Good affordable mixer to use w/ HD24?

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ultrajosh

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I have an Alesis HD24, an 8-channel Presonus pre (w/ ADAT lightpipe out), a bunch of cool analog outboard gear (vintage pre's, eq's, effects, etc), a patch bay, and some decent mics. I monitor with a Mackie 1202 (8 tracks). A good basic tracking setup, but doing overdubs and mixing gets complicated.

I'm trying to decide on a mixer. My budget is less than $1000, ideally $500 - for now. I hope to save up over the next year for something nicer. I do a lot of "live" recording of my 8-piece band, e.g. everyone plays at once, as well as more typical overdub/tracking sessions.

I don't know whether to just buy a decent 24-track analog board, like a Mackie, or if I should start down the slippery ($$$) digital slope. I like the idea of staying analog and using my neat old outboard stuff (which I know I will continuue to acquire and collect), but those ADAT lightpipe interfaces are calling to me. It looks like I could expand one of those Yamaha 01X boards or something like it to have 24 channels of ADAT using expansion cards, but then I am getting into the $2000 range.

Note that I have a Cubase setup that I'm not using because I hate staring at computers (that's what I do for work).

Any suggestoions for cheap/good 24-track analog boards would be helpful, and/or a digital option that won't break the bank. Thanks!
 
Stay analog. The HD24 is basically a replacement for an analog tape machine. Try to find a used 8-buss analog console.
You can find a 24x8 Mackie board used for under $1K, or look really hard and find a 24x8 Soundtracs Topaz or Soundcraft Spirit for $600-1K. The main advantage of the Mackie is that it is still in current production, the others are not manufactured anymore. The advantages of the Topaz (and Spirit) are slightly more musical, useful EQ and a warmer, less analytical sound.

Try other sources other than eBay. Sweetwater Music's Trading Post is a good source, as are the 'buy and sell' pages at gearslutz.com, messageboard.tapeop.com, www.recordingconsoles.net, or even homerecording's bbs. A craigslist.org site for a nearby metropolitan city might give you more options and better pricing than eBay.
 
Berry DDX3216 + Adat Interface, nothing comes close at this price.

Tony
 
I agree with the ddx3216 with the adat cards. This is the setup I have and I wouldnt change it for the world. So versatile and great deal for the price.
 
Just a question here regarding the hookup between the DDX3216 and the HD24. Do you use 2 ADAT cards or just have the one? The one has connections for 1-8 and 9-16. Do you leave it at that or add a second ADAT card for 17-24?

Just researching a possible purchase some more

Thanks
-Krag
 
DDX3216 with HD24

kragbax said:
Just a question here regarding the hookup between the DDX3216 and the HD24. Do you use 2 ADAT cards or just have the one? The one has connections for 1-8 and 9-16. Do you leave it at that or add a second ADAT card for 17-24?

Just researching a possible purchase some more

Thanks
-Krag
Click to expand...

You guys using the DDX3216 with the HD24 - do you need to pick up two ADAT lightpipe cards in order to play back all 24 tracks at once? (As I believe the Berry ADAT card has just 16 tracks of lightpipe - which is a heck of a lot better then the Tascam DM-24, where for 2+ times the price (of the card) you get just 8 - though to be fair it has 8 built in.) So what options are there for the other 8 channels (17-24)? Another expansion card or can you do analog?
 
ok I have the ddx3216 and hd24. My setup right at the moment is..... i have 1 adat card in the back of my ddx3216. I am running channels 1-8 and 9-16 to the hd24. From the alesis hd 24, back to the mixer via the adat card to channels 17-24 and 25-32. So basically, i can record and hear 16 channels no problem. In order to get the full use of the 24 channels on the hd24, first you will have have to get the second adat card for the ddx. From there you have several options. One thing you should consider is, "I believe" you wont be able to record to and hear all the channels from the hd24 using only the ddx, without saving seperate routing setups for recording, recording/playback, and just playback. What i am intending on doing, just my prefferance is when i get a second adat card, i plan on routing all 24 channels out to the HD24 skipping channels 9-16 on the DDX (DDX 1-8 to HD24 1-8) (DDX 17-24 to HD24 9-16) and (DDX 25-32 to HD24 17-24). Get 2 extra behringer ada8000 for an extra 16 analog inputs and assign it to channels 17-24 and 25-32. .... So all optical cables into the HD24. From the HD24 using ANALOG outs to 2 Behringer RX1602's ($130 line mixer roughly) which i run back into cannels 13- 16 on the ddx. You dont have to do it like this. In fact you can get by with only the hd24, ddx 3213, and 2 adat cards but you will have to do some rerouting saves in the ddx 3216. you caould also just get a RX1602 to free up 16 channels well hope i didnt confuse too much and shed some light. good luck
 
Thanks for the reply!

So .. say I would never be recording more then 8 tracks at any given time (I would mostly be using all this for solo recording). Would it be possible with the DDX3216 to use DDX channels 25-32 as "recording" tracks, bussed to HD24 (any of the 1-24 channels), and monitor back the recorded tracks on the DDX channels 1-24? In other words, pipe the 1-24 OUT's from the HD24 to the 1-24 IN's on the DDX and just use the DDX OUT's (25-32) to the HD24 IN's. I believe I read someplace (HD24 manual I believe) that said the HD24 can record to all channels using only the first 8 inputs, 'input normalling', or something like that. The HD24 can internally bus the incomming signal to 9-24. If it could would like that, it might be a great set-up for me.

Thanks in advance for any response!

