Are you looking for the 24 channels of ADAT to go between the mixer and the HD24, or the HD24 and a computer? I ask because the converters on the HD24 and HD24 come well regarded, and I wouldn't think you'd need to upgrade the converstion from the mixer, at least not until you have a lot of other things in place.
Best Mixer For HD24 Rig?
- Thread starter bileshake
- Start date
bileshake
Member
I just want to use adat from the HD24 to the mixer for mixing. I'm trying to keep computers out of this until they are really needed. Alot of project studio level boards I see that have adat I/O are full blown digital mixers with all the MIDI control bells and whistles I'm not looking for, I'd kinda want to mix audio with it.
Like this ATB16 from Toft audio, in the video he talks about adat I/O for the expansion bays in the back. That would be perfect but the board isn't on the market yet so who knows what the price will look like.
http://www.toftaudiodesigns.com/atb.html
cheers
Like this ATB16 from Toft audio, in the video he talks about adat I/O for the expansion bays in the back. That would be perfect but the board isn't on the market yet so who knows what the price will look like.
http://www.toftaudiodesigns.com/atb.html
cheers
The HD24 does have analog I/O, so all using external ADAT conversion would do would be to upgrade your convertors, and you'd probably have to spend a pretty good sum to get 24 channels of ADA that are significantly better than the stock convertors on the HD24. I'm just not sure why you want to use external conversion, that's all.
I really like my Spirit 328 with the HD24. It only has 16 channels of digital inputs, though, so you'd have to bring the last eight channels in via analog. Still, it's a very good match for the HD24 and a very powerful tool in its own right. It's also much more intuitive than most digital mixers. There are very few functions that require you to go into a menu - most of what you need is right there on the main panel. Good EQ and mic pres, also a built-in Lexicon unit.
Unfortunately, it appears that Spirit has stopped making them. That probably means a good price if you can find one, but it may not be an easy find at this point.
Unfortunately, it appears that Spirit has stopped making them. That probably means a good price if you can find one, but it may not be an easy find at this point.
I use my Soundtracs MX "Custom"... 36/8/2 (plus 4 matrix). It deos everything, but they're as rare as hen's teeth and you need to have a lot of time on your hands to bring them back to life (Had mine 2 years and only jsut ready to close up the last 4 channel strips...)
Xstatic mentioned the Venice... I'm not a big fan of them... cheap chinese gear with a Midas label... (same with the Verona and the Sienna). But, without the money to spend on something bigger, they're OK I guess (although the aux section does leave a bit to be desired, and they don't handle heat too well- you'll blow the thing up if you use it above aobut 40 degrees). Whilst we're on the topic of Midas, they are looking to release a set of dig boards later this year, and, in keeping with their Venice/Verona/Heritage way of thinking, they're releasing three lines- a uber-high end that will cost trillions (well, probably US$300,000), a mid-range one and then a "budget" version which will fill the market for Venice-size dig consoles. Probably going to cost a bit, but it might warrant a bit of watching by people like us...
any console with 24 ch of ADAT pipe is going to cost a bit. A O1V-24 has got 8 ADAT channels I/O (2 pipes) and costs around $2k US. In the price-range of hte Onyx 1640, you're much better off looking an analouge over a dig.
It might also be worthwhile looking into getting the DA/AD converter upgrade from Alesis. They soudns pretty good (although I bought an XR striaght up, so I can't give you a comparison, sorry).
Anyway, I guess any of the consoles mentioned here would be good... teh Ghosts are good fun, as are the old Soundcraft Studio series- i stupidly let one of those go for a song last year (I had a rough couple of months and couldn't afford to keep two 24-track consoles, and the Soundtracs wasn't ready for sale at the time).
