high quality mixer?

T

toby.I.

New member
Hey, I need a high quality small (8-16 channels) mixer, Analogue cos i've got quite a collection of analogue out board i consider part of my production style. Going in to pro tools via an 882. I plan to process, record into tools, then submix to 8, then mix the outs, on the board to 2-track. Using a Spirt studio at the moment, and although it has served me well its begining to sound limited.

My budget is about £2000 ($3000), so far i've seen TL audio M3 tube tracker and an MCI/SONY 12 channel board in this price range. Has anybody used the sony Dx2000?

I don't want to use out board pres exclusily, and the board has to have nice sounding line ins ( I use quite a lot of samlpers).

Any suggestions helpful.
 
The Tube Tracker has pretty weak reviews on most BBS's. An MCI would be cool. The Soundcraft Ghost is a nice board and on your budget you could get a 24ch with Midi Mutes and Machine Control. If you want to do analog mixdowns the midi mutes are a huge bonus. The pre's on the MCI would arguably sound better but the Ghost will give you a lot of workflow benefits and more mixdown options. The other popular board in that price range is the Sountrack Topaz.

Speck makes a cool line level mixer if you want a small footprint are just going to do mixdowns and synths (no onboard pres) but it is also limited to knobs instead of faders.
 
i've used the ghost before, it is pretty cool, but not really worth selling my spirit for and spending a few grand for small improvement.

I was interested in a tube mixer, but the only ones i could find were tube tracker and a Manley, which was way out of my price range.

I already have some TL pres with 2 valve stages in, which don't really have a sound so i don't suppose the M3 will really sound that coloured with one stage on the channel inputs.

I think i'll go for the sony/mci. cheers for the advice.
 
Man... Do I hear ya on the Ghost!!!

Maybe look into what DaviSound can build you for what price... Probably workable at your price-range if you just need something very simple, but absolutely superb signal integrity and sound quality.

www.davisound.com
 
You are kidding right? Comparing the Ghost to the Spirit consoles?

I give up. Half this fucking bbs is deaf!

Ed
 
Yeah. Half of them actually thinks a POD sounds good. ;)

Funnily enough, I still haven't found one amp/speaker simulation I think is even vaguely realistic. On the other hand, I probably wouldn't know the difference between a Soundscraft Spirit and a Ghost if I so fell over them.
 
sonusman said:
You are kidding right? Comparing the Ghost to the Spirit consoles?

I give up. Half this fucking bbs is deaf!

Ed
Click to expand...

and it's that kind of attitude that makes people not listen.......

I, on the other hand, am able to weed out your bullshit, and assume that you are trying to say that the Ghost would be a significant step up from the Spirit?
 
I haven't a clue about Spirit consoles, but I know that the Ghost is not an additional $3k worth in sound-quality and signal-integrity next to a Mackie 8-Bus or an additional $4.5k worth in sound-quality and signal-integrity next to a Mackie VLZ-PRO.

Does the Ghost sound better than the Mackie 8-Bus and VLZ-PRO? Absolutely! And it's certainly significant! But not enough for me at the additional price though! Most of that $$$$ difference has to do with features.

With that said, if I was purchasing a console that I knew I would be using for the next 10 or even 5 years, and the Ghost was pretty much the max. I could spend, the Ghost is what I'd buy for sure! It'd be worth the extra money to me then!

But, I won't be, so a Mackie VLZ-PRO is what I've been having to put-up with for the past year and still yet one more year! I can only imagine how my mixes will improve once my "real" console is installed!
 
Gidge said:
and it's that kind of attitude that makes people not listen.......

I, on the other hand, am able to weed out your bullshit, and assume that you are trying to say that the Ghost would be a significant step up from the Spirit?
Click to expand...

Yes Gidge, with your 10,000 plagerized posts of knowledge, and outstanding audio productions, you are right on track.

I don't know what to say to you RE. I thought your ears heard it better than that. You will spend good money on, and lot's of it on boutique mic pre's, yet think a 3k difference in price for a far superior console to mix everything through isn't worth it?

We agree on something Regebro!

I am serious. I think half this BBS is deaf. Oh, fuck off Gidge. Put me on your ignore list.

Ed
 
Ed,

you sir, can kiss my black ass......

last i checked, this was HOMErecording.com ......if you are too good for us, and so much above us, and we are so deaf, maybe you should stop hanging around this amateur board and move on to a pro board.....

actually, Im not at 10,000 yet, but stick around...ill be there soon;) .......plagerized? maybe so, but at least Im passing what ive learned in a helpful manner.......

im assuming "outstanding audio productions" is a knock at my recording abilities....im humored......i guess you are gonna use someone elses song again on this next CompCD?


MIKE
 
You're not hearing what I've said...

I've simply found that the sound-quality and signal-intergrity improvement of the Ghost over the Macke 8-Bus or VLZ-PRO not to be nearly as far superior as I had hoped, considering the additional $$$$... It seems to only be significant improvement. I would have MUCH rather seen all that extra money go into improving sound-quality and signal-intergrity MUCH further than all those features.

Heck, the LE version is significantly less... I would have MUCH rather seen the $$$$ difference between the LE and regular version be spent on improving the sound-quality and signal-intergrity even further instead of MIDI Mute Automation, regardless of how much I wish my "ultimate" console will have it, since moving-fader automation is most definitely out of the question (money-wise) for me!

Obviously, it can be seen, I AM advocating a far superior console to mix everything through, just like you!

But I am also saying that it's not worth the extra $$$$ to ME as it's NOT my "ultimate" console that'll keep me satisfied for at least the next 10 years or even 5 years.

