ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Sept 11, 2018 10:03:42 GMT -6
Sure if you have a great tech, and documentation, but even Neotech will tell you old Neotechs are a rats nest. This thing is in the third largest market in the US, where the legend of Neotech runs deep and it’s starting that low, there’s a reason.
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Post by Quint on Sept 11, 2018 12:01:15 GMT -6
Sure if you have a great tech, and documentation, but even Neotech will tell you old Neotechs are a rats nest. This thing is in the third largest market in the US, where the legend of Neotech runs deep and it’s starting that low, there’s a reason. Fair points.
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Post by jcoutu1 on Sept 11, 2018 12:38:35 GMT -6
A few months ago, I worked on a DDA console. I liked the sound a lot. Then I read today that the designers of DDA went on to be the designers of Audient! If the Audient sounds anything like the DDA board did, I'm more interested now. I get that the consensus is Audient preamps are plainer with less color than some other brands, but that DDA had some real muscle, so I hope I get to try an Audient board one day and compare. He also designed with Midas for a bit.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Sept 11, 2018 13:34:12 GMT -6
A few months ago, I worked on a DDA console. I liked the sound a lot. Then I read today that the designers of DDA went on to be the designers of Audient! If the Audient sounds anything like the DDA board did, I'm more interested now. I get that the consensus is Audient preamps are plainer with less color than some other brands, but that DDA had some real muscle, so I hope I get to try an Audient board one day and compare. He also designed with Midas for a bit. Kind of sort of the XL200 series is the DDA Q2 with the Midas XL Preamp. I do t think Dave or Gareth were ever employed by Mark IV, the intellectual property was part of their purchases of DDA.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 11, 2018 15:10:39 GMT -6
Good to know, thanks guys. If I ever really want to try a board again without getting in too deep, I'd look at the DDA or the Soundcraft Delta. I have a hunch the DDA sounds a little better than the Delta, but I can't be sure since I haven't had my hands on a Delta yet.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Sept 11, 2018 15:53:13 GMT -6
Good to know, thanks guys. If I ever really want to try a board again without getting in too deep, I'd look at the DDA or the Soundcraft Delta. I have a hunch the DDA sounds a little better than the Delta, but I can't be sure since I haven't had my hands on a Delta yet. I own a DDA and I have owned a Venue, the 8 bus version of the Delta, the Delta stock is a cleaner higher headroom board modded take that times 3 !
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Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 11, 2018 21:06:26 GMT -6
Hmm.. thanks Eric, I really appreciate that. I was beginning to think the Delta couldn't compete with the DDA, partly because the DDA felt like a board and the Delta looks a lot like a "mixer", if you know what I mean. Stylistically, by "mixer", I mean the thing I used for a P.A. system when I first got started.
But I do like clean, with a sense of space.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Sept 11, 2018 21:26:48 GMT -6
Hmm.. thanks Eric, I really appreciate that. I was beginning to think the Delta couldn't compete with the DDA, partly because the DDA felt like a board and the Delta looks a lot like a "mixer", if you know what I mean. Stylistically, by "mixer", I mean the thing I used for a P.A. system when I first got started. But I do like clean, with a sense of space. Well the Delta /Venue series was sold primarily as PA board, as was the DDA forum and Interface, these were boards used in midsize venues and tours. Do keep in mind a Forum will beat the pants off any of the larger DDA studio boards ( AMR, DMR Profile) because it’s a smaller signal flow, far less complicated, less to muck up the signal. The similar Delta / Venue is probably the last time a big corporation is going to invest in trying to build a better sounding analog board and JW can go into everything they did right.
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Post by keymod on Sept 12, 2018 3:17:22 GMT -6
Hmm.. thanks Eric, I really appreciate that. I was beginning to think the Delta couldn't compete with the DDA, partly because the DDA felt like a board and the Delta looks a lot like a "mixer", if you know what I mean. Stylistically, by "mixer", I mean the thing I used for a P.A. system when I first got started. But I do like clean, with a sense of space. The similar Delta / Venue is probably the last time a big corporation is going to invest in trying to build a better sounding analog board and JW can go into everything they did right. Maybe not a big corporation, but APB Dynasonics ??
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Sept 12, 2018 8:20:49 GMT -6
The similar Delta / Venue is probably the last time a big corporation is going to invest in trying to build a better sounding analog board and JW can go into everything they did right. Maybe not a big corporation, but APB Dynasonics ?? I like the APB, it’s one hell of a console but man the versatility and flexibility of The modularity and how cheap used Deltas make it so desirable. That said when you consider the Crest / Peavey lineage of APB, you have a point, and if the feature set small footprint and low cost of modern digital didn’t make the use of analog consoles so rare these days APB, would probably be the Modern Delta/ Venue.
