What's up with Ebay lately?

  • Thread starter Thread starter RawDepth
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while we are on the topic, im semi looking for a console, like 16 or 24 tracks, depending on price.

what are some good options? i know of the soundcraft ghost and the soundtracs topaz, and they seem pretty popular.
 
wuts up with ebay lately?

in my opinion the quarter is a bad time for retail and i would also like to point out that ebay sucks period, everyone is selling used gear (that i'm interested in) for the price i can buy it new (with free shipping) and they tack on a rediculous shipping price on top of that. might as well buy it new so i been stayin away from sleaze bay and been going to places like this and sweetwaters trading post and stuff like that, cuz ebay is a rip off imo
 
Sweetwater's trading post is full of scammers now. I would be very careful there. Scammers love that place because there's no accountability, there's no trail, you can't see how long someone's been a member, or how many posts they have. Also, just try posting a scam warning on there, Sweetwater pulls your ad AND the scam ad, and then the scammer just reposts it again. I would just be really really careful there.
 
TragikRemix said:
while we are on the topic, im semi looking for a console, like 16 or 24 tracks, depending on price.

what are some good options? i know of the soundcraft ghost and the soundtracs topaz, and they seem pretty popular.
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Well, we are getting off topic here a little. I hope the original poster doesn't get angry. (Oh well, he's a jerk anyway.)

The Mackie 24/8 and the Soundtracs Topaz Project 8 are fairly similar. (Though, the way they sound seems to differ.) The first difference I've noticed is in the B-mix (monitor) channel options. On my Mackie, (in each channel,) if you want to use EQ on your B-mix, it steals it from the regular channel EQ section. Part of that channel EQ then becomes disabled. (I think the theory here is that you don't need to use the channel EQ while you're tracking.) Over on the Soundtracs, I can mute and Solo any B-mix channel but not so on the Mackie.

The Soundtracs comes from the factory with the tape inputs and two track outputs set to -10dBu operating level. You can change this to +4dBu but you must open up the mixer case and perform a (soldering) modification on the circuit board at each channel. I have made the mod to mine and it does work perfectly. (Though, if you are not handy with soldering I would not recommend trying this.)

The AUX Returns on the Mackie are a lot more assignable to groups and such. The Soundtracs seems more limited in this department.

The Master sections on both mixers are pretty similar except for minor details.

So, one seems to have a few things the other does not and visa-versa.

For those of you who may not be that familiar with studio mixers, they are very different from live mixers.

They are designed to be better suited for what you need to accomplish in a studio. It's essentially like a giant hub that directs all signal traffic coming in and going out. Not only can you mix, but you can also largely decide from where signal comes and where it goes by pushing buttons, (which changes in different phases of the project.)

Each channel has a variety of inputs. During tracking, you can use the XLR mic or line (instrument) inputs. You can create a mix for the control room and a separate monitor mix for the musicians through the B-mix part of each channel. It also simultaneously loops the signal from each channel back out to your multichannel recorder or multichannel DAW computer.

During playback, each channel can receive input from the recorder or DAW via the tape inputs. All you do is flip a switch on the channel and now your channel is listening to the track playback instead of the microphone. (Live mixers cannot do this stuff.)

Output choices are where it really gets nice. You can send any channel, group, B-mix, or main, out to almost anywhere in the building. Control room monitors, studio room speakers, headphones, back to tape, patch bays, and probably a few other odds and ends too.

There are several smaller studio mixers out there that are priced within reach of the home recording hobbyist. (Like mine! :D )

Hope this helps.
RawDepth
 
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I don't think people are spending money like they use to. I also believe it's going to get worse.

I just sold a few items on ebay without reserve prices or buy it now. I lost a little on a few things. I would suddgest to sellers to add a reserve price to there items or start out at a pretty close price to what you are expecting.

Corp. America is going to soak the economy up and is doing so right now.
 
I've been starting everything at .99, but I've been putting Buy It Now and Reserve prices on too.
BTW, RawDepth, I love the link in your sig.
 
That's funny, I just listed about 20 things on eBay and every last one sold for a premium. I didn't have trouble selling anything. Every single thing I sold was sold by someone using the buy it now option too. So they all sold for my highest asking price, which was at the top end of what things sold for on eBay. That said, I never list something without a buy it now price that's unreasonable, and I never list something with a starting price less than I'm willing to accept on it. Reserves tend to hose you big time if they aren't met, and those auctions cost significantly more to run. You're much better off just making your reserve your start price instead. Another good trick, if after 6 days your auction hasn't gotten a bid or sold, lower your price and extend the auction by three days. You effectively get 3 more days of auction time for 40 cents. It's the best deal on eBay.

I also think you're reading the economy wrong. Employment is still very very low, at historically low levels. If you look at retail sales and the overall expansion of the economy, it's very, healthy. I do think you're right that corporate America is doing a piss poor job of spreading all of the new wealth around. CEO's are getting paid crazy money, and they are not spreading the wealth around enough. I know this, my income and my wife's both doubled over the last 7 or 8 years, and our taxes went down. Our 401k tripled in value at the same time. I think the people who spend all their time talking about how bad you've got it tend to be politicians trying to scare you into voting for them.

Maybe I'm the exception, but most people I know are doing quite well. And where I'm living I don't know anyone who's having any trouble finding work, and good jobs at that. I do think that while all of that is going, corporate America needs to pass some of these expanded earnings and profits on down to the workers. My city used to be an industrial town (paper town) and we've done quite well over the last two decades transitioning from blue collar difficult mill jobs to higher paying white collar desk jobs. People are more educated, people are making more money, people are investing in 401k's instead of the disaster that social security is, and life in my part of the world is quite good. Maybe you should move here? :D
 
valverec said:
That's funny, I just listed about 20 things on eBay and every last one sold for a premium. :D[/QUOTE

I guess ebay is hit and miss sometimes.

I guess the economy differs based on location. I'm glad that things are going well in your town. :)
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I have figured out that the success of my auctions depends on the effort I put into the listings. If the descriptions are very thorough and informative and the photos are plentiful, big, and clear, those auctions tend to do better.

Even as a buyer I am somewhat reluctant to bid if an auction gives tip-offs that the seller may be shady or even a bit of a deadbeat. If anything smells fishy like uncommon methods of payment, poor feedback, unwarranted shipping costs, vague descriptions, or not responding to questions in a timely manner, then I usually run the other way. I even look at past auctions from sellers to see what other things they usually buy and sell.
 
I was thinking of selling my Tascam 8 bus 24 track. It has a full meter bridge, but I guess I will just keep it.
 
DesertEase said:
in my opinion the quarter is a bad time for retail and i would also like to point out that ebay sucks period, everyone is selling used gear (that i'm interested in) for the price i can buy it new (with free shipping) and they tack on a rediculous shipping price on top of that. might as well buy it new so i been stayin away from sleaze bay and been going to places like this and sweetwaters trading post and stuff like that, cuz ebay is a rip off imo
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AMEN, to that, bro.
 
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