MikeDMusic said:
If so what mixer? I was looking at the Mackie 1642vlz pro...I was under the impression that Mackie was a highly respected manufacturer but I've heard bad things about the mic pre's and the eq in the mixer.
Mike
Well, with everything it's subject to opinion. If you are talking Professional Recording Studio I'm not sure it makes much of a difference (I'm talking 24 channels or more consoles), although some people will prefer one over the other.
Mackie Mixers (in the 1642VLZ category) are better than say
Behringer, Alesis, ART, Korg, several others and even perhaps Yamaha.
Mackie Mixers are not better than say Allen and Heath. Some people will argue that Soundcraft mixers are much better, I would agree with that statment with a caveat. Yes, Soundcraft mixers are better than mackie if you are talking before the Spirit line came out.
Now, when I talk about better I'm talking about the quality of the signal going through the mixer, and the quality of the pre-amps. If you weigh quality in how many features a mixer will give you for the price, then Alesis & Behringer mixers are the best bang for your buck and a much better mixer than say a Mackie.
This is just my opinion, and I'm not talking about mixing consoles, I'm talking about homestudio mixers (16 channels or less). I don't think you can go wrong with a 1642VLZ, I just bought
a 1402VLZ for myself this past weekend.
I also own a Yamaha MG10/2, but the Mackie has slightly better Pres than the Yamaha. If you can get a chance to A/B a mixer at a store, then do so. You will find you will make your own opinion on the subject. Testing a mixer at the store will not give you an full indication on how it will sound with your recording chain, but it will give you an idea (based on similar conditions) which mixer you prefer.
Good luck, and happy shopping.
