Are Yamaha & Peavey Bad?

stjc15

Member
I have heard many people say that both the Yamaha and Peavey brand mixers are junk. I happen to work with both. I was never able to get an explanation as to why they are so bad, but I would kind of like to know if they are, or if it is just personal preference. I would also like to know what you think are the best brand out there.
 
Yamaha isn't what I'd consider crap. After all, they do make some of the most widely used digital desks, PM1D, PM5D, M7CL, the list goes on and on. Some of their smaller boards may not be as "professional" as say a PM3500, but they'll get the job done. Same thing for Peavy, there's better mixers out there, but if it'll do the job, by all means use them.
 
For schools, small rental companies, small colleges, community arts centers, and everyone who can't afford the big guns, the mid-size peavey and yamaha analog consoles mean reliability. The EQ isn't extraordinary, the pre-amps aren't pristine, but they get the job done, and they'll do it over and over and over again. On the other hand, Yamaha's range of digital mixers is absolutely superb and peavey's higher-priced speakers are built to bombproof standards and can REALLY move some air. They aren't Vertec arrays, mind you, but they'll do just fine for smaller venues or high schools.
 
Question: Are Yamaha & Peavey Bad?

Answer: No

Explanation: They are perfect for what they are designed for. We have a Peavey head here that is about 20 years old and it is still one helluva amazing power amp (with a repair or two rather recently).

We use Yamaha analogs (one 16-channel powered, one 24-channel unpowered) as our main mixing desks and they do a superb job. The EQ is OK for a touchy person like me.

However our brand new 24-channel Yammie developed a problem with the right-hand channel not working within a week of being delivered. Bad solder joint probably.
 
While peavey's are not my favorite, for small events they work beautifully. Yamaha's I love. While not my favorite console (Thats reserved by the Midas Heritage 3000) they work like a dream under any situation and are hard to break. I've seen any number of Yamaha desks on tour's where they got the crap kicked out of them. And they still worked.
 
I've actually watched a Peavey mixer/amp unit bounce down a flight of 12 stairs, get plugged in and work... with the exception of a small crack in the wooden handle. Granted this was back in 1982... (crap... did I just age myself?)

I think with everything you'll do just fine if you maintain it and don't use it beyond what it was spec'ed to do.
 
My school has a 12 yr. old yamaha pm1200 mixer. It works really well, never have had any problems with it. Whearas almost every week i read a post saying people have had problems with mackie mixers. never seen anything about a yamaha.

If it were my money, i wouldn't buy a yamaha board, for the simple fact that there are better boards for the same price, ie. Allen and heath, soundcraft, mackie, etc.

I have had no experience with peavey.
 
Interesting perspective
why when you have not had any problems with your Yamaha would you not select it for your self? I think the future is much more digital, and in a school setting making the move up to a digital setup has a lot of advantages


In the analog low end mixers, I would tend to not go with Yamaha or anyone, because IMO you can get a lot more mixer and flexibility if you move up to digital with the 01v96 there are many pro sound companies that use these for their low end rigs. I see a lot of A&H speced for schools, some soundcraft, Midas verona etc but I think looking to the future and the most for the least price with a quality product DIGITAL is the way to go.

If you look at the cost of the mixer and then add in the rack gear that you should have (compression eq delay etc etc flexible routing) the analog mixer + rack winds up costing more than the Digital not to mention recall etc. Again just an opinion, in the 2 grand catagory Yamaha 01v96 is hard to beat.

Sharyn
 
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But many High School programs do not have the time that is required to learn a digital console. I know that if a digital console of the same price as our soundcraft analog board was put in, my old crew (now the heads of the new crew) would have no idea what to do. In my opinion, digital mixers are better for college level and up. We do actually have a RAMSA DA-7 in the theater here, which is used for musicals and such out at the mix position.
 
I guess I would agree to disagree

IMO high school students have the same technical learning ability as College, maybe not the time and interest to learn the theory but the ability to learn a digital surface is the same. I think if that perspective were universal than in lighting high schools would all be back with simple NSI 7xxx level controls.

Young people today don't have the technophobia or the years on ingrained experience of how it should be done in an analog world.

Any way just an opinion. On technical ability to learn I would never underestimate a high school student.