Now if the Ghost is YOUR (meaning anyone's) "ultimate" console and you find yourself able to spend that kind of money on a console you'll be keeping for the next 5-10 years, don't mess around... Get the Ghost! Of course, if you have that kind of money to throw-around simply on a console you'll be using for a year... By all means, get the Ghost!

Although, if you're like me, changing consoles every year or so is pretty taxing on time trying to rewire your studio around your latest console... Don't get much recording done...

I'm finished with that! So I deal with this damn VLZ-PRO board, (because I know it will not be: Everything working today, something or many things not working tomorrow.) until my day of a "real" console comes. Less than one more year...
 
Recording Engineer said:
I'm finished with that! So I deal with this damn VLZ-PRO board, (because I know it will not be: Everything working today, something or many things not working tomorrow.) until my day of a "real" console comes. Less than one more year...
Click to expand...

So what do you consider to be a 'real' console for under $3k?
 
sonusman said:
You are kidding right? Comparing the Ghost to the Spirit consoles?

I give up. Half this fucking bbs is deaf!

Ed
Click to expand...

There both made by the same people! Spirit studio is basically the same as the ghost LE, except for slightly better Mic pres and EQs on the ghost.

FOR MY PURPOSES the spirit sounds OK. The line/mic ins drive quite nicely, although they're shit clean which is why i use external pres. So it has been established that the only thing i really will get out of the ghost is the EQ. seeing I only plan on using 8 channels then stand alone units costing as much as the upgrade will most likley get me better quality.

For example the price of upgrading is probaly the same as the ORAM 8 channel EQ, or buying a pair of Drawmer 1961s.

Maybe my origional post was unclear, but i would definatly not draw a line between the two consoles saying one is good, and one is poor. The are both project studio consoles, admitedly Ghosts do find their way into high end studios occasionally, as do mackies- but i don't belive anybody could call a mackie a flattering console.

If sonusman has A/B ed the two consoles I would like to hear his opinions in more depth- I have only a recolection of being using the Ghost on a one off session, and I use the spirit on a regular basis. There is also something called opinion.

Also was i not talking of MCI, slightly superior to GHOST? Anyway, who u calling deaf? has anybody met a live soundguy who has good hearing?
 
When I say "'real' console", I'm talking about what I've heard other engineers and/or potential clients refer to about the console they want, the console they have, the console I don't have, or the console other local studios have.

In the $3k and under range for a 24-ch. and up, one of the only things I'd consider are the Mackies... If I had 2-3 nice outboard preamps, I'd get the 8-Bus with more routing capabilities and an ever so slightly more versatile and nicer-sounding EQ. Otherwise, if I didn't see myself with some nice outboard preamps in a year or two, I'd get the VLZ-PRO for the better preamps.

Another option would be the Spirit LX7... Maybe I'd go with that... Or maybe the Allen&Heath GL2200.

For a 16-ch., the options open a tiny bit, but not all that much... I've never really look into this market, but off the top of my head, if not something from one of the brands mentioned above... I don't know what the 16-ch. Midas Venice goes for, but if in the range, I'd probably go for that. I think it might almost be in the range.

For a 12-ch. and below, depending on what my needs would be for such a small mixer, there's a few different options I'd look into... But again, I don't really know what to recommend as I've never really been in the market for one. I bet the 8-ch. Midas Venice is in the price range for sure. Also, Full Compass use to be blowing-out small DDA consoles at insanely low prices! Don't know if that's long-gone or what. Of course, again, DaviSound can be in this price range if you just need a mixer with the most basic mixer functions with one of the most excellent summing capabilities available.

For all size: I'd also look into what Allen&Heath has to offer in the price range. Maybe Yamaha has something offer? I don't know... Never used any.

Hell, there's not really all that much to consider new around $18k and below!

If you can deal with all the headaches associated with used consoles, whether it be 30, 20, 10, or 3 years-old, then options open-up quite a lot. Personally, I'm tired of that crap though. The used console market is not for me anymore... Unless I sink a good 10 grand or more into having someone rebuild it into as good as new or hopefully significantly nicer-sounding than new... I was considering that, and probably would have gone through with it. But finally, a new option arrived and I went with that.
 
cheers, i've been checking the davissound, they look pretty sweet-will investigate. Thanks for the advice.
 
Recording Engineer said:
When I say "'real' console", I'm talking about what I've heard other engineers and/or potential clients refer to about the console they want, the console they have, the console I don't have, or the console other local studios have.

In the $3k and under range for a 24-ch. and up, one of the only things I'd consider are the Mackies... If I had 2-3 nice outboard preamps, I'd get the 8-Bus with more routing capabilities and an ever so slightly more versatile and nicer-sounding EQ. Otherwise, if I didn't see myself with some nice outboard preamps in a year or two, I'd get the VLZ-PRO for the better preamps.

Another option would be the Spirit LX7... Maybe I'd go with that... Or maybe the Allen&Heath GL2200.
Click to expand...

But you can easily get a used Ghost 24 MMC with Meter Bridge for under $3k. I would agree a new Ghost should be considered pretty seriously but a used one in good condition is almost a no brainer.

The Sprit and Ghost are hardly the same boards.
 
How much do the Neoteks go for?

This is basically plageurized info, :D but I might start looking at a Neotek Elite II or something along those lines if I were in that general price bracket and looking for a console.
 
Tex, I covered the used console thing in the last paragraph. Absolutely, the Ghost would be in that category.

Chess, I don't really know for sure, in fact, at all, but isn't a used Elite II MUCH more than the price range we're talking about here?
 
I thought I saw one go for a couple grand not too long ago.

Seems like a lot of dues I trust like to jizz all over their neotek consoles. :D I'm assuming they must be pretty decent for the money.
 
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