Mixers/Consoles - What do you think of the Soundcraft LX7?

[Les]

A friend of mine's boss does a lot of corporate shows and they were recently cleaning out his storage unit. Among some of the things he is looking to get rid of is a Soundcraft LX7. It had been kept in a roadcase and was barely used. Apparently he didn't "like the sound for corporate shows".

It is 16-channel, and I believe the original version. He wants $400 for it.

I happen to be in the market for a mixer, but it's for a group I play with. All we have is a keyboard, Acoustic/electric guitar, vocalist, djembe drum (yes, you read that right), and a tambourine. We do mostly coffee house type shows. We generally run with 2 mains and 2 monitors (I use a keyboard amp as a personal monitor or primary amplification depending on the event).

Obviously we don't need anything that big, but for $400, something we could grow in to would be nice.

Let me know what you think! Would it just be a better idea to buy a newer, smaller mixer for less money?

[bishopthomas]

At first read I missed the channel count and assumed you found a 32 channel for $400. I was going to tell you to snatch it up, but after reading that it's 16 channel and G1 I probably wouldn't buy it myself. Your idea to go with a newer and smaller mixer is a good one.

[DaveySimps]

Your idea to go with a newer and smaller mixer is a good one.

I agree. We use to have the 32 channel version of the LX7. It was a reliable decent sounding board. However, there is a lot you can get in that price range for a 16 channel board.

~Dave

[Les]

Thanks guys. I was a little hesitant about this to begin with.

Are there any mixers you recommend that are in about the same price range or maybe a bit lower? Really only need about 12 channels max. Right now, we only have a need for 4 XLR inputs, but I would like room for expansion.

The main contenders for me have been the Soundcraft EPM series and the Mackie PROFX series.

I'd love to afford an Allen & Heath ZED or Alesis MultiMix, but they're too expensive for my blood.

[DaveySimps]

Based on the use you mentioned, I think both would work out well. The Mackie does appear to have more features that you might find useful. I have always found the faders on the Soundcraft to be a bit loose. If you make quick adjustments on the fly, you might have the possibility to bump a fader too far up or down. A minor detail over all, but something I always found odd.

~Dave

[TimmyP1955]

Dreadful master section layout.

Not made with individual PCBs - neither easy nor cheap to repair.

Buy an Allen & Heath.

[mstaylor]

Thanks guys. I was a little hesitant about this to begin with.

Are there any mixers you recommend that are in about the same price range or maybe a bit lower? Really only need about 12 channels max. Right now, we only have a need for 4 XLR inputs, but I would like room for expansion.

The main contenders for me have been the Soundcraft EPM series and the Mackie PROFX series.

I'd love to afford an Allen & Heath ZED or Alesis MultiMix, but they're too expensive for my blood.

Between a Soundcraft and a Mackie, I would choose the Makie everytime. They just put one in a theatre I use and I don't like them.

[bishopthomas]

Between a Soundcraft and a Mackie, I would choose the Makie everytime. They just put one in a theatre I use and I don't like them.

What Soundcraft? Making a blanket statement like that is ridiculous. Most Mackies have very limited EQ and aux sends, making it useless for most things I do. The Soundcraft MH3 is one of my all time favorite consoles. The Mackie SR series is very popular and also prone to ribbon cable failures. Most of the time if a Mackie is broken it's a ribbon issue. But I guess that makes it easy to troubleshoot...

Now, the Spirit series is a completely different story...

[TimmyP1955]

I'll take a Soundcraft over a Mackie - unless the Mackie is an Onyx. But I'll tale a Soundcract GB over an Onyx.