I also am a big fan of the A&H GL series, a 2200 would probably suit you, although it's only 4-bus, but with 4-band on every channel and 6 aux mixes, plus the whole "swap group/aux" thing, it's a bit of fun, espically if you're planning on recording anything live
Well... that was a long way around tosaying "just buy what everyone else said to buy)
Xstatic mentioned the Venice... I'm not a big fan of them... cheap chinese gear with a Midas label... (same with the Verona and the Sienna). But, without the money to spend on something bigger, they're OK I guess (although the aux section does leave a bit to be desired, and they don't handle heat too well- you'll blow the thing up if you use it above aobut 40 degrees). Whilst we're on the topic of Midas, they are looking to release a set of dig boards later this year, and, in keeping with their Venice/Verona/Heritage way of thinking, they're releasing three lines- a uber-high end that will cost trillions (well, probably US$300,000), a mid-range one and then a "budget" version which will fill the market for Venice-size dig consoles. Probably going to cost a bit, but it might warrant a bit of watching by people like us...
any console with 24 ch of ADAT pipe is going to cost a bit. A O1V-24 has got 8 ADAT channels I/O (2 pipes) and costs around $2k US. In the price-range of hte Onyx 1640, you're much better off looking an analouge over a dig.
It might also be worthwhile looking into getting the DA/AD converter upgrade from Alesis. They soudns pretty good (although I bought an XR striaght up, so I can't give you a comparison, sorry).
Anyway, I guess any of the consoles mentioned here would be good... teh Ghosts are good fun, as are the old Soundcraft Studio series- i stupidly let one of those go for a song last year (I had a rough couple of months and couldn't afford to keep two 24-track consoles, and the Soundtracs wasn't ready for sale at the time).
I also am a big fan of the A&H GL series, a 2200 would probably suit you, although it's only 4-bus, but with 4-band on every channel and 6 aux mixes, plus the whole "swap group/aux" thing, it's a bit of fun, espically if you're planning on recording anything live
Well... that was a long way around tosaying "just buy what everyone else said to buy)
Well, we all have a right to our opinions. However, I disagree completely with cpl's take on the Midas line. I have owned 4 Venices and 2 Verona's now. All of my Midas's have been repeatedly exposed to 100 degree plus heat for periods of several days and never skipped a beat. I even had one of the first venices that ended up having a problem with a specific batch of pots. Midas service replaced every pot like that in the whole console for free, even though I was 2 months past my three year warranty. Other than that, those are the only problems I have had with the Venice consoles. I am going to be sending in a section out of my Verona for repairs, but honestly I am amazed that it held up as well as it did given what happened to it. I was at a show where we got a fast heavy rain storm along with a nice little Microburst of wind. To make a long story short, the console was tarped and had an EZup tent over it. The rain filled the top of the EZ up, and then a big burst of wind shifted the tarp. The EZ up got too full with water and a generous portion was dumped right into the vents on the side of the console. End result? I still got the headliner on stage, and now channel 1 is flaky. What I thought was going to be the result when seeing what happened? Total loss.
Now I agree that the venice is no XL4, but it also doesn't cost $125,000+. Neither does the Verona or the Sienna. I also haven't heard a new console that sounds as good as a Venice for less than probably $20000. Not bad considering I only paid $3600 for my Venice 320's.
Now I agree that the venice is no XL4, but it also doesn't cost $125,000+. Neither does the Verona or the Sienna. I also haven't heard a new console that sounds as good as a Venice for less than probably $20000. Not bad considering I only paid $3600 for my Venice 320's.
Fark, maybe I just have had a bad run with the boards... but then again getting water in your vents isn't the best of luck either...
I'll also agree that the midas service team is incredible, and being in the US I would imagine that it would be even better.
And yes, they do sound good striaght out of the box, but every venice that I have touched has had at least one of the pres out of service (And I swear, it waasn't me...), plus the lack of aux routing bugs me and the master section just seems poorly laid out... As for heat, well, that's a different matter I suppose, there's a lot of factors that go into blowing up a PSU, and a lot of the time the fuse/protection will save you from the worst of it (and it happens to the bigger baords as well... The other day we lost an XL3 PSU, an O1V shut down repeatedly, and our FOH drive rack burnt you if you tried to alter any of the delay settings...)