-Krag
 
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ok i did some more reading up. It looks as if you can do that since you will only be doing 8 tracks at a time. However, it did only show this for an anolog hookup. I am assumeing it will work the same way for the digital but dont quote me on it. I would use channels 1-8 as your instrument channels and channels 9-32 as playback though. Good luck

krag, by the way.... with digital, the you can record 12 channels at at 96khz straight out of the box. If you do get the hd24xr it will allow you to record 12 analog channels at 96khz. but, 12 Total channels at 96khz at time regardless with or without the upgrade. the hd24 just allows it to be done with analog.
 
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Thanks for the response! Looks like a lot of DDX3216/HD24 users from various posts I've read. Nice to have some pre-purchase input! I wonder if anyone could confirm/test or refute the possibility of running digital 1-8 out from the DDX to the HD24 and still be able to record on all 24 channels (should be able to according to the HD24 manual). However, the bigger question is if it's possible to run all 24 digital outputs from the HD24 back to the DDX at the same time (as just the 1-8 digital inputs are being used).

Is anyone out there with the DDX3216/HD24 combo out there doing something similar? Or has tried it to confirm if it works or not? Course all this assumes the use of 2 ADAT expansions for the DDX.

Thanks
-Scott
ps. I already purchased the HD24. It was a good deal and for my uses I couldn't justify the extra $400 for the XR. That money can be served better towards my 'studio' space or for the mixer I finally settle on.
 
I got a HD24 + Soundtracs Topaz, and using a AMD 2.6Ghz running wavelab for editing. I can't say good enough words about the setup. It never fails to produce fast and excellent results.
 
Rehashing this old topic

Well after all these (now old) posts I went out and got a Mackie 24-8. I like it a lot actually. I'm recording directly to the HD24 through several outboard pre's and a patchbay (to the analog inputs of course!), then running the 24 analog outputs on the HD24 to the Mackie for mixing, adding effects, etc. From there I run the stereo output to the Masterlink. The set-up has been almost great. To a point.

While re-learning how to record (it's been 12+ years or so!) and even play my instruments again I'm not recording others yet. Just doing my own songs and my own versions of covers. And since I like to jump around alot, re-adjusting the Mackie between every song has been a bit of a pain. I'd get the EQ near perfect for my voice on one channel in one song, and on another song the lead vocal would end up on another channel! I'd have to redo all the settings. I know - I could use the same channels for the same instruments between songs - but that's easier said then done sometimes. Also, whether from my inexperience or lack of dexterity (or both) there always seems to be some point in my mixdown on every single attempt where I forget to raise or lower a fader, unmute a channel, etc.

So I finally ordered up the Berry DDX 3216. It's priced too low right now - including the ADAT card no less - to pass up. I've heard they have some issues, reading posts here and elsewhere, but I figured "what the heck!". If I get a good one and it can help me mix down easier and remember settings between songs (without the use of a notebook and pictures!) it'll be a godsend. If not, I'm no worse off as I can always send it back! A win-or-break-even proposition. Not bad in this day and age!

-Krag
 
Yeah that's the only thing I hate about affordable analog mixers. No scene memory. I have had my ddx for a year now and I wish I knew then what I know now. I would've saved my $1000, put it with a couple thousand more and got a highend analog console. Automation and scene memory are really the only good things about a DDX. Everything else is lackluster, IMO.

But now you can pick 'em up for $500. Still not a bargain, IMO. but, if you have good pre's and don't rely on the ddx pre's or effects. You're sort of OK. Good Luck to you.
 
Thanks for the feedback!

Currently as mentioned I don't use the 24*8 for tracking, just mixing. I typically only record 1-3 tracks at a time, through my preamps directly to the HD24, and generally only up to 16 tracks per song (so far - in limited time/use). So with that in mind the DDX sounds like a winner - provided it works as it's supposed to.

I've got OK outboard effects (Lexicon MPX550 for reverb(s) and TC D-Two for Delay. Also a TC M300 for any extra effects.). Plus a couple Compressors and the DBX 242 parametric EQ. (I'd like to get another one of those).

The real question is the EQ. I'm no master (in fact I'm rather terrible, lol) at getting a consistent good eq'd sound, especially on vocals, when mixing. Hopefully the little adjusting I'll need to do won't sound much worse through the Berry then the Mackie. The next "cheap" digital mixer is the (roughly) $1600 Tascam DM24.

-Krag
 
LOL... just responded to this, check my email, and sure enough the order was cancelled (from MF) due to it no longer being available. Behringer unloaded them all at the $599 blowout price and they are apparently all gone. Ah well, I'll take that as a sign from the almighty - avoid the "B" gear!

-Krag
 
I dont' want to get your hopes up but I'm trying to sell off my studio in one big chunk. If the currently interested party falls out, I can PM you on my DDX3216. That's only if the deal I'm working on doesn't pull through.

Chris
 
Interesting. I still see it at MF for $599, available on 2/11.
You can also get it from 8thstreet.com for $599.
 
aspirin said:
Interesting. I still see it at MF for $599, available on 2/11.
You can also get it from 8thstreet.com for $599.
Click to expand...

Yea.. I tried to instant chat with them about it yesterday afternoon but it wasn't working. It's still listed on their site (and the $599 unit alone says in stock (or did this morning)! but the 'kit' with the ADAT card isn't.

8th Street doesn't keep stock listed on their site, so you can order away but they might not have it either till you get your 'Order Confirmation' email saying somethings on backorder. Plus they didn't have the ADAT card included.

Still I might pick one up if possible for the $599 even without the card. If I like it I can always grab more (ADAT cards). If I don't then it's back to the store!

-Krag
 
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