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I will be updating 3 new rooms with mid-ranged digital consoles in the spring 2012, I've been using the Mackie D8b's for about 10 years now. Unfortunately Mackie has basically dropped out of the mid-ranged digital console market after the Digital X-bus (Which was discontinued and buggy, from what I've read). I've been Looking at the Tascam DM-4800 consoles and the various Yamaha models (DM-2000 mainly). I need a stable but transparent workhorse for various in-studio performances and also a good DAW controller for post work in the $5K-$10K range. I use outboard pre's for most work but anything over 4 inputs I would need to use the console's pre's. Any thoughts?

Comments

Boswell Thu, 12/01/2011 - 08:54

Are you specifiying that the mixing consoles must also act as control surfaces for the DAWs? Do you need full automation on the mixers? If you aim to combine the use of external pre-amps with mixer channels when needing more than 4 channels, what would be the signal routing for the pre-amp outputs, and would the mixer channels go digitally into your DAW?

moonbaby Thu, 12/01/2011 - 09:30

Stick to the Yamahas. Their overall experience and product support are FAR better than what Tascam is providing these days. My last Tascams ( a pair of DM24's) suffered miserably from mic pre gainpot issues, OS problems and their headroom was mediocre. Yamaha's support on anything I've owned has never wavered.

Steve@audiop Thu, 12/01/2011 - 14:59

yeah, I would want the consoles to act as a DAW controller as well as a stand alone console. Not really worried about full automation on the mixer, anything involving a mix would reside in pro tools, I'm just trying to avoid using the command 8 alongside my mixer. Yeah, I would use direct or bus outs digitally to the DAW depending on whether I was wanting a pre or post signal, we have been using a Zsys digital router that works great.
The external Pre's would simply normal into a few line inputs on the console, replacing the pre's on those strips.
Yeah I've heard that the Tascam's have so so headroom, but I haven't heard about the os problems and gainpot issues.
I'm going to put my hands on a dm-4800 tomorrow and take it for a test drive.
thanks for the input.
I'll dig into the Yamaha's after that.

Boswell Fri, 12/02/2011 - 03:16

I would look at the new Yamaha 01V96i. It does not have the internal automation memory that the higher members of the Yamaha "0" series have, but from what you say, that would not be necessary in your situation. It does have 16-channel audio capture via USB as well as the control surface capability.

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