The Veronas aren't too bad, although out here they appear to be taking the place of some of the better boards on bigger gigs, and, as an analouge console, the Sienna is great for monitors. My main gripe is with the Venice; it just seems like a board designed for the niche corporate market- something that looks really good and sounds OK, but doesn't have the flexibility of a true studio/FOH desk.
But, as you said, each to his own opinion... and I also suppose that, in its price range, the Venice is going to look pretty good. Remember in the case of the HD24, you're only mixing 24 line channels, so the mic pres in the board aren't going to help you out that much.
Just my thoughts on the Venice... I really can't wait to see these dig boards from Midas though
I'll also agree that the midas service team is incredible, and being in the US I would imagine that it would be even better.
And yes, they do sound good striaght out of the box, but every venice that I have touched has had at least one of the pres out of service (And I swear, it waasn't me...), plus the lack of aux routing bugs me and the master section just seems poorly laid out... As for heat, well, that's a different matter I suppose, there's a lot of factors that go into blowing up a PSU, and a lot of the time the fuse/protection will save you from the worst of it (and it happens to the bigger baords as well... The other day we lost an XL3 PSU, an O1V shut down repeatedly, and our FOH drive rack burnt you if you tried to alter any of the delay settings...)
The Veronas aren't too bad, although out here they appear to be taking the place of some of the better boards on bigger gigs, and, as an analouge console, the Sienna is great for monitors. My main gripe is with the Venice; it just seems like a board designed for the niche corporate market- something that looks really good and sounds OK, but doesn't have the flexibility of a true studio/FOH desk.
But, as you said, each to his own opinion... and I also suppose that, in its price range, the Venice is going to look pretty good. Remember in the case of the HD24, you're only mixing 24 line channels, so the mic pres in the board aren't going to help you out that much.
Just my thoughts on the Venice... I really can't wait to see these dig boards from Midas though
I guess it all depends on how you look at it. Out of four or so Venices, I have yet to have a preamp go out on me. They have all worked flawlessly until one one console an aux send went flaky. Thats when I called the service guys. Thats also when I found out about the pot problem. They told me that whenever one of the bad run boards comes in, they blindly replace all of the affected pots, not just the ones that do not work. All for free no less (minus one way shipping).
If you look at the Venice and compare it feature wise and even layout wise to the other Midas consoles, it really does look bad. Only 4 busses, only 6 auxes, only two of which are switchable pre/post, phantom buttons on back (which for a small console I have come to like so you never have to worry about accidentally pressing it), and no pad or phase reverse. To the Venice's credit though, they did put a phantom light on each channel so you can quickly ID the phantomed channels, they actually put a studio out section, and faders on the 2 FX returns and mon sends.
However, the two things that to me the Venice one of the best values on the market are....
1) It still sounds like a Midas. The preamps have PLENTY of gain, they aren't noisy, and the EQ still feels like the Midas EQ.
2) They are WAY cheaper than the other Midas consoles. A 24 channel Venice is less than 1/4 the cost of a Verona, and about 1/20 the cost of a Heritage, and about 1/30 the cost of an XL4.
In the end, the Venice was designed to do exactly what it does. If you expect it to more than you will be disappointed. However, it would be pretty unrealistic to expect something to do more than it does and stay in that price range. Thats why the Verona and Sienna's were even invented. The Venice was so succesful that it opened Midas's eyes to the need for a standard featured large format FOH console in an affordable price range.
The other thing I love about my Venice's is that even in a road case I can put them in the back seat of my car and load them in and out of venues myself.
