Which is the best Digital Mixer for the Price???

[pisces7378]

I am in the market for a nice digital Mixer. It will be the centerpiece of a semi-pro studio (Basically a Home studio on anabolic-steroids that I might charge people to use from time to time.) Basically the money isn't the issue (well, not terribly, but I can definitly not afford one of those Solid State Logic jobs with achres of knobs).

I am looking for a good Digital Mixer and here are the mixers that I have been looking at are the following...

Sony DMX-R100
Mackie D8B (w/o the Free stuff offer)
Yamaha 02R
Yamaha DM2000
Tascam DM24
Soundcraft 328X

Now, I wanted to ask you guys what you thought was the best desk for the money. I have been looking particularly at the Sony DMX-R100 but I imagine that it is VERY expensive.
I am having a bit of a problem locating a dealer in the US as well as pricing information. I found that they are going for around 10,000 British Pounds Stirling, but I could not find a single online dealer with a quote in US$.

What do you guys think? Which is the best desk for the money?

 

[SPINSTERWUN]

What is your budget, pisces7378?

 

[sjoko2]

Budget that was a good question.......

The basic price for the Sony is $20.000, but in addition, depending on your recording media, you'd need to purchase one or more I/O options. I should mention that you really cannot compare it to any of the other consoles in your list, as it is firmly in a different league. Without question the best sounding small frame digital console, with floating point processing.

The D8B is a good console, but by now outdated and, regardless of whatever Mackie claims (and pending class lawsuits as a result), it will give you 16 bit quality and NO more.

Perhaps you should also consider a Pro Tool HD system with a Control 24, which is in my opinion the most complete "ready-to-go" system on the market today.

 

[pisces7378]

Where is a good website for buying ProTools HD systems online? I would like to put some pricing together.

My budget for the whole studio is around $15,000 but for that I need to have...

SoundCard Core System (MOTU, ProTools HD, etc.)
Audio Interface (Motu 2408mkII, or ProTools 96 [don't need the 192])
Mixing console (Mackie d8b, ProTools Control 24)
2x Near field monitors (Mackie 824, or 624s)

I will have an Apple dual CPU PowerMac G4 (The price of this should not be considered in the $15,000 budget as it will already be mine.)

I have, up until now been thinking of any way around having to go to ProTools because I don't agree with their politics (they spend more on marketing and making their products seem slick and state of the art than they do on actual R&D).... But after I have bought a Mackie d8b, a MOTU 2408, w/ my Apple, there are just so many company's envolved. I would like to have a total solution from one company and it be solid and give me as few headaches as possible. Plus after I have bought the D8B and all that other stuff I could probably have just kicked in a little more $$$ and had the ProTools set up I have always dreamed of.

Any place where I can see some realistic prices for ProTools gear?

Mike

 

[sjoko2]

http://www.digidesign.com
you can find your local dealers on the digidesign website.

I don't think you can justify your comments regarding digi spending more on ...etc. Pro Tools is the industry standard software, it didn't get there without good reason and it keeps developing at a good rate.

If you do go the Pro Tools way. don't forget that Pro Tools only uses one processor, so you'd be better off with a faster processor, single G4 (I have a dual - running on one only)