MCI Console for mixing

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tmix

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I had been looking for something to mix straight from my 2 Delta 1010s to a stand alone recorder so I can use my outboard gear.
I would also dig some nice mic pres.
A local guy has a '70s model MCI JH 600 series console (28 channels) he got out of radio station and is looking to sell it. Assuming the board is in good shape, is the pres and summing good? is this type of board something to be avoided ?

Your thoughts are appreciated!

Tom
 
The MCI 600, 500 and 400 series consoles are all excellent sounding desks. The pre's on them are very thick sounding. They will hold their own next to a lot of other high dollar preamps. The EQ's are also wonderful, and there are even options as to which types of EQ's the channels can use. The preamps are also swappable with certain makes of preamps. The summing of course is thick and wide. The MCI consoles however do require a bit of TLC, but there is an excellent company in Nashville that can greatly assist you in your MCI related questions. I would give Blevins audio a call. They may even know about the specific console your looking at.
 
tmix said:
A local guy has a '70s model MCI JH 600 series console (28 channels) he got out of radio station and is looking to sell it. Assuming the board is in good shape, is the pres and summing good? is this type of board something to be avoided ?

Your thoughts are appreciated!

Tom
Click to expand...
You're welcome to visit us and hear our MCI 556D in action.
 

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MCI consoles are fantastic dinosaurs. You'll need a truck and a COUPLE of guys to even move it, it'll give your recording space some "wow" appeal, and they DO sound great. Now that they are getting up into their "Geritol" years, they will probably need some maint. to keep them sounding as good as they did new. They great news is you can find these mid-priced-big-boy-professional caliber boards for almost next to nothing nowadays. In other words, if you spent 5 grand, you've committed towards the high end on these [once] $50,000+ mixing desks.

I was fortunate enough to have started my career on one of the old black faced models, a pair of Big Red monitors, BX20 reverb, and a slew of killer mics from the Beyer m160 to the AKG 451, EVRE15...and all those great but inexpensive mics. Then I got another gig where I was able to use the Sony/MCI tan board with matching 24 track. Personally, I thought it was as good as the Studer stuff, but my ears never developed past that MCI-Ampex-Otari- level.

I still lust for those consoles, mainly because they are soooo inexpensive to buy nowadays, but are great boards. Gotta love their lil' patch bays too!

Realize you will not be just hooking up something as easy as a Soundcraft Ghost or something, but the pres will knock the socks off those boards too. I think you'll be happy going IN to your recorder THRU the MCI, as well as coming out, if I were a betting man.
 
Thanks guys!
Maybe I will get it then.
He said all the the connectors were tuchel? (not sure if I spelled that right) which I thought were european type connectors, but it has a bundle of breakout snakes with it.
I wonder if there is anyone in the Dallas / Fort Worth area that provides service for them?

Thanks for the offer Harvey to check yours out! I may just do that.

Tom
 
Tuchel is the standard cable that was used on all the MCI consoles. Like I mentioned earler I highly reccomend you give the guys over at Blevins a call... http://www.blevinsaudio.com

If you buy an MCI you will invariably have questions or need for their assistance, so you may as well get to know em now;) They are THE MCI guys right now:)
 
Yup, Randy and Steve can usually answer any questions about an MCI product - and they're both great guys as well.
 
Cool
I just shot them off an email.
I'll see if they have any input!
Thanks guys.

Tom
 
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