good desk to start pimping....??

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Zmago Šmon

Member
Joined
Oct 6, 2010
Messages
5
Hi all,

I have found this forum about half a year ago and so far I have been just absorbing the wealth of info available here and also enjoying the whole spirit of this diy community. Congrats to all!!!!!!! Been toying around with the idea of buying an older desk and modifying it and pimp it up, so I can get out of the ITB and get my hands back on the faders again...So what do you guys think is the suitable desk to start modifying?? I am looking for something that will complenent nicely old school type recordings with 16tr tape and also act as a good enough mixing board with good solid tone (pref with some iron) and headroom for mixes .....I ve looked into PM2000, some soundcrafts...even MCI 4xx....I guess what I am asking is what is decent enough platform to start modifying - psu beef up/master section with classic api products boards/recap etc etc. Any input welcome. :p :p :p...

Thnx a bunch
Z.
 
Hi guys, guess to broad question on the previus post, anyhowz went to check a soundcraft TS12 32 ch today, and its in good condition cosmetically, faders very smooth  and it looks as it has been cared for well. Unfortunatelly I could not run any audio through to check the state of the channels--- My thoughts....is it wort going with this kind of desk and adding summing cards from Jeff (classic api) as in api consoles, in section of eight chanels and then all o/p from 8 bucket summs into master summing section. In your guys experience would that approach gimme decent enough platform for mixing/ of course also with recapping the beast and beefing up the PSU....Anyways thanx for advice since its not such a small task to handle...

Thnx
Z
 
i thought there would be more response than this...

any way,  all opinion, but -

i would stay away from the MCI desks, ok in their time, but this is now.

do not let anyone give you a neve 8108 - this is THE neve desk to avoid.
the 8128 and 8232, 8348 neves are better, but if the switches are funky,
that's expensive.  these desks are under appreciated.  they can sound very good
with minimal work.  

ok, i dissed the idea of an MCI, but you could find a harrison mr-4, raven, mr-3, mr-2.
are not bad and can be upgraded fairly easily, a bit more advanced than the MCI
(some people gonna question the idea of a harrison, but,they are totally professional
consoles & sound pretty good. and generally kinda affordable.)

i guess i like big desks  :)    hey they are easy to work on!

lotsa consoles out there, i would say go for the type that is really designed for
a professional recording environment, and not from companies that were trying to
hit a very low price point in the market at the time.  

the britts made quite a number of good inexpensive desks...

just find out how expensive or possible replacement switches in any desk would be -
that can be a bummer when there are no viable replacements.
 
I've got an old Neve broadcast desk that a friend of mine and I are modding!  He has the same one as well. They are 2 of 4 made.  The 4th is parted out and the 3rd is on Odyssey Pro for sale.  It is a perfect desk for fixing up.  70's era good old neve sound.  Anyway I say that to suggest a higher end broadcast console like that or Ward Becks.

   
 
Hi guyz,

thnx for replies, well after seeing TS12 realised that for me  is better to find a good solid desk that was build solid and not cheap and then take it from there, so at the moment I am on the look for a old Harrison 32 and restoring it fully first and then look for tasty mods on it...for my workflow I just love big old desks that you grab pots and faders and feel the music under hands rather then hybrid setups...So if anyone hears or knows of old Harrison I am on the look for one....
Dan thanx for a link to odissey and good luck with a refurb...maybe when u get it closer for some photoshoots would be nice to see some pics:)

Best
Z.
 
Dan,

was that the Neve you were talking about?
http://www.odysseyprosound.com/NeveTV-PK.php

what kind of mods are you doing to it??

Thnx
Z.
 
thats it!  adding four more auxes, an api summing buss and a few other nice little things.  You can pretty much do whatever you want to it.  great for modding!
 
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