. However, it's a big production to do all that with a mixer I'm sure.

Thanks again.

Enjoy,
LL
 
You can't go wrong with soundcraft! I am running the bottom of the line EPM range and still is amazing compared to a behringer even twice as costly.

Would love to own a 200B.
 
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