Sharyn
 
Darn, you beat me to the light board analogy. It's not that hard to learn a digital board, especially the smaller Yammi boards. I think learning to program on a Strand light board is more complex than the 01, or hell, even the M7CL.
 
Interesting perspective
why when you have not had any problems with your Yamaha would you not select it for your self? I think the future is much more digital, and in a school setting making the move up to a digital setup has a lot of advantages
In the analog low end mixers, I would tend to not go with Yamaha or anyone, because IMO you can get a lot more mixer and flexibility if you move up to digital with the 01v96 there are many pro sound companies that use these for their low end rigs. I see a lot of A&H speced for schools, some soundcraft, Midas verona etc but I think looking to the future and the most for the least price with a quality product DIGITAL is the way to go.
If you look at the cost of the mixer and then add in the rack gear that you should have (compression eq delay etc etc flexible routing) the analog mixer + rack winds up costing more than the Digital not to mention recall etc. Again just an opinion, in the 2 grand catagory Yamaha 01v96 is hard to beat.
Sharyn

Because for a little more money I could step up to a soundcraft mixer, I don't need the delay, effect or compressor, limiter. I learned how to mix sound without these, and it saves a lot of hassle. Sure, IF and when I go to buy a mixing console, i would probably shell out the money to buy a nice digital console.
 
So what will the Soundcraft give you that you do not have today? It is interesting that you look at the digital features as hassle and learning how to mix without them. I am not talking about gimic type stuff but as you get more experienced you will see that compressors, limiters and gates for instance can allow you the tools to get the sound you want. Delays and advanced eq reverb are all tools that make a hugh difference. Auto scene recall is a massive help in a complex setup.

If you look at a pro rig setup it is not just the mixer it is the outboard that makes the difference. Todays modern mixers have subtle differences in how they sound, the noise level, layout etc. but much of what you hear at a professional production comes from the outboard. There really is a reason why all the major suppliers are all adding more onboard digital

Using a lighting analogy, you could have the latest ETC board, but if you only had one type of instrument you would feel limited. The add ons for audio are like you gobo's gels' and different instruments.

It is easy to just look at the "badge" on the equipment, but it really is the system that makes for the more usable effective operation.

Sharyn
 
I know as a high school director I would love to have a digital sound board for my students to use. Unfortunately their cost is fairly prohibitive. A lot of small high schools simply do not have the funds to buy them. Especially in today's times where schools being forced to exist as a non-inflationary entity within an inflation model. The struggling public is voting "no" on operating levies and drama programs will be lucky to have the funding to stay in existence, let alone purchase a mixing board that costs a couple of grand.
 
IMHO the only valid complaint I have heard about Peavey is that their products are so durable that you never have the excuse of it becoming unreliable to justify buying new equipment.

Andre
 
As an employee of a school district & working in a high school, I agree that the funds just aren't there to get a digital desk. I had to pull teeth to try to upgrade from a 24 channel to a 36. Even then the district didn't buy it, the high school musical account paid to go from the 8 or 9 year old Mackie SR 24.4 to a Soundcraft LX7 32. Granted, it is not a fabulous board, but it was the best I could get for the money that they had!!

Dennis
 
Just a personal opinion, but the SOUNDCRAFT Discounted sell for about 2400, and the 01V96 for 2000, and a lot of the low end pro systems are extending the inputs by adding a Behringer (one of the few recommended things they make) ADA8000, so the pricing is just about the same

When most people think of digital desk they think of the high end systems, but again a lot of the pro's on the smaller rigs are going with the yammy.

Sharyn
 
Heck, back home, at the Fox theater, I've seen some of the tours come through, and those that don't have a Cadac at FOH usually submix the pit on a DM1000 (might have been a 2000). You can definitly still be professional and mix on a smaller digital desk.
 
as i read these posts, i am noticing that you have turned this post into a dispute over digital vs. analog consoles.

As for the topic of bad things about yamaha and peavey, the only thing that i haven't heard yet, is that all boards regardless of brand, these boards have their advantages and disadvantages. there isn't really a bad board, but there are some that are better than others. if you are willing to spend the money then go for it, but if you are on a budget, yamaha, peavey, and even behringer sound good for the money. Every sound tech I've ever talked to has a grudge about behringer, but i know for a fact that you can't find a better 36 channel board for under $500.

that's all i've got to say about that.
 

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