Most reliable/reparable small console

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feller909

Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
21
Location
Italy
Hello
I'm looking for a small modular console like Amek BC2-3, Calrec Minimixers, Cadacs, Trident fleximix and similar..
But i'm very scared about maintenance.. I know there are some unavailable parts like "rotator IC" of Cadacs.. A mistic no more available  hybrid amp on Sony mxp 2000 which  can't be replaced with nothing else..

Is there any small modular mixing desk which is fixable for ever?
I really don't want fall in love with a dying mixer
 
Soundcraft Deltas don´t have anything special in them. If you recap them and replace the ribbon wire assembly then you should be done for quite some time.... well insert jacks occasionally have problems with their switching contacs, but these are available.
Amek BC3 have a thickfilm (IIRC) assembly for driving outputs. But with some determination this could be replaced with breadboard if necessary.
You could try to find a TAC 16/8/2. They look a bit clumsy and are not modular, so maintaining them is a bit harder. But there´s nothing special inside and if recapped they sound just beautiful.
Of course there are Studers but you pay a lot for them and some parts are unobtainium.
 
jensenmann said:
You could try to find a TAC 16/8/2. They look a bit clumsy and are not modular, so maintaining them is a bit harder. But there´s nothing special inside and if recapped they sound just beautiful.

Absolutely Agree on every word, I had (and restored) one of these and (same as TAC Scorpio) it's one of the funniest and fastest console to mix on, ok It's not a SSL, Neve or even Studer, but for daily job it¡s more than enough.

In digital audio era, I think this kind of mixers are the best option for small to mid sized studios. They integrate well with DAW's, recall is a breeze, and you get a summing mixer, faders, a sweet EQ (just for give some touches)....

If I was in the recording business today, I would get one of this small mixers
 
thanks a lot for very fast reply...
I don't like soundcraft mixer's.. I don't use any daw, i need a mixer for my samplers and synths.
I have an Audio Developments AD062 with 8 line mic, 2 aux, stereo master and stereo master compressor,. I need 8 or 12 channels more
I have 4k euro
Are Calrec consoles hard to keep  alive?


 
feller909 said:
Are Calrec consoles hard to keep  alive?
The Minimixer is dead straightforward but done properly and should last a long time.  If one comes up at a good price and the facilities fit you, buy it.  There is no doubt about the quality.
 
Peavey AMR 2400  or 1600. These are build of nothing than standard parts and can be modded if you want.
I am happy with mine and if you need spare parts, i have tons of them :) I bought a second console (without frame) some years ago.

Wolfgang
 
radardoug said:
The Toft is cheap Chinese crap, I definitely wouldn't go there!

China yes, cheap is debatable.  what makes them affordable is the transformer less circuits  and being purely IC based. The input chip is an INA 217 and sounds  fine. The eq  is a trident 80B copy as is the rest of the desk.  About the only non 80B parts are the preamp stage and the inline monitor path. It's ultimately not a bad desk by any means.
 
feller909 said:
I'm looking for a small modular console like Amek BC2-3, Calrec Minimixers, Cadacs, Trident fleximix and similar..

Fleximix is easy to service, with lots of good mods to improve it as well.  You can expand them and choose the modules you want.  Not as cheap as they used to be, but still available.
 
radardoug said:
Apart from the fact that the pots will all fail in a couple of years. Thats my experience.

They don't all fail, but some do go scratchy due to not being  sealed. Easy enough to get around and or swap them.  I've fixed my fair share on that desk, it's not nearly as drastic as you make it. 
 
The older Soundcraft stuff is super easy to service/maintain/upgrade.  No particularly hard-to-find parts, all pretty much off the shelf.  I have a 2400 with the ground mod and I've had a blast tinkering with it.  The ONLY trick might be finding replacement pots.  Old Piher stuff.  Never had to replace any, though, and mine was built in (I think) 1984.  Just a few considerations: EVERY input and output on that desk is unbalanced, and pin 3 is probably hot.  And you might want to rebuild/recap the power supply immediately.  With the ground mod, a good re-cap and a few IC changes (and the local power supply bypass caps that you should also add if using faster amps) it's quiet as a mouse, and has an interesting character.  There are fairly simple mods for the mic pres as well, though I have to admit I've never used mine so I can't tell you if they're any good.

I also have a friend who's been tinkering with a TAC Scorpion.  Easy to work on, easy-to-find parts.  And these guys make upgraded replacement mic pres for most of the Amek/TAC products:

http://www.audiomaintenance.com/acatalog/aml_electronic_products.html

I've worked on a Toft ATB and wasn't a fan.  There was terrible crosstalk across muted channels.  Also worked on one of John Oram's T-series consoles (while we're talking about Trident people).  Generally liked it; good value, sounded good, but switchgear was AWFUL.  After five years, at least 10 switches needed replacing.  Not that big of a deal in the long run, though.  That desk was eventually replaced by an Audient 4816.
 
Thanks a lot to all you
I don't like Toft, never readed nothing good about they.. only people with problems. Good soundcraft desks are too big for me, i don't need more than 16ch. I like Fleximix, if i find one i take it.
AML have a lot of parts for small ameks.. i will be safe with a BC2?
But the big quest is:
If an electronic part becomes unavable is there always a work around to make the console working?



 
feller909 said:
thanks a lot for very fast reply...
I don't like soundcraft mixer's.. I don't use any daw, i need a mixer for my samplers and synths.
I have 4k euro

If you want some "sweet-sounding" exotic Neve or SSL clone mixer to record your synths and keys down an expensive all-analog chain, I can understand that and I'm sure you will find someone very willing to take your 4000 euros,  But if you are playing live, you are almost certainly going through a digital FOH and/or monitor mixer - so what is the point of spending a ton of money on some old board you can't really rely on - even after you have "fixed" it - when you can get something solid like a new Allen and Heath GL2400-16 from Sonic Circus for ~1700 euros? Reading some of the replies from other guys, it looks like there is nothing really special about most of the mixers you are asking about - they are just old.

You can buy a new Midas Venice F16 analog 16-channel mixer from Sonic Circus for 1600 euros that is probably as good as it gets in the small format analog mixer right now. I'm sure these are available in Europe with no problem.
If you want something a little bigger, Solaris is selling a used 24 channel Midas Venice 320 with a flight case for 1,147 Euros that was probably always professionally maintained after every tour - an analog steal if ever there was one IMHO. They sell stuff all over the world. And the list goes on and on, mainly because all the touring companies are dropping their analog stuff and going digital.
(I might pick up one of their monster mixers that has probably travelled the world 100 times over and hang it on my wall as art ;D ;D)

Phil

 
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