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Post by guitfiddler on Sept 12, 2018 9:54:56 GMT -6
APB Dynasonics - Spectra
I went to their website and it looks as if everything console wise is discontinued.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Sept 12, 2018 13:07:07 GMT -6
APB Dynasonics - Spectra I went to their website and it looks as if everything console wise is discontinued. Not surprised, who’s buying new consoles? But they still have the cool little Proracks!!! Buy some and link them!
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 15, 2018 13:14:58 GMT -6
Maybe not a big corporation, but APB Dynasonics ?? I like the APB, it’s one hell of a console but man the versatility and flexibility of The modularity and how cheap used Deltas make it so desirable. That said when you consider the Crest / Peavey lineage of APB, you have a point, and if the feature set small footprint and low cost of modern digital didn’t make the use of analog consoles so rare these days APB, would probably be the Modern Delta/ Venue. I hate digital consoles.
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Sept 15, 2018 13:48:40 GMT -6
I like the APB, it’s one hell of a console but man the versatility and flexibility of The modularity and how cheap used Deltas make it so desirable. That said when you consider the Crest / Peavey lineage of APB, you have a point, and if the feature set small footprint and low cost of modern digital didn’t make the use of analog consoles so rare these days APB, would probably be the Modern Delta/ Venue. I hate digital consoles. For me it’s love/ hate. Love : small foot print, feature set, simple recall. Years ago I did a series of musicals and Caberte shows with an O2R, didn’t have enough wireless on the musicals so the simplicity of being able to recall during costume changes was a god send and with different performed floating in and out of caberte shows plus having a really nice full featured EQ and dynamics made semi talented performers sound very talented and recall in both situations made mixing wedges from FOH so easy. Hate The sound isn’t as good as what I could squeeze out of a true large scale FOH console and racks of the same feature set and some very skilled patching. I can’t simply walk up to an unfamiliar FOH take a quick look grab a fader or Knob and solve a problem! Pageing through EQ’s at wedges is slow and a PITA, between looking at the stage what I can hear mixing wedges for 35 years, having my RTA and all my graphics arranged and labeled by. ME I can solve a feedback issue before it happens, hell I can probably do it on your set up, with Digital I probably am pageing to fix the problem before the problem while something else pops up! Stupid F#%KING SMALL SCREENS!!!!!!!!!!! EVERY DIGITAL BOARD SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 2 VIDEO MONITOR OUTPUTS!!!!! If The X32 made it so I could have 3 video monitors I could probably live with the thing, I don’t want to have to have a computer so I can see what I need to see! That’s the thing with analog everything is right in front of me! Pages of faders ok, I’m adjusting a graphic because I’m dealing with some act with little stage experience and I have the Graphic on the faders, suddenly the lead singer puts his 58 in the wedge how long is it going to take me to get back to the page where I can pull the fader on that monitor mix so we don’t all look stupid ? Anybody who’s mixed wedges want to chime in on how many times you have thrown something at this idiot ? His idiot sonsor daughters? Grandchildren? I’ve lost count, but on an analog desk I can make his dumb shit move look cool.
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Post by keymod on Sept 15, 2018 15:42:33 GMT -6
APB Dynasonics - Spectra I went to their website and it looks as if everything console wise is discontinued. Not surprised, who’s buying new consoles? But they still have the cool little Proracks!!! Buy some and link them! I had two Pro Rack House mixers linked before I bought my Pro Desk 832. Sold one of the Pro Racks,but using the other as a keyboard/rehearsal mixer in my space. The APB stuff is amazing. So sorry that they are almost gone.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 15, 2018 16:10:17 GMT -6
I've been tempted by digital boards. Some of the Soundcraft boards with Lexicon reverbs seem well thought out and are a perfect size for home recordists and small studios. But I just can't do it.
