Sound board upgrade for wireless & FX

jkowtko

Well-Known Member
At the small theater I work with we're currently using a Mackie CFX20, 12 wireless mikes, 2 CD players and a Boss SP-303 sampler. I use the four sub-outs on the board to throw sound to speakers at various locations in the theater for the FX when needed. The equipment has served us well except for occasional feedback issues on the mikes and general limits in flexibility on the FX.

I'm looking to upgrade the equipment, maybe buying a PC and using Sound Cue Systems to handle the pre-recorded sounds and music. My question to you guys is, what to do about the board and other processing equipment that I might need, to handle both the pre-recorded and live needs.

Ideally would like:

- at least 24 input channels
- to add gate/compressor abilities on each live mike input channel (12-16 channels total) to deal with ambient noise, volume and feedback issues
- add EQ and feedback suppression if needed
- to add EFX capabilities either on each input channel, or have at least two separate EFX processors available to be used as inserts.
- to have 8 sub-outs (or equivalent) so I can throw or pan sound around to either main theater speakers or one of several FX speakers. I think SCS can output to 8 channels, so mainly the sound board needs to pick up the inputs and send to the various sub-outs.

Any thoughts/suggestions on what I should be looking for here, or the approach I should be taking? Digital board with integrated sound processing and EFX on each channel, or use external devices as inserts? Separate EQ? Should I look for a board with 8 sub-outs, or use the aux outs for all FX "location" speakers?

Thanks. John
 
I second the TT24, or maybe the Yamaha LS9. Both are pretty sweet and would fit your bill, but the TT24 might be better.
 
I'd look at the Yamaha 01v96, and add the additional pre's via Behringer ada8000s you add the optional adat card 16 in addition to the built in one and you get 12 pre's on the unit, 16 pres with the adat and have an additional 8 in available on adat. This is the setup that most smaller pro sound companies use on their portable rigs

http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/products/mixers/01v96/index.html
http://www.behringer.com/ADA8000/

If you look at prosound web and do a search you will find a number of people are not all that happy with the Mackie
http://srforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/m/170155/0/?srch=mackie+tt24#msg_170155
Sharyn
 
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I'd just suggest that you go to prosoundweb forums and search on the various options and opinions, and see what a lot of people who use this stuff day in and day out think. Most Behringer stuff I would not touch every once in a while they seem to come up with a product that does work well.

Yamaha has been making digital consoles from about day one, as you use the systems more and more, some of the subtle features in say routing etc, are quite a bit ahead of the mackie,

But as I said, browse around some of the pro forums and see what people think

Sharyn
 
I like the 01V96 for this. You'll have to switch layers, but with the ADA8000's, you'll have plenty of channels. The Yammi has a better feature set for its price, plus you get the reliability of the name. I can't recall everything off the top of my head, but I know you can name channels, have better efxs, there's a few more things, but I can't remember. Look both up on their websites.

As for the Behringer preamps, they're probably one of maybe two products made by them that are good. A friend of mine uses the 01V69V2 with the Behringer preamps; it sounds good, and he hasn't had any reliability issues. If you can foot the extra in the bill, the LS9 would work just as well.
 
Honestly, I think that the Mackie is pretty stable. I've even read a few articles (can't recall them now) in FullCompass mailings, Sweetwater mailings, and online sound articles about the TT24 being used in a tour situation. It's a bit more reliable than some expect from what I've heard, and it has a great feature set from what I saw on the website and from the short vids that I watched.
 
I personally use a TT24 for most of the shows i do and love it. Granted its abit more confusing at first, when coupled with the software and a laptop or PC its very smooth running. Only had one real problem where i lost data (cant say for shure it was the boards fault though...for some reason i think there was some foulplay with that one). Great system though and has some nifty onboard SFX packages that arent that hard to use. Ive tried a couple other systems including a Midas set up and a Yamaha. You get what you pay for..the yamaha was cheaper, but it wasa pain to use and didnt seem to have the most reliability. The Midas was absoutly amazing, but a tad bit on the expensive side for a self supporting school stage crew.
 
FullCompass mailings, Sweetwater mailings, and online sound articles about the TT24 being used in a tour situation.

Translation: ads, ads, and press releases about the TT24...

Haven't spent too much time on the Mackie, but I can offer two observations. One, there's a reason I haven't tried to get more time on it; it took very little time for me to find that I didn't feel it was a serious contender for any of my needs in exploring it on the show floor at AES a couple years ago.

Two, a friend was very interested in buying one a few years ago for his rental company. When he inquired with his Mackie distributor, said distributor told him to stay away, that nobody was happy with them. When the company's own distributor tells you to steer clear of something, that says a LOT. This friend ended up with an M7CL, and has been thrilled with it.

FWIW,
Andy
 
Wow. That's a pretty strong "NO" for the TT24. I'd go with an 02R if you can afford it, great feature set, and more mic preamps onboard than the 01V, and fewer layers. But if you can't afford it, an LS9-16 with some extra inputs or the Yammi 01V96 with the behringer preamps should do you fine.
 
Translation: ads, ads, and press releases about the TT24...
Haven't spent too much time on the Mackie, but I can offer two observations. One, there's a reason I haven't tried to get more time on it; it took very little time for me to find that I didn't feel it was a serious contender for any of my needs in exploring it on the show floor at AES a couple years ago.
Two, a friend was very interested in buying one a few years ago for his rental company. When he inquired with his Mackie distributor, said distributor told him to stay away, that nobody was happy with them. When the company's own distributor tells you to steer clear of something, that says a LOT. This friend ended up with an M7CL, and has been thrilled with it.
FWIW,
Andy

I do have to admit that alot of people who use our TT24 are unhappy with it at first. Its a b-word to get up and running the first time and the instructions with it are terrible and stuff, but once its going its a great machine.
 

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