Best Mixing Board For Analog Home Studio

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Derrick111

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Hello, I want to get opinions on the best mixing board for my home 8 track reel to reel studio. I record mostly rock (both light and hard), as well as some acoustic instruments. I like big, solid, proffesional, quality sounds, as well as raw, low fi sounds. I always heard things like this or that board from the early 80s sounds great. OK, what are some of the sleeper boards to look for? It looks like Makee boards are fine and all, but the name is just a bunch of hype and it is possable to get older boards which are better sounding and cheeper. What are the great, cheap boards I should look for?
Thanks to all!!
 
Soundcraft M series if you want the Ghost like sound for less money and only need 16 channels
 
The Mackie name is not a lot of hype, they make some good mixers for the money and basically revolutionized the home studio mixer market. There are better mixers out there, but you will pay more for them.

It should be noted that there reasons *not* to buy used mixers, especially sight unseen. Lots and lots of little parts to worry about! Faders, knobs, buttons, audio I/O jacks. There can be problems with all of the above. It is very possible to buy a used mixer and need to send it to be refurbished to be able to use it. So proceed with lots of caution regarding used mixers.

There are a number of analog mixers you can buy new that are quite nice. Soundcraft makes some, and there's the Midas Venice series too. The Venice 160 might be right for you. Also, in spite of what people have apparently told you about the Mackie name, the new Onyx series is certainly worth a look. Excellent work can be done on the 1604 compact series as well, don't buy into the overly positive hype *or* the overly negative hype.
 
Thanks for all of the replies. Well, I hear people tell me all the time that it is possable to get a better sound out of some old Tascam then Mackie. This makes me wonder about all the old mixers out there. Must be some sleepers. I am good with electronics so basic servicing is no problem for an oler mixer.
So what are the models and cost to buy some of these mixers you guys recomend (which Gohst, which tascam, etc.)?? I'll Google the Venice 160. Any others?
THANKS!
 
A lot of this depends on your budget. You could look for an old Trident Fleximix if you want that classic "british" sound. The new Midas Venice will sound incredible and will knock the sox off the new Soundcraft stuff. If you want a nicer sounding Soundcraft though you could look at the series 200, 400, or 600. Those are the cheaper of the soundcraft's that really still have some of the "Soundcraft" sound that people talk about. Older Allen Heath consoles have a nice warm sound to them as well. If you really have some money, you could get into a little 12 channel Neve console, or maybe an older 4 bus API. There are tons of really cool options if you want an older used console, but the new console options are very limited nowadays. The cheapest decent sound is going to be a Soundcraft M series, the new Mackie Onyx (sounds and fells VERY different from the old VLZ crap), and then either a yamaha MG, or an Allen Heath Mix Wiz. If the board needs to be a little bigger you could look at a Soundcraft Ghost, which sounds decent and has some actual studio features. If it needs to be new though and you are after pure sound quality, nothing is going to touch the preamps and the EQ's on a Midas Venice until you spend about $15000 or more. Tough call eh?
 
Yep, a used Soundcraft works pretty darn well. The preamps are very clean and detailed. The EQs very workable.
 
Used look at older Soundcraft, Soundtracs or Allen & heath they're going for a pittance these days and all very servicable
 
Funny, I never considered the older Soundcrafts to be clean and detailed at all. They were known for being warm and smooth. My D&R is know for being clean and detailed.

If you live in the US, Soundcraft and Allen Heath will be much easier to service than Soundtracs.
 
xstatic said:
If you live in the US, Soundcraft and Allen Heath will be much easier to service than Soundtracs.
Click to expand...


I don't know about the Soundcraft of A&H but my Soundtracs is modular and there are a few places on the east coast that will repair them. All you have to do is pull the channel and send it to them.
 
xstatic said:
Funny, I never considered the older Soundcrafts to be clean and detailed at all. They were known for being warm and smooth. My D&R is know for being clean and detailed.

If you live in the US, Soundcraft and Allen Heath will be much easier to service than Soundtracs.
Click to expand...

If you run through the EQ section then you get warm and smooth. My board has the option of by passing the EQ and you can use just the preamps which are clean and detailed, not excessively so like a Grace but very usable.

I generally do this when tracking drums and just want the signal to get to the convertors with minimal EQ.
 
How would you describe the Soundcraft sound? Tascam? Allen and Heath? Soundtracks?

Yea, I need to keep it under $1000 but I'm thinking I can possably keep it under $500 because I'm good with electronics and restoration. Not only that, but I'm looking to possably get something that sounds great, doesn't cost too much, but people don't place heavy value on them because they look old or just havn't cought on for whatever reason. Old Tascam sounds like one of them. Soundcraft I've used in decent studios and clubs. Is it possable to get a Soundcraft cheap?

How much could I expect and what EXACT model/models? I'm very new at mixers so the exact models and approx. values are very important in my education here.

Thank you all so much!!
 
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