Tell us about the rest of the signal chain - mics, sound card, plus your recording environment. What you're recording and your technique would also be significant factors.

From my relatively limited experience, I do say the Mackie EQ's are somewhat restrictive - ESPECIALLY the 3-band EQ and the Mid band's wider-than-wide bandwidth (even if it is sweepable).

The 8-Bus ups the EQ antie, but not too much. Their Mic Pre's are useable, but won't do much to flavor/fatten your sound. If you are using the Mackie's mix bus (L/R bus) for tracking, try to bypass it in favor of a channel direct out, or even a Mic Pre "insert" send (insert the 1/4" to the first click). This bypasses as much un-needed "budget" circuitry as possible (eq and some op amps) on the way to the A/D.

Zemlin also mentions the mixer is only 1 link in the chain... The Talent, Instrument, Room and Mic will play an intricate role in your sound as well as your channel strip (mic pre, EQ, compressor), A/D, D/A and monitoring system. My problem is currently my rooms. They sound horrible for tracking, and mixing too. My gear is "semi-pro" to 1 or 2 "pro" units, but my rooms are surely "beginner" :(. The bad rooms nullify any benefits of better gear for now IMO.

One step at a time. I'm just now figuring that out! I still have a LONG way to go :cool:

hey Andy! I own the Mackie 1402 vlz... I strongly advise that you keep the mixer and "do your best" with it, I have found that the mixer board is only as good as your musicians... if you start the "scrap my equipment and buy something with a pro label on it" syndrome then you will end up in the boat with all of the other producers or independant musicians like me that will never be happy with their work because they constantly think that it is their equipments fault instead of their knowhow/experience/tallent... I would evaluate what you are trying to accomplish with your mixer, again, my 1402(using the preamps with a AT3035 and a delta 1010 into a athlon ran pc.) suits all of my needs and I can get the sound that I need out of it. (I'm not a professional producer by any stretch of the imagination, but I am an experiences singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist) I know sound and tone... keep your vlz and work with it some more!!

my vote: 8-)

starmusicdigital wrote: I have a mackie 1604 Vlz pro.....

I have been getting good results but not great results (professional=great results)

u gotta be kidding!!!

why do you think studios spend all that money?
you can get good results but don't expect them to be the top professional you are trying to achieve!