Mackie 8bus as a live mixer ?

[Mystic]

I work at a small concert place (300 people, mostly live rock, reggae, etc) and we are in the process of buying a sound desk instead of hiring (we're having a good deal to hire a 01V96plus one 01V classic so we use it). Somebody proposed us a used Mackie 8bus 24ch for a good price (1500 euros with fly case).

 

First question : Do you think this desk can be used as a FOH desk in a live situation ? Would a band sound engineer feel ok on this if we propose it ?

 

Second question what about using it for monitor desk ? (only 6 auxes plus mixB seems ok as we don't have that much monitor amps ;) ) we might use it as a monitor desk when we have bigger concerts and hiring a big FOH desk.

 

bonus question : considering that we will have to buy a processing rack (compressors, noise gate, reverbs, etc... mostly behringer but may be a bit of dbx or TC if we can afford), what of the next two choices seems the best to you in our case :

- Mackie (1500 euros) + processing (1000 euros)

- Yamaha 01V96 (2500 euros) + extra inputs D/A converters (500 euros)

 

ps: I know I can find better prices but theses are raw prices I just want to choose one option then I will try to cut prices. I'm also sorry to post prices in euros but that's my local currency :)

[bemi]

I love my 01V96 (use it with 2 external mic-preamps; 32 ch in two hands: desk in one hand, 19"-2HE in the other ;) ), but it is not a standard, many soundies won't be happy with that desk.

 

Perhaps the mackie is the better solution for you (although it's not a live-standard, too, but faster to learn than a digital console).

[paulears]

biggest snag is the lack of auxes - there are 6, but you can only use 4. 1 and 2 are normal, 3 and 4 can (like 1 and 2) be pre or post OR they can be 5 and 6. So you can only have 4 of the 6 auxes per channel strip. This is a stupid design for a live desk - it isn't too bad when you use the desk for recording. So most users opt for 2 monitor mixes and two effects sends.

 

To be honest, the facilities you have had with the two digital desks will lead you to feel the desk isn't good enough - which probably isn't fair. If you use the yamahas often, then why not buy them? or source some second hand ones. A second hand Mackie seems a bit of a comedown.

 

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[Mystic]

To be honest, the facilities you have had with the two digital desks will lead you to feel the desk isn't good enough - which probably isn't fair. If you use the yamahas often, then why not buy them? or source some second hand ones. A second hand Mackie seems a bit of a comedown.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Finding a decent second hand Yamaha 01V96 is a very hard thing... That's why I'm asking myself if I could not buy new digital instead... but I wanted to take into account this mackie option which might look reasonnable.

 

ps: I also *love* the 01V96 ;)