Digital Mixer (up to 3.000 $)- thanks for your advice

[pablofuente]

Hi All
I want to change my beloved Allen & Heath ZED 12FX for a digital mixer. My main requests are:

- Studio use, not live gigs
- I need the best mic preamps for the money I can invest. I’ll be running 4 permanent xlr mics into the mixer, this number could be expanded to as many as 8 XLR inputs in some more extreme situations.
- MULTICHANNEL. I’ll want to record each XLR input and the skype feed / sound effects into its own track in my DAW. I also love the ability to record the show on an SD card or USB key.
- Studio use for recording my podcast (so ability to run mix-minus with Skype, Aux Send post-fader).
- Ability to record music from my synth/piano. My synth outputs are L and R 1/4" TS (unbalanced)
- I will use it as audio interface in my MacbookPro, I am searching for good quality conversion. I’ll be connecting the mixer to my laptop via USB and will have both skype callers and a sound board sending voice and sound from the PC into the mixer.
- Ability to connect 2 or even 3 external audio sources (Ipads and Iphones for effects and music)
- I’m expanding into video and plan to run an output from the mixer to a DLSR camera to add the fully mixed sound into the video recording. From everything I’ve read this will need to be an analog output ending with a 3.5mm input into the camera.
- I’ll also have the headphones output from the mixer running into a headphone amp to split the signal for all of our hosts in order to monitor as we record.
- Ease of use

Options I contemplate:

Midas M32R
Allen & Heath Chrome Edition Qu-16
Presonus Studiolive 16 series III
Behringer X32
Yamaha TF1

Thanks a lot

 

[witzendoz]

I've been thinking on how best to answer this thread, but after the last edit you did I think I know where you are going.

Have a look at a QSC touch mix, the Touchmix8 may be enough for you. It does not record directly into a DAW but onto a SSD drive plugged in direct. It's easy to transfer the files later or you can play back through the Touchmix later and mix with it. I have a Touchmix16 that I use for live gigs and often record the gigs for later listening or for sound tracks for video. By the way you can record every input and output to separate tracks and even the stereo mix all at the same time. The easy bit about the touchmix is that you don't need the computer to record.

I also own a Behringer x32 but have not used it to record as yet. The Behringer does have optional cards to let it record direct to SD card or Hard drive.

By the way the Touchmix8 will be well under budget.

Alan.

 

[pablofuente]

I've been thinking on how best to answer this thread, but after the last edit you did I think I know where you are going.

Have a look at a QSC touch mix, the Touchmix8 may be enough for you. It does not record directly into a DAW but onto a SSD drive plugged in direct. It's easy to transfer the files later or you can play back through the Touchmix later and mix with it. I have a Touchmix16 that I use for live gigs and often record the gigs for later listening or for sound tracks for video. By the way you can record every input and output to separate tracks and even the stereo mix all at the same time. The easy bit about the touchmix is that you don't need the computer to record.

I also own a Behringer x32 but have not used it to record as yet. The Behringer does have optional cards to let it record direct to SD card or Hard drive.

By the way the Touchmix8 will be well under budget.

Alan.

Thanks a lot. The only issue I have...I love physical faders!!!

 

[Gtoboy]

I have a Qu32 so i'm a little biased but i can honestly say that every one of the mixers you have listed will work perfectly-but the workflows are different in each . This is the kind of purchase that I'm afraid is best made after a hands on demo , though each of these has a manual online that can be downloaded and studied to give you a basic idea of what you will be working with.

 

[witzendoz]

Thanks a lot. The only issue I have...I love physical faders!!!

I understand that comment fully LOL, but I sacrificed the faders in this case for ease of set up. The reason I also bought a X32 for larger shows was that fact it did have faders which for a large show was something I felt was needed.

In regards to the Allen and Heath QU mixers, I have mixed on these a lot at venues and really like them, the only reason the Behringer x32 won over the QU was that I picked up a secondhand X32 for a stupid low price.

Alan.