New MIxer

blademaster

Active Member
My music leader gave me a chance to come up with a major wishlist so now i need to ask a what if q

"If money was no problem what would be the best mixer to get with at least 40channels and 4 sub 6aux?"
 
SoundCraft Series 2, hands down.
40 channels, + 2 Stereo + 4 Stereo Returns
8 Sub Groups
8 Mute Groups
8 Aux Sends
Dual Sweep Mid EQs
10x2 Matrix
Direct outs on all channels
Full Meter Bridge
Coms on board
And all for the low, low price of $7500
 
On top of my head.... Allen & Heath GL series, Soundcraft K2, Series Two. If price really wasn't a problem, look at Midas.
 
ML5000, Midas XL4, Midas Heritage4000, Cadac w/m-frame, Series5 FOH (screw the series2, it doesn't have VCAs), MH4, etc. I could be hear all day.

Yamaha PM1D, Digico D5, Digidesign Venue, Show Console, Ramsa, etc. I still generally like analog with nice processing over digital.
 
I agree with 'The_Guest' in that the Series 2 is not the best option. I use it weekly [in 32ch frame size] and for the price it is awesome and has really good metering, but price isn't an issue so I'm sure there is a better option. The Allen & Heath ML5000 hands down beats it. The only place it isn't as good is in metering and it still has a fair amount of meters on every channel. Also its EQs [or at least some of them] are parametric. Those are the only two I really have experience with in that size range so I'm going to refrain from commenting further.
 
The ML has plenty of metering, I sure don't mind using it. Everything on that console is built so tough and sturdy. The faders fade perfectly. There LED metering on every channel, trust me you'll get by just fine. The EQ is very nice, nice classic A&H british sound to it. ML5000 is certainly not the fanciest console out there, but it is definitely a flagship in my eyes. It has everything you need to mix beautifully. I've never used one of the smaller frame sizes, I'd be impressive to see a 24 channel console with all those features. Anyways, with 48ch, 8 VCAs, 8 Subs, 16 Auxes, etc you're certainly have room to be creative. And the price ain't that bad too. The midas comparison is pretty pricey, but midas does have some amazing preamps and eqs on their consoles.
 
I would go with Mackie, I have never had a problem with mackiw consoles. They Just came out with a new line of mixers, with the Onyx mic preamps. The Mackie Onyx 4080 is a 40 channel, and it has some nice features.

* 40 Onyx mic preamps
* 4-band Perkins EQ
* 100mm Alps faders
* 8 pre/post-switchable, stereo-linkable aux sends
* 8 stereo aux return channels with 4-band Perkins EQ, 60mm fader and flexible routing
* 12-segment stereo meters
* 4-segment metering on all channels
* On-board talkback functionality
* 8 buses.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Onyx4080/

its is not a bad price for $5500, happy searching.
 
Mackie is nowhere near the class of what we're talking here. Mackie's are bottom-of-the-line, entry-level consoles. When money is an issue, they'll do, although Allen and Heath are better sounding and far better feature sets in a similar price range.

In the class we're discussing here, just wait until you get your ears and hands on any of these pro-level consoles, and you'll understand why so many professional riders specify no Mackies :)

And, again, even if it weren't Mackie, it's a brand new console. I'm always of the mind to let other people be the first to test out a new console when it hits the free market. And, going back to the Mackie thing, it was not pretty the last time Mackie tried a large format console; the 8-buses were, as a general rule, a disaster. Those who didn't rush to buy a brand new item were saved the hassle of seeing a console with bad ribbon cables that caused all sorts of issues almost right out of the box, not to mention idiotic EQ section layouts and lots of other ill-conceived features.

To put it in terms of cars, Mackie is the Kia of the sound world; Midas and Cadac, etc. are more along the lines of BMWs, or even professional race cars. Both will get you there, but to compare them directly isn't quite fair to either one.

--A
 
I am playing nice. This thread asked for recommendations of top dollar, money is no issue "dream" consoles. Mackie consoles, Onyx or not, are anything but that.

If this thread asked about budget entry-levels, sure, look at the Onyx, but then look at the Allen and Heath, too.

Also, you are horribly mistaken. The Onyx is NOT a digital console. It's an analog console with an optional firewire output. Nothing on the console aside from that add-on card is digital (and it is pre-eq, pre-fader direct out only, plus a pair from the stereo bus), and nothing on it is digitally controlled. The TT24 is Mackie's digital console.

All that said, I am musing over the smaller Onyx with the firewire card as a Smaart interface. That could be sweet, and all my complaints except for build quality about most of Mackie's products are moot for that use. Of course, a better solution would be the equivalent of a Mobile Devices USB Pre with a series of switchable inputs, but without making a custom product, the Onyx would be a really nice way to quickly switch which measurement input you're sending into Smaart. But I digress...

--A
 
Andy_Leviss said:
To put it in terms of cars, Mackie is the Kia of the sound world; Midas and Cadac, etc. are more along the lines of BMWs, or even professional race cars. Both will get you there, but to compare them directly isn't quite fair to either one.

--A

I personally give Behringer the Kia label. Mackie is a tad better than that. But by no means superior in the audioworld.
 
If you think that lowly of Behringer then what do you think of brands such as American DJ? I'm not defending the product that they are putting out (for either brand) I'm just saying that they aren't the worst, and are far from the best. I also agree with you on the fact that Mackie is far from what the topic creator was asking for. He wanted the best console you could advise and Onyx is what you came up with. I realize my ML5000 advice wasn't much better, but I haven't worked with anything better so I really am in no position to advise you of something. I was just trying to give you what input I could.
 
American DJ makes DJ gear, not sound reinforcement gear. Totally different market, totally different goals. Doesn't even enter the comparison.

My opinion of Behringer, however, is based not only on their poor build quality, but on the well-documented fact that they steal their designs (Ebtech's Swizz Army Tester, Mackie's consoles, Aphex's processors, etc.).
 

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