Soundcraft=Cheap?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dreib
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dreib

Active member
These things are all over ebay and seem pretty cheap! I was just wondering why? Do they sound terrible? Just curious.
 
There are lots of different models of Soundcraft gear, some fully professional and some designed to sell in the semi-pro/MI market. The best are very good indeed; the cheapest are still well ahead of things like Behringer and Phonic in quality terms but not up their with their big brothers. Even on the cheap ones, the pre amps are pretty nice.

What particular models are you looking at?
 
Not really seriously looking but saw a 600 series that made me wonder.
 
The cheap price is mainly down to the 600 being a 30ish year old console. At the time, they were stunning for the price--you had to spend much, much more to get anything with nicer pre amps or better EQ. From memory, the crosstalk figure between channels was something like 25dB better than most of the competitors. There were a few issues with the first release (they quickly changed the pre amp circuitry) and they became a bit of a workhorse.

In good condition, it would still be a very good desk but I'd worry the ravages of 25 years abuse (or just aging) might have taken their toll. I remember back in the early 2000s it was not unheard of to buy one cheap and have an engineer replace literally every capacitor to get them going again!
 
I must be getting old because I just find those older boards sexy!!
 
My mid-80's Soundcraft 200B (20 parametric modules and 4 shelving-type modules) is now the main console at my kids' school (that way I don't have to store here at the house). Regular maintenance keeps her running right. Still sounds great and the school wins awards for audio production for school shows every year (Cappie Awards).

Older Soundcrafts are great desks. Stock up on parts when you find them.
 
I used various 200B consoles (and 200BVE which is a similar console but with an interface to hook it to an external edit controller) for many years. I still think they're great mixers. We had 200Bs in our video studios and the 200BVE variant in our post production suites. The only exception was our audio dubbing suite which had an Amek BCiii--also very nice and with a similar feel to the Soundcraft in many ways (but a modular design that let us split the mixer either side of the controller--a DAR "Soundstation").
 
Just had to toss in my 200B shot. Here mated with a Tascam 238 it's been a great little desk. Swept mid channels are nice!
IMG_8225_1_3_1.jpg
 
shedshrine said:
Just had to toss in my 200B shot. Here mated with a Tascam 238 it's been a great little desk. Swept mid channels are nice!
Click to expand...

Sweet!!! I've still got the 8-channel 200 (not a "B") that came with my Tascam 38. Built like a tank and still sounds great.
 
I just took my new (used) GB2R out for the first time last night. Overall noticeably nicer sound than my 1604 VLZ Pro, not that I couldn't do good work on the Mackie. It's going to be part of my live multitracking rig.
 
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