Can you discribe what jacks are on the back of the console? The aux sends may be labled as " output bus's ".

Biamp is still in business catering to the commercial/corportate installs and houses of worship markets. http:// send them an email with the model number and your likely to get an answer and may very well be able to get a manual.

This is the strangest board I have ever worked with. Usualy mixing boards are fairly straight forard to me, but this one is bizarre.

The jacks on the back are as follows top to bottom

O group output
O group patch in/out ( inserts ? )
-
O patch in/out ( inserts ? )
O direct out
O tape in
O line in
O xlr/mic in

this is the same from channel 1 to channel 28
then you have 4 aux returns and outputs for you control room monitors and main mix. Strange thig about this board is that it has bus selectors 1-2
3-4, etc but no seperate bus faders, just master left and right faders. So instead of something normal like a 24*8*2 it looks like a 28*2. Any ideas?

Are there pots on the channel strips for aux sends?

Yes, four aux sends. They are marked as aux one, aux two, cue one, and cue two. I don't know if this means anything to you but there are four channels with those names in between channel 28 and the master left and right faders. Appart from the names they look identical to the other channels.

mmmm-kay. The direct outputs of those channels are the aux and cue sends..

I'll give that a shot tommorow, thanks.

One of the beautiful things about this board is the EQ available on the aux and cue masters.The preamps on this particular console are of fairly high quality.You also may find that there are trim controls on the tape ins.These channels are both in and out. Also it may have three band parametric on each channel.I worked quite a few hours on one of these big Bi-amps and the sound is quite good.If its the board I think it is.

Davedog, sounds like you know this board pretty well, the tape inputs do indeed have trim controls on them and each channel has three parametric eq's. I'm shure it's the one you are thinking of. Any chance you remember how the routing works?

The cues and efx channels are the masters to whatever outboard or monitoring amp you want to use.The returns for these are above the main outs on the back.The return levels are in the master section.This enables you monitor any bus or channel through the send on each channel for the aux/efx or the cue.This thing came with three different channels available...An I/O module and a stereo module and a communications module.It sounds like you have a short-loaded 32 channel with 28 I/O's and 2 stereo modules.This was a concept modular mixer that had studio quality sound available in a live or studio desk.They really do sound good.You should find the noise level very low with almost zero cross-talk,and mic pres that have a bit of gain...40db.In this configuration you should have 24 I/O's for a 24 track recorder.

Sounds as if the bus arraingment is much like that on many large format consoles, with the bus's being in the inline strips rather than in a fader arraingment like on a smaller 8 bus console. If this is a 24 bus console, that makes sense because think about how much real estate would be taken up with 24 bus channes and faders.. the bus master faaders are probably on the channel strips as well.. K.

Kurt, you are correct sir.The main problem with the routing is the nomenclature used to describe basic functions.Bi-amp kind of invented their own words for standard terms.The "sub/track output level is commonly called a group out.There are several of these blights but you simply have to remember that bi-amp as intending to name these as 'from/to'. Another aspect of this board is its ability to internally change many connections and tailor it to your needs.There are jumpers all over the place and a proper spec sheet can tell you where and what they all do.Write or call Bi-amp and someone will be able to help you.While I realise your 'just borrowing' this console and theres a lack of efx subs(only two) the monioring and the flexibility plus the sound of the console makes it a huge bang for the buck.If you're doing a DAW system and want a very decent analog front-end, then this one will do the job several giant steps above the Mackie/Berhringer crap thats out there.

Thanks guys you have been very helpful. How would you compare the pre's in the biamp to something like art's MPA, or the pre's in an aardvark Q-10?
I will be tracking with it in the next few days and will find out for myself but I was just wondering what your opinions were.

These pres are gonna be more in the range of the Ghost or the A&H GS3000.I guess this would also be a lot like yer MPA...although I think the MPA is smoother and its unlikely you'll be able to get any 'driven' sounds out of it.I have one so its what I know.Good luck on yer tracking.

So what you mean in regards to the routing is that this board has essentionaly 28 inputs, 4 aux sends, and 28 buses(but instead of faders the buses have knobs at the the top of the channel strips)?

And by the way HAPPY NEW YEAR!

That would be the case.Yes.All channel strips are a mixer by themselves.Though you can make sub-groups.However you will not have to go through another level of electronics to achieve this.I thin k its done with the internal jumpering.But I always liked the single bus per channel when tracking myself.Unless you have a whole crapload of synths or something of that nature, it just makes sense to have all your inputs separate.This is where the very low crosstalk will show itself.This board will sound almost discreet.Happy New Year.

Well we won't be doing any tracking till monday now, so maybe that will give me some more time to try and get to grips with it's functions. I was wondering a few things...

So is everything automaticaly routed to the master L/R faders? What I mean is that if you don't assign a bus on say channel one will that signal go directly to the master faders? Same question when using the buses. When you have channel one bused to say bus 4 does the signal from bus 4 go directly to the master faders?

I will have time on sunday to mess with it but any more hints you have would be greatly appreciated.