I'm in need of a decent mic pre strip, but short of the DMP3 or the Octane, there isn't a whole lot to be had (aside from the berry ADA8K, but i try to contain my laughter).
I currently have a Motu 828mkII which I use quite happily, only my band and I are starting to do some more recordings. Now, I'd like to get something primarily for me so I'm not limited to 2 mic pre's, but having additional flexibility (like being able to be used in live shows) is a big bonus.
I've been looking primarily at the Mackie 1642 VLZ Pro. For the price (MF: $600), it's hard to beat, especially given that -
A) 8 of the 10 preamp channels have a direct out that I can feed to my 828mkII.
and B) It's a 16ch mixer (8 of which are stereo), that I can use at live shows.
I, personally, have had really good experiences with Mackie. I was trained on a Mackie 24x8, and loved every minute of it. A friend of mine has a 1202 VLZ he uses for his recording work, and produces very fine results with it (he also has a couple of ADK mics, which contributes a lot, I know). My engineer, however, says that the people he work with avoid Mackie like the plague, as they tend to make things sound like cardboard.
I have to admit, I've never sat down and tried out a Mackie board head to head with another. I've used other boards (Yamaha, Yorkville, Alesis, a few others) during shows, and they've always worked well, but I've been performing rather than sitting and listening, and they've never been put up against a Mackie.
I've looked at Allen and Heath boards, and I like what I see, especially the PA12 or PA20. The PA20 is a bit higher than I planned on spending (i'm budgeting around $750). The PA12 is perfect for me personally, but isn't so great for live usage, as we tend to use 16 channels on a board. They're a bit higher priced (but i'm willing to save a little and pay a bit more for quality - i do want it in the next few weeks, however).
So - has anybody sat down and compared an A+H and a Mackie? Anyone happen to have both an A+H and a Mackie sitting next to each other they could do a couple of takes on and send over? Or just general experience they could share? I'd appreciate any insights you guys have.
I currently have a Motu 828mkII which I use quite happily, only my band and I are starting to do some more recordings. Now, I'd like to get something primarily for me so I'm not limited to 2 mic pre's, but having additional flexibility (like being able to be used in live shows) is a big bonus.
I've been looking primarily at the Mackie 1642 VLZ Pro. For the price (MF: $600), it's hard to beat, especially given that -
A) 8 of the 10 preamp channels have a direct out that I can feed to my 828mkII.
and B) It's a 16ch mixer (8 of which are stereo), that I can use at live shows.
I, personally, have had really good experiences with Mackie. I was trained on a Mackie 24x8, and loved every minute of it. A friend of mine has a 1202 VLZ he uses for his recording work, and produces very fine results with it (he also has a couple of ADK mics, which contributes a lot, I know). My engineer, however, says that the people he work with avoid Mackie like the plague, as they tend to make things sound like cardboard.
I have to admit, I've never sat down and tried out a Mackie board head to head with another. I've used other boards (Yamaha, Yorkville, Alesis, a few others) during shows, and they've always worked well, but I've been performing rather than sitting and listening, and they've never been put up against a Mackie.
I've looked at Allen and Heath boards, and I like what I see, especially the PA12 or PA20. The PA20 is a bit higher than I planned on spending (i'm budgeting around $750). The PA12 is perfect for me personally, but isn't so great for live usage, as we tend to use 16 channels on a board. They're a bit higher priced (but i'm willing to save a little and pay a bit more for quality - i do want it in the next few weeks, however).
So - has anybody sat down and compared an A+H and a Mackie? Anyone happen to have both an A+H and a Mackie sitting next to each other they could do a couple of takes on and send over? Or just general experience they could share? I'd appreciate any insights you guys have.
