OK folks...this one is bound to spark some debate...
I am about to make a change to my studio setup as follows:
I am using Cubase SX, have a Tascam US-428 as a control surface, and an old POS analog mixer that I use for monitoring only (nothing that gets recorded goes through the Tascam or the mixer).
My plan has been to add 2 pieces of gear:
1) A better analog mixing desk (I have my eyes on an Allen & Heath board at the moment)
2) A dedicated control surface with moving faders - more specifically, the Mackie Controller.
As of late, I have begun to debate the wisdom of this path, and have begun to think about getting one piece of gear that will provide both functions, i.e. a digital board that can act as a control surface for SX as well as a mixing desk for signal routing as well as a possible recording pathway (I already have outboard mic preamps).
Any comments here? My budget is low, like around $2,000 USD, and have no problem buying used from Ebay.
Thanks!
Comments
Sally...I think you loaned it to me...or was that a cup of sugar
Sally...I think you loaned it to me...or was that a cup of sugar? Hmmmm...now where were we? Oh yeah...those damned Colts! How could they get their butts kicked so bad by the Jets? Hmmmmm...where did I put my glasses? Sorry...I got sidetracked...OK... now about my arthritis problem you were giving me advice on... :D
OK...ok...enough already!
I read the release notes for the DM24 OS v.2 upgrade last night, and it is really impressive. Up until now, I had only read reviews on the unit based on OS version 1.x. This product is looking better and better every day!
Tell me more Alex about the mic pre upgrades you are talking about? What's the deal here? You have to send it back to TASCAM for an upgrade? If I buy a unit new right now from the store, will I have to do the same thing?
Thanks George for the info! Hehe...
And thanks Skinny (or Fats or whatever you are called!) for talking me out of the Behringer and pushing me towards the TASCAM...a wise choice!
Memory loss occurs when you've blown a tube from spending the pa
Memory loss occurs when you've blown a tube from spending the past twenty years resisting the urge to choke the sh*t out of people every time they rip a pair of $100 headphones off their head with one hand and hurl them to the floor after every take ... despite several polite requests not to ... and you're doing punch ins ... on vocals ... and they suck. And from that leafy green substance you need to keep calm and not kill them ….
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Tannoys, Dynaudio, Blue Sky, JBL, Earthworks, Westlake, NS 10's :D , Genelec, Hafler, KRK.
Those are good. …………………….. Pick one.
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It's my opinion, I'll play with it if I want to!
Dig it Fats - I used to have this coffee cup that said on the si
Dig it Fats - I used to have this coffee cup that said on the side, "STRESS - The tension that builds up while resisting the urge to choke the living shit out of some asshole who deperately deserves it..."
- Note, "used to have" till some asshole at work BROKE it... I would have preferred to stay completely substance-free at that time, so I wouldn't miss a single nuance of how good it felt to break his arm off and beat the SOB to death with it... :=)
James, your question about the pre's on the DM-24 brings up the one bone I have to pick with Tascam - Their comments are that there is nothing WRONG with the response curve the existing trimpots have, that it was chosen for louder music, blah blah blah... Sooo, what they will do is replace the pre's in your DM-24 with those from their other workstation (SX-1), which are identical except that the trimpots in the SX-1 are Logarithmic instead of Linear. The cost is $200 plus (I think) one-way shipping. Here is a link to their DM-24 section
http://www.tascam.com/products/digital_mixers/dm24/index.php
Their downloads page
http://www.tascam.com/products/digital_mixers/dm24/downloads.php
If you scroll to the very bottom of that page, there is a pdf of their "mic preamp statement", as well as a graph of the comparison.
Also on this page, check out the Control Surface Templates :=)
Like you said, it just keeps getting better - these guys seem to take better after-sale care of their customers than anybody else I can think of... Steve
I went down to the local Guitar Center yesterday to take a close
I went down to the local Guitar Center yesterday to take a closer look at the DM24, and while I was there I got a chance to compare it directly to the Behringer 3216, and I must admit that while the TASCAM is very nice, that stupid Behringer was also quite impressive. And the pricing for that thing is just *insane*...get this:
2 months ago, it was US$1599
Then the price dropped to US$1299
Yesterday, GC said the price dropped to US$1000!
What the hell is going on here? Either they are trying to blow them out, or from the rumor mill I hear that they might be coming out with an updated model...who knows! But for US$1000, it is an absolute steal!
The TASCAM felt very nice, but believe it or not, I think the faders are nicer on the Behringer unit. The TASCAM has much better routing capabilities, and obviously better mic pres and effects, but I won't be using either of those...
The question I need to ask is "Is the TASCAM unit worth the *extra* USD$1200 for what I want it to do?" (mainly a control surface for SX). Like Fats points out, I should spend my money on the important stuff, like those API mic pres. (btw, I checked on those yesterday as well, $1899 is as low as they are willing to go.)
Crap! Here I go again... :s:
Sorry 'bout the name mix-ups ... it's a "Senior Moment" thing ….
Sorry 'bout the name mix-ups ... it's a "Senior Moment" thing …. short term memory loss ....
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Tannoys, Dynaudio, Blue Sky, JBL, Earthworks, Westlake, NS 10's :D , Genelec, Hafler, KRK.
Those are good. …………………….. Pick one.
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It's my opinion, I'll play with it if I want to!