If you look at the Venice and compare it feature wise and even layout wise to the other Midas consoles, it really does look bad. Only 4 busses, only 6 auxes, only two of which are switchable pre/post, phantom buttons on back (which for a small console I have come to like so you never have to worry about accidentally pressing it), and no pad or phase reverse. To the Venice's credit though, they did put a phantom light on each channel so you can quickly ID the phantomed channels, they actually put a studio out section, and faders on the 2 FX returns and mon sends.
However, the two things that to me the Venice one of the best values on the market are....
1) It still sounds like a Midas. The preamps have PLENTY of gain, they aren't noisy, and the EQ still feels like the Midas EQ.
2) They are WAY cheaper than the other Midas consoles. A 24 channel Venice is less than 1/4 the cost of a Verona, and about 1/20 the cost of a Heritage, and about 1/30 the cost of an XL4.
In the end, the Venice was designed to do exactly what it does. If you expect it to more than you will be disappointed. However, it would be pretty unrealistic to expect something to do more than it does and stay in that price range. Thats why the Verona and Sienna's were even invented. The Venice was so succesful that it opened Midas's eyes to the need for a standard featured large format FOH console in an affordable price range.
The other thing I love about my Venice's is that even in a road case I can put them in the back seat of my car and load them in and out of venues myself.
P
Phyl
Guest
I've nothing to add to the thread other than I just finished installing my Midas Venice 320 and have started to play around with it.
No problems so far, it sounds great. I wish there was a tutorial on how to best use all the fx, aux, group, etc busses. I get a headache every time I try to puzzle through it.
I contacted the Midas service team over the holidays because the left end panel was damaged during shipping. They're sending me a new one for free.
No problems so far, it sounds great. I wish there was a tutorial on how to best use all the fx, aux, group, etc busses. I get a headache every time I try to puzzle through it.
I contacted the Midas service team over the holidays because the left end panel was damaged during shipping. They're sending me a new one for free.
P
Phyl
Guest
Cool - thanks.
audiofreqs
New member
bileshake said:
looks like you have a legitimate problem.
chris-from-ky
New member
There's a pretty big discussion going on about this board on gearslutz.com. I think I read that the board will cost around $3K.bileshake said:
Except the Spirit 328 that I mentioned earlier in the thread. It has a few menus, but nearly every important function is accessible from the main panel controls. That's one of the things I love about it.bileshake said:
I know I'm gonna catch hell for this but I use a MX9000 with my HD24 - it is phenomenal.
It is clean, it has all the eq per channel I need, and works perfectly.
I put it in a good case (Keal Cases here in Austin - cost almost as much as the console) - I haul it around and do really good stuff - IMO.
I work at home with it as well. I no longer use my Mackie 1604 VLZ pro.
OK, it's not a NEVE - actually he lives nearby - he was quoted as liking the 24/8 Mackie and I believe Uri copied that directly for the MX series. Man, it works great for me.
I like the Mackie - but it has only 8 Direct out and no A/B switch.
I bought an Alesis Studio 32 - but that has serious problems!!! Be afraid!
Sorry everybody, the Behringer works great for me. Paid a grand for it new.
Been doin' this for a VERY long time, I turn 59 next week - started pro live stuff in 1968 - had a Soundcraft in 1974.
It is clean, it has all the eq per channel I need, and works perfectly.
I put it in a good case (Keal Cases here in Austin - cost almost as much as the console) - I haul it around and do really good stuff - IMO.
I work at home with it as well. I no longer use my Mackie 1604 VLZ pro.
OK, it's not a NEVE - actually he lives nearby - he was quoted as liking the 24/8 Mackie and I believe Uri copied that directly for the MX series. Man, it works great for me.
I like the Mackie - but it has only 8 Direct out and no A/B switch.
I bought an Alesis Studio 32 - but that has serious problems!!! Be afraid!
Sorry everybody, the Behringer works great for me. Paid a grand for it new.
Been doin' this for a VERY long time, I turn 59 next week - started pro live stuff in 1968 - had a Soundcraft in 1974.