There's been quite a lot of discussion here about "affordable" recording consoles lately. For example, I'll admit just seeing the lovely looking Toft board made it a temptation. Even knowing it had serious flaws, and there were likely much better choices available at that price point, it almost fooled you into thinking it can't be that bad, (it is). Still, there's something in me that eventually wants a console, even though a summing mixer would probably be more aligned with my work methods, (singer/songwriter producing his songs at home, tracking 85% of it myself).
I've seen Trident 24 series with custom cabinetry and patchbay sell for $2500, Soundcraft Ghosts and Spirits sell for $1,000-$2,000, then there are brands I know less about like Neotek or Harrison that seem to sell for $5,000-$7,500 on average. There are boards like the overhyped "Japaneve" Yamaha Pm 1000, 2000 boards that make me wonder how good they really are, and how much they're really worth.
Every time one board is mentioned that is by a respected manufacturer, it's flaws are pointed out in great detail. You know, "the EQ is lousy, you need to change opamps, preamps aren't great, the power supply sucks", etc., etc. That's OK, obviously these are not $150,000 SSL boards or reconstructed Neve's.
My question is what would you guys consider the three best new or vintage boards at these general price points, and what would you be sacrificing when compared to the top of the line models. My particulate taste runs toward big and clean sounding, and I'm more concerned with the best sound quality than every new bell & whistle.
$2,000-$3,500
$3,500- $7,500
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Martin Kindly asked me to jump in here because I have serviced a variety of mixing consoles and have owned Soundcrafts, two Tridents series 80b, a custom Neve 24 channel plus I have serviced several Neve's, MCI's, a Neotek, Harrison, AMEK, Ward Beck and of course my beloved Sony MXP 3036.
I am going to start out with the Behringer UFX 1604 at around $700.
Now, the Behringer is what I call a "disposable" mixer as it is not worth fixing once it starts to fail.
I have had one for 2 years and it has done a couple of dozen live sound gigs and I have used it to monitor back from my Radar 24 on 3 or 4 live recordings.
I would think under normal operation it will last for 5 years before you will need to replace it. However, that's less than $150 a year.
I want to start here because we can look at the features you get and use this a a reference.
The UFX1604 has 12 full throw faders and you can use channels 9, 10, 11 & 12 to bring back a L&R track with each fader. So, you can listen back to 16 tracks.
The UFX has preamps in my experience that sound as good as a Mackie, M-Audio and are quieter than a Trident 24 or Toft ATB series which features a transformerless preamp.
I owned a Toft ATB for about 6 months and it was going to replace the UFX1604 which I was using in my Studio to listen back from the Radar when I first moved here.
I really did get taken by the look of the ATB as PMI did a great job giving it the Series 80b look which I had grown up on.
I expected something like a Trident 24 quality as I knew it didn't have the Series 80b preamp stage or the low Z output buffer circuit of the Series 80b.
The ATB and the Behringer both run from a + or - 15v supply. This will yield +22dbu unbalanced or +26dbu balanced before distortion.
The Series 80b, the Sony MXP3036 and my Radar 24 run the audio rails at + or - 18 volts so you get +24dbu unbalanced and +28dbu balanced.
In comparison a Neve 1073 module/console can produce nearly +30dbu before the on-set of distortion and the Neve circuit produces a much more musical distortion.
The UFX1604 only has a L/R buss (it does have two alternate outputs) the channel is routed to these when the mute is engaged.
The UFX1604 can provide a balanced output to drive monitor speakers and it drive headphones really well which is what I usually use for live recording.
The UFXI604 has 8 microphone preamps and if I have to use these preamps for recording live I come directly out of the insert sends on each of the microphone channels.
The ATB Toft EQ did seem more familiar to me and did remind me of the Series 80b but I thought there was not quite as much headroom as I remember.
The Behringer EQ seemed quite adequate for live PA and I never use EQ when I record. I didn't hate it and it seemed just fine for minor EQ needs.
The Behringer also has two HI Z switches on Pre 1&2 which was worked wellk on the Jazz bass.
So, you could patch two of these mixer together for $1400 and have a 24 returns with 16 microphone preamps.
The Behringer has a couple of other surprises there 4-AUX sends and two of these are post and drive built in FX processors which are quite useable especially live.
There is also a one knob compressor on each channel and I didn't give it much hope but the first time I used it I was pleasantly surprised.
Now, there is no direct bypass of the compressor and even when you turn the knob off it sounds to my old ears that the dynamic range is getting slightly limited.
I got the opportunity to record a jazz quartet live last year. I didn't have any MT8016 ready and didn't want to pull preamps out of my rack, so I used the UFX1604 preamps.
I was pleasantly surprised with the results and it sounded better to my ears that the live recordings we did in the early 80's with a Tangent 12 channel mixer.
