Soundcraft 200 series mixing boards?

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nuemes

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I've started looking at used mixing boards as well as new. Anyone had experince with a Soundcraft 200 series? The specific board I'm looking at is the S200 16 channel. I beleive they were made in the 1980's.

I figure it would be worth it if the cost is low enough; then there would be leftover $ for more outboard preamps :)

But I don't want to sacrifice audio quality just to save a couple hundred dollars. Does modern technology in the new Soundcraft & Allen&Heath boards give them better sound quality (better preamps, quieter boards) then the old boards?

Anybody have direct experince with a 200 series board?
 
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do you know of the board is a 200B, or a 200SR?

the 200B has a dedicated control room output.

the 200SR does not.

neither has direct outputs, but it does have inserts.

check and see which EQ it has. most of the ones for sale have 4 band fixed EQ. it may also come with a 4 band with 2 sweepable mids. this EQ sounds fantastic.


the 200's have a unique, warm sound to them. this board is the definition of the "british sound".

the current offerings from soundcraft and allen and heath don't even come close. keep in mind that the 200's were fairly expensive when new.
 
Cave Dweller said:
do you know of the board is a 200B, or a 200SR?
QUOTE]

On the back it says that it's a Soundcraft 200 series (no mention of B or SR).

I ended up buying it but am returning it after 2 days of trying it out. This is the second mixer I've ever used and was a total shock to me - because I didn't realize how much a mixer can change the sound of a mix compared to another board.

Here's what I found in regards to mixdown of previously recorded material compared to the Mackie 1202 I currently own:

The Soundcraft:
1. has a much more musical tone. It thickens thin sources
2. EQ (4 band, no sweep) has a more natural sound
3. seriously lacks high end detail compared to the Mackie
4. seriously lacks deep bass compared to the Mackie
5. muddier midrange
6. noisier preamps

The 200 has all the features that I want but its muddiness & lack of high end & deep bass make it sound as if a pillow were over the speakers it plays through. It has warmth but at the cost of too much detail for my taste. For example, it thickens vocals and tightens rhythm tracks (almost sounds like compression - it's a great sound) but also takes all the high end out of the drums. I can live with that on hi-hat & cymbals but not on the snare as well! Maybe this is due to wear over the years that this would happen(?)

I'm going to try out a Soundcraft M series next. I'm worried though because you're not the first to say that the 200 series is better than their new boards, but I feel like that's the next logical step as the Mackie EQ is too clinical sounding and I'm on a tight budget.

My perfect mixer would have the warm, musical quality of the 200 series with the detail of Mackie. For 500 bucks :)
Click to expand...
 
well, the 200 is an old console, and old consoles do require some maintenance. perhaps it needs to be re-capped, or only the output section needs re-capping. were certain channels better than others?
 
well, the 200 is an old console, and old consoles do require some maintenance. perhaps it needs to be re-capped, or only the output section needs re-capping. were certain channels better than others?

taking "all the high end out" of something seems a little extreme, and it may not be performing at it's best
 
Cave Dweller said:
taking "all the high end out" of something seems a little extreme, and it may not be performing at it's best
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think that must be the issue because I've heard someone else's recordings on the BBS with a 200 series and they sounded phenomenal, and I'm pretty critcal about what kind of sounds I like. The owner of this particular board only used it for additional inputs and never for critical listening so I think it's been sitting collecting dust for a while.

I purchased a used Soundcraft M8 today and it should arrive in a week. I've got my fingers crossed on this one...
 
The older Soundcrafts won't have the high frequency extension that most new stuff has. That was the way a lot of people liked it back then. The mids and lows on the Soundcraft should kill the Mackie though. Something must be wrong, or else you just don't like that kind of sound.
 
Hey nuemes, you're killin me!

I used the same soundcraft board for years, though it was a 24X8 console and can tell you with utmost certainty, it rocks over most any mackie you'll ever touch. I'm not surprised at all when you way "this is only the second board I've ever used". Sad, very sad indeed.
 
but not nearly as sad as answering a thread from '05 for your first post...
 
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