Old biamp mixer vs...?

N

nddhc

New member
I have a chance to get an old 1980s biamp 1624 mixer for $80. It is a 16 input, 16 direct output, 4 sub master mixer. I looked up posts here on this brand and people say theyre built nice and that Biamp made nice mixers until Mackie came into the picture

I need an inexpensive mixer to give me at least 8 preamps to use with my Delta 1010 (or future interfaces) and phantom power. This mixer has that and more..

It would also be nice to have something that will allow me to use it with an old 8 track reel to reel (still waiting for my "Lucky find" at a garage sale or something :D)

This mixer fits all those specs.. The only thing that I dont like about it is that it doesnt have a sweepable EQ. (EDIT - just found out it does have sweepable mids)

My only concern is that these mixers dont seem to have the best resale value. A couple auctions were on ebay of similar models with no bids...

Maybe I answered all my questions, but I dont know - do you think I should go for it? Or could I do better for that price?


Thanks!
 
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They were primarily built for live sound, and aren't the quietest mixers around. The electrolytic caps are probably at least 20 years old, which means you'll wind up with some really noisey (or non-working) channels soon.

I'd invest the money in a newer "economy" mixer if it was me.
 
I have to agree. I own an older 12 channel Biamp mixer and the resale value is almost non-existant. They were definitely designed for live use, and still will do that if needed...even at this age. You have to bear in mind how much things have changed - not only in technology, but also the price point of that technology. You can get an amazing amount of features and quality for one tenth of what it would cost for the same thing twenty years ago or less. Though $80 is a decent price for that board, I'm afraid you'll soon find it lacking a feature that you'll need for recording and want to upgrade. You may be better off saving a bit more $$ and buy something that will do the job you need it to do and more...not just something that will get you by.

One of my rules is to get more than you need, that way you won't be stuck compromising. You can find something more useful for not much more money. If you only need 8 channels, it shouldn't be a problem. But, the choice is yours. Don't let GAS get in your way (like I'm one to talk). ;) :D
 
You guys brought up some good points.

I mean theres a couple reasons im interested in it - The 16 preamps alone w/ phantom power I think can (somewhat) justify the price. I mean thats one of the main reasons I need a mixer is because my Delta 1010 doesnt have preamps.

For my limited budget right now (and it will stay limited for quite some time) the only other thing I could afford would be something like the Nady PR8 which gets terrible reviews

Also I figure it wouldnt hurt to have something "analog" in the chain (though $80 analog is hardly desireable for you purists ;) ) it might be nice to have something that can give me a little more grit

Oh no!!! im trying to justify why i want this :confused:
 
Do you have a mixer right now ?

If you do then continue to use it. If you dont, draw up your signal flow on paper and get an idea on how you would use this mixer to track and mix (if you are going to mix out of the box). I think that you would be foolish not to know how to run a mixer if you are planning on recording/producing music of some sort. Being good with an analog mixer develops a discipline that I find very helpful. Also eqs on every channel ? Forget about it. Whatever your broke but it is 80 bucks right? And if it doesnt work out offer the other guy 80 bucks for his.

Go there and plug it in and find the wack channels and such. You should hear the thing before buying it. But jeez, 80 bucks for 16 channels ? Its 5 bucks a channel and if you hear it you can tell if it is gonna suck or not for the most part.

And no. You wont resell it. Later on it will go to a buddy or the trash.

Good deals on kind of choice mixers. .. Not even CHOICE just budget choice start at 500. Mackie 8 buss are going on ebay for 500 and those surely arent choice. Figure out how you would hook it to your soundcard and go from there. Dont forget the cables will cost money too.


HA HA HA look at my rep! Better not take my word for it !
 
nddhc said:
I have a chance to get an old 1980s biamp 1624 mixer for $80. It is a 16 input, 16 direct output, 4 sub master mixer. I looked up posts here on this brand and people say theyre built nice and that Biamp made nice mixers until Mackie came into the picture

I need an inexpensive mixer to give me at least 8 preamps to use with my Delta 1010 (or future interfaces) and phantom power. This mixer has that and more..

It would also be nice to have something that will allow me to use it with an old 8 track reel to reel (still waiting for my "Lucky find" at a garage sale or something :D)

This mixer fits all those specs.. The only thing that I dont like about it is that it doesnt have a sweepable EQ. (EDIT - just found out it does have sweepable mids)

My only concern is that these mixers dont seem to have the best resale value. A couple auctions were on ebay of similar models with no bids...

Maybe I answered all my questions, but I dont know - do you think I should go for it? Or could I do better for that price?


Thanks!
Click to expand...

I had one long ago and it was a really crappy sounding mixer - and that was new - I would actually go with Behringer before a Bi-amp myself (as horrifying as it sounds).
 
You all made good points and ultimately talked me out of getting the mixer.

Thanks! :D
(my G.A.S. is cured) haha
 
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