However, when I got the tracks back and played them through the Sony MXP3036 and the bass player's SSL it seemed that the dynamics has been reduced slightly.
However, the Sax player and my friend Miles Fox who played bass and produces Michael Buble' plus has toured with Van Morrison thought the live tracks sounded really good.
I really wished I had some MT8016's ready but I was not dissapointed with the sound. Now, I had come directly out of the insert sends into my RADAR 24 converters.
The other bonus of the UFX1604 is you can put in a fast 3.0 USB stick or USB hard drive and it will record each channel and the 2 mix to the separate wave files.
WARNING you need a very fast USB one that can write over 100mb/sec.
UFX1604
Tangent 1202
Now, starting at $2K new you can buy a Soundcraft GB4 24 channel console for about $1900 plus shipping.
For, $2K you get more aux busses more useable grouping, direct outputs on each channel.
It doesn't look quite as pretty as the ATB but I think it would perform as well and most likely is quieter.
It has 4 buss output plus L/center/ these will probably use the same IC as the Behringer and the IC's are probably soldered on the board and can't be upgraded.
It has the usual transformerless preamps but if you have a few outboard preamps then it will serve really well as a buss mixer.
I have never used one of these but most of the boards in this price range are quite useable, provide adequate EQ and being new there should be no electronic problems.
The buyer just needs to confirm before purchase that it the features they require, they are be able to route as required and what external interface connectors are provided.
Here is a SPECK 16 channel console that I bought circa 1973 to work with our Scully 1" 8-track. This used NE741 IC's which has a slew rate of 1.
You could cut with the EQ but if you tried to boast too much the headroom would be severely limited because of the 741.
It has one midrange sweepable EQ plus HF and LF shelving. It seems to be quieter than the tape hiss??? This board was $1600 in 1973.
It had transformer couple mic preamps and if you upgraded the IC's it would be quite useable if you found one for a few hundred dollars.
It would need to be re-capped as well but each channel does come out and you can work on it channel by channel. The faders were quite nice.
Here I am in the late 70's still in the "bunker" (garage studio) with a Soundcraft Series III. This was a 24x8 console with a 8 channel monitor section and the busses could be switched between 16 output to feed the 16-track Scully.
However, again this console had 741 IC's which I believe we upgraded, it had two bands of variable EQ plus HF and LF shelving and P&G faders.
You had to be gentle with the EQ on this console and the Series 80b EQ was a huge improvement.
In 1979 we built Ocean Sound Studios in downtown Vancouver and talked with Malcolm Toft at Trident about the new Series 80b and he sent out a module for us to peruse.
Now, no matter if you find a Trident Series 80b, Harrison 32b (Michael Jackson Thriller) a Neve or even a Sony MXP3036 for under $7500 you will be faced with maintenance issues. I bought a 32 Channel Ward Beck console for $750 which weighs the same as an equivalent Neve. You need two strong guys and a dolly or a forklift to move it.
My idea was to part it out, but I was able to part it out and build a 24x8 mixing console out of all the extras that came. It took two of us over a month to complete this.
The Ward Beck had a discrete transformer coupled preamps, a Series 80b like EQ, P&G faders and a 1/4" patchbay.
All the direct outs, group outs,inserts and aux sends were balanced along with the bussing in the Ward Beck. However, they are set for +8dbM for Ovu which means the input to your A/D converter will only have 10db of headroom.
You have to change out about 36 to 40 gain resistors too and then re-calibrate the meters to run the console with A/D converters.
Again, with any used console you sooner than later have to clean every fader, pots, switch and patchbay connector and change out an electrolytics or tantalums capacitors that are over 15 years old plus re-building the power supply as well if you want reliability.
There is a NEVE A7056 on e-bay right now for $6500.
The A7056 is not as favoured as those with 1073/1081 or the V88's but its a Neve and will sound better than a ATB or Soundcraft.
It apparantly, has 28 channels working with belclere input transformers each channel has xlr and tuchel connections. This board is IC not discrete with 5532's I believe.
It has plasma meters and I have seen these be a problem in several other expensive consoles so I would ask if they are working.
Not a deal breaker as with a bit of work they can be replaced with long LED level indicators.
It comes with 6 heavy power supplies and switch over unit plus its power harness along with the wooden back and metal cover panels.
This was in the Walter Kronkite news studio and when it was de-commissioned the patch bay and cable harness for the far left 8 channel side car was lost.
I would make sure the monitor section is working and you could alway sell of the 8 channel side car for > $1.5K and you would have a Neve 28 channel console for $5000.
I will post more on Neotek, AMEK, Tridents, Neve's and Sony MXP3036 tomorrow. I have used up all the attachment space now.
Cheers, Dave
aamicrophones.com