[sdiy] [OT] great little mixer?? (was: Behringer MX1804)

[Alex Stettler]

Hi all,


some recommendations from my side:
I would suggest to use a mixer from Midas they make different mixing
consoles like the big XL-3, which isn't manufactured anymore (about 1000
modells built). Then there is the Venice Series. These are very compact high
quality mixing consoles. Unfortunately I couldn't figure out any prices till
now.
At the moment I use a Yamaha 01V and I'm very satisfied with it. But I'm
thinking around expanding my equipment with a real good analog mixer.
In my opinion finding the right mixer is a thing for which you should take a
lot of time. Because every manufacturer tells you, that his mixer is the
best with a "new discrete preamp" which is the result of two years of
research.
For me this is bullshit. You have some basic circuits you can choose from,
like common emitter, common collector,...., cascode, but you can't invent a
simple preamplifier two thousand times.
Then there is the mechanicall aspect. A midas XL-3 console weights about
400kg. E.g. a soundcraft  console isn't that heavy, but if you lift it on
one corner, the chassis can bend and you have a lot of contact problems,
which isn't that funny in a live situation.
I would recommend to have a look at the venice series of midas.

Midas website: www.midasconsoles.com

BTW: I'm not working for Midas or Soundcraft any manufacturer else. These is
just experience I've got over the years.

Regards,
Alex




-----Original Message-----
From: owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
[mailto:owner-synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl]On Behalf Of media.nai at rcn.com
Sent: Monday, August 19, 2002 7:27 PM
To: Henri Kovalainen
Cc: synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl
Subject: Re: [sdiy] [OT] great little mixer?? (was: Behringer MX1804)


At 9:36 PM +0300 08/18/02, Henri Kovalainen wrote:
>
>> Since we are already off topic (unless this leads me to building my own
>> mixer :)  I'm looking to buy a compact mixer with at least 10 channels,
>> tape/line switches, mutes, solo, 4 aux sends, four buses, and a decent
>> monitor section. Any suggestions??
>
>The Allen & Heath WZ14:4:2 (http://www.allen-heath.co.uk/WZ1442.asp).

Thank you :)  I've considered that.  As a club mixer, it's flexibility is
absolutely astounding.  It even has an option to add an RIAA pre-amp so you
can play vinyl between sets :)

While its monitor capability is better than most live boards four times its
size, its monitor capability for studio use seems lacking.  It doesn't have
a control room output, and the "solo" group only has a headphone output.
Have you used yours for recording??  Were you able to find a work around??

Are channel switches quiet?? Are they "FET" or do they click??

>I bought a WZ16:2 years ago and I must say I love it. It's built like a
>tank and it sounds great. The WZ14:4:2 is essentially the same but with 10
>mono + 2 stereo channels and with 4 groups.

Actually, for live use, it's even more flexible than that!!

>I'm also selling my Allen & Heath because the compact digital mixers are
>becoming very affordable and in a modern mixing environment with digital
>multiracks they are _very_ flexible.

I might consider buying yours if you were in the States.  I absolutely
agree that digital mixers are becoming very affordable and are very
flexible.  I simply don't want one.  Imho, a digital mixer cannot be
"played" like an analogue mixer.  Digital mixes don't bend -- they break.
I also find reassigning knobs and faders very confusing.  Beyond that, the
latest psycho-acoustic research shows that analogue mixing is still
superior to 24/96.  Yes, there are many advantages to using a digital mixer
-- the best, imho, is affordable automation.  However, I prefer to do
digital audio on a DAW, using a computer the way nature intended :)

>The only problem is that people
>compare this desk to a Behringer or whatever of the same size and find the
>secondhand price too high. So far it hasn't been much use writing them
>email saying that they simply can't compare the two.

Well, those people should be taken out and shot, along with everyone at
Behringer :)  I'm running into similar problems trying to sell my minty
Mackie 24*8 due to equally asinine comparisons.  "My friend bought a new
Behringer for a buck ninety-nine and he loves it"  "I bet what your friend
really loves is owning a mixer, because I'd bet it's his first one.  Ask
him what monitors he uses.  Then try waiting a year and asking him if his
mixer still works."

At 12:27 AM +0200 08/19/02, Rude 66 wrote:
>
>don't know about all the specs, but as mentioned allen & heath, hill make
>nice mixers too.. tascam.. but most of these might be too big for you,

I'll check out Hill, but I don't like Tascam (no flames, please :)

>though i remember the hill i used once as pretty small..
>with mixers it still seems to be 'the bigger the better'..

Unfortunately, this is true.  The analogue mixer market seems to be
polarizing -- there are huge megabuck consoles, and little inexpensive
utility mixers, with very little middle ground.  Sure, you can buy
rack-mounted board channels, or a "lunchbox" or "windowframe" taken from a
larger board, but it seems that there is no way to get anywhere close to
that quality combined with buses, auxiliary sends, and monitor controls.
Oram made a four-bus board, but I've heard rumors there were problems with
build quality.  Then again, I do not directly know anyone who has used one,
so perhaps I shouldn't say anything.