I don't know about the noise...the specs are very good but I'll know more when I use it. There is a mod for the rectifiers in the PSU that apparently helps some with noise. Tracking the tech down on that.
BTW, yes, the seller just wanted it gone. They'd been trying to sell it for 3 months at $500 but not really knowing much about what they had or being attentive to digging into those details the listing was dubious...I stumbled onto it and offered $250 and I'd pick it up (2.5 hours one way), and he countered $300 and he'd bring it 80% of the way. I said sure, I'll meet you and have a look. Learning more about it in the meantime all I was concerned about at the meeting was not finding it a train-wreck (i.e. that it would clean up fine) and that the PSU and power cable were there. It was so, so I handed him the money, transferred the beast and off we went.
Jeff, I'm right with you on how to use the mixer...the way I see it you can either have a more compact mixer with inline input and monitoring features (like most all of the Tascam mixers, and others), or if you have the space you can have a boat-load of channels and use some for sources and some for dedicated returns. I'll explain more of my thought proces in the soon-to-be "Soundtracs MX Story", but the way I saw this board was that, with 32 channels, I can have 16 strips for tape returns and plenty left to have sources permanently connected. That's how I want to work. The recording room will be stable, mics and other sources will be stable (shifting over time as I experiment), but being able to settle on what channels connect to what and how they're set so that I can just power up and go will be nice rather than having to repatch or reconfigure for different stages of the process.
The MX series has 8 configurable returns in the group master section so those CAN be good for 8 tape returns, but with those returns and an 8 x 4 matrix in the groups section, plus the 6 auxes, that makes for enough sends and returns for cue feeds AND to have all 4 of my effects processors hooked up full time ready to feed and return at any stage of the process all controllable from the control surface. The MRX recording desk has 16 returns in the group section, but the 8 returns on the MX are actually more flexible (being designed for effects returns that can ALSO work for tape returns). So having the 32 channel MX is actually a better fit for me than, say, a 24 channel MRX. A 32 channel MRX would be over the top, and nigh impossible to find anyway.
This isn't about a more-more-more thing for me at this point. Its become very focused on getting back to having working, stable, reliable gear that can be hooked up so I can hit the power switch and go, and get pleasing results. That was the whole idea way-back-when. I've had to wander and cut my teeth, learn and stumble. Somebody could have told me several years ago "Man, you need a 32 channel desk and a 1" 8-track that you can convert to 2" 16-track!" and I would have said an affirmative "NO WAY!" Well, after all this I have learned through trial and error and learning-learning-learning that that IS what I want, and I understand more about the guts and theory of the stuff to know what it is that I want under the hood balanced with what I can afford and what I'm willing and able to fix up.
Not a path that works for most, but then again we are all unique. I would likely always wonder and question had I not experienced the journey the way I have. Now when I start to wonder I just look inside and the affirmative answers are right there. I know why I'm choosing what I'm choosing. That's what I went through with the digital rig too, and like I said I'm happy with it and have beenfor years. Ahhhhhh...this is very, very good.
"To be continued..."
P.S. Jeff, thanks also for the scan! Haven't been able to look on a proper monitor yet but I will and am looking forward to it!