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 15, 2018 16:50:19 GMT -6
For me it’s love/ hate. Love : small foot print, feature set, simple recall. Years ago I did a series of musicals and Caberte shows with an O2R, didn’t have enough wireless on the musicals so the simplicity of being able to recall during costume changes was a god send and with different performed floating in and out of caberte shows plus having a really nice full featured EQ and dynamics made semi talented performers sound very talented and recall in both situations made mixing wedges from FOH so easy. Hate The sound isn’t as good as what I could squeeze out of a true large scale FOH console and racks of the same feature set and some very skilled patching. I can’t simply walk up to an unfamiliar FOH take a quick look grab a fader or Knob and solve a problem! Pageing through EQ’s at wedges is slow and a PITA, between looking at the stage what I can hear mixing wedges for 35 years, having my RTA and all my graphics arranged and labeled by. ME I can solve a feedback issue before it happens, hell I can probably do it on your set up, with Digital I probably am pageing to fix the problem before the problem while something else pops up! Stupid F#%KING SMALL SCREENS!!!!!!!!!!! EVERY DIGITAL BOARD SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST 2 VIDEO MONITOR OUTPUTS!!!!! If The X32 made it so I could have 3 video monitors I could probably live with the thing, I don’t want to have to have a computer so I can see what I need to see! That’s the thing with analog everything is right in front of me! Pages of faders ok, I’m adjusting a graphic because I’m dealing with some act with little stage experience and I have the Graphic on the faders, suddenly the lead singer puts his 58 in the wedge how long is it going to take me to get back to the page where I can pull the fader on that monitor mix so we don’t all look stupid ? Anybody who’s mixed wedges want to chime in on how many times you have thrown something at this idiot ? His idiot sonsor daughters? Grandchildren? I’ve lost count, but on an analog desk I can make his dumb shit move look cool. That sounds about like my feelings. If I was doing theatrical productions I'd almost certainly love the things, because what you can do in the context of a rigidly arranged and plotted production is just amazing. In fact in my view they're much closer in feel to a theatrical lighting console than a live (or studio, for that matter) sound board. A friend of mine who does that for a living walked me in to watch him do the in the round production of Peter Pan and there's simply no way I could do a show like that with even the most elaborate Midas analog rig - but that cuts both ways. There's no way you can really do an adequate job for a chaotic rock gig on a digital console that was designed by some geek who has never actually worked "in the trenches" - they don't handle the unexpected worth a hill of beans and there is no consistancy in user interfaces between brands. And there are "tricks" that you just can't do with digital FX, especially plugins - I'm sure you've seen my rants about the lack of a decent digital Space Echo! There's a whole generation of young FOH guys who have come up not realizing how using digital consoles has seriously shaped and limited the scope of their mixing style. You might say they're "trapped in the box"!
And that's not even addressing the mediocre sonics and the fact that they're occasionally susceptible to crashing or locking up due to power spikes.
Anyway, that's enough - apologies for hijacking the thread.
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Post by Guitar on Sept 15, 2018 16:54:56 GMT -6
wah wah wah
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Post by johneppstein on Sept 15, 2018 19:21:01 GMT -6
They have pedals for that.
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Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 15, 2018 21:59:26 GMT -6
I've been thinking that a board like a Soundcraft Delta and all the way up the more expensive API and Audient small boards would be a nice companion to the new Apollo 16X. My goal now is to pay the rent and buy a few things as I can. My goal after that is to have a minimalist, but high quality place to record band tracks of a combo live. Drums, bass, guitars, keys, pedal steel and color instruments like mandolin, cello and a guide vocal.
The new Apollo's may just be enough for me to be satisfied with a one box solution interface and skip the high end converter thing.
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Post by kcatthedog on Sept 16, 2018 6:44:42 GMT -6
I have a Symph mkii 16 so the new X16 would be similar, either works very easily with 16 channel delta, bare in mind the delta groups each have 2 seperate mono inputs and 3 band eq, so 2 extra inputs per group.
So, a delta 16/4/2 is actually a 24 input small footprint board and you have master I/o on your master channel.
So, very versatile and you have the direct outs and inserts (trs) on each channel.
Jim in CA or Skip in Nashville can both provide expert mods so no great worries there.
Whrn purchasing just consider shipping and same thing for mods.
Somebody locally has a small 9/4/2 delta(7 mono, 1 stereo input),( so actually 17/4/2) asking $350 cdn unmodded but what a steal!
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Post by Ward on Sept 17, 2018 12:15:11 GMT -6
I've been tempted by digital boards. Some of the Soundcraft boards with Lexicon reverbs seem well thought out and are a perfect size for home recordists and small studios. But I just can't do it. I'm tempted to publicly wish you a Happy Birthday! Looking good for 48!
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Post by Martin John Butler on Sept 17, 2018 21:27:02 GMT -6
Thanks so much Ward. My computer died yesterday, not a very happy birthday gift. I was planning on buying some new things like new Apollo and microphone or two so I’ll have to put that on the back burner.
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ericn
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Post by ericn on Sept 17, 2018 21:38:53 GMT -6
Thanks so much Ward. My computer died yesterday, not a very happy birthday gift. I was planning on buying some new things like new Apollo and microphone or two so I’ll have to put that on the back burner. Happy birthday my friend, I’ll toast you tomorrow as I turn 50😪
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Post by ragan on Sept 17, 2018 23:39:02 GMT -6
Well shit. Happy bday to you two fellas.
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