Yamaha GA 32/12 or Allen & Heath GL2400

[Rich]

Hi there.

 

I'm thinking of getting a new desk shortly. I've had a look at the Allen & Heath GL2400 and the Yamaha GA 32/12, and I'm just wondering what people's opinions are of both of the desks.

 

Also, how much do you think a flightcase would cost for either of the desks?

 

Many thanks. Rich

[Rob_Beech]

Hi there.

 

I'm thinking of getting a new desk shortly. I've had a look at the Allen & Heath GL2400 and the Yamaha GA 32/12, and I'm just wondering what people's opinions are of both of the desks.

 

Also, how much do you think a flightcase would cost for either of the desks?

 

Many thanks. Rich

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

All depends on teh frame size you want, whether you want a box at the back, or just a gap, or nothing, wheels? mounting brackets for a custom stand...

 

I like the new GL2400, I have just bought a GL2800 (32) which is the next one up and I coudltn' wish for anything more in this range.

 

I've used the 2400 and IMO its moved on from the 2200.

 

No experience with the yamaha really.

 

 

Flight case would be say ....I dont know mine was £330 with wheels for my Gl2800 so it'll certainly be less than that.

 

give allan gordon in Diss a ring he'll make you one. probably get you a good price on the desk too.

www.allangordon.co.uk

 

 

Rob

[paulears]

As a GA32/12 owner a couple of points come to mind. yamaha uk don't sell it, so if you get one (and it has been rebadged in the us and eastern markets - same desk, different colour), Yamaha over here don't know much about it, but are apparently willin to service them if you have any problems. Mine came from Germany. I really like it - my choice was made for a single project that needed large numbers of outputs, which the very weird way the GA32 is designed, makes possible. Sonically, it is good, although I find the eq when really pushed a little harsh. Nice touches are the eq on each output.

 

Biggest problem is the lack of input metering - some form of audio present and level indicator would help enormously. Apart from that, I would buy one again. They are a little deep, but that just gives you easier access to the knobs if you have big fingers.

[BlueShift]

The new allen&heath GL range are very nice little desks and of course the support from Allen & Heath in the UK is excellent. They are substantially better than the only GL range and I have been told by reputable sources that the new head amps are sonically as good as ML headamps or even better!

 

In short - I think the Allen & heath will be the way to go. Yamaha do make some great stuff, but their best stuff is the PM range and some of their other lower-end digital stuff.

 

Cheers

[RoyF18]

I've just bought an Allen & Heath GL2400 and so far it's been excellent. There's an article about it in this months (might be last month now) Sound On Sound magazine (in the Live Sound supplement) and they were equally impressed by it.

I also bought a flightcase which cost me £180ish if I remember correctly.

 

Edit: give me a shout if you want any more details about the mixer and how I've got on with it.

 

Roy

[Tom Jeffery]

Hi there.

 

I'm thinking of getting a new desk shortly. I've had a look at the Allen & Heath GL2400 and the Yamaha GA 32/12, and I'm just wondering what people's opinions are of both of the desks.

 

Also, how much do you think a flightcase would cost for either of the desks?

 

Many thanks. Rich

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

We have just added a 24ch GL2400 to our hire stock, to take the place of our GL200 24ch.

 

I say to take its place but we've found that with the matrix section this desk has become so useful its often the first choice for many of our events, so compact that its no stress to have sat in the back of a small conference room where a 4 way matrix is essential, yet feature packed enough to run a reasonable sized rock and roll band.

 

This desk is so much better than the GL2200, A&H have really worked hard on the head amp section, it really is good and everytime I use it I'm surprised at how intuitive the eq section is.

 

I'd pick the GL2400 any day its a great buy.

 

The flightcase we went for with loom box (built for touring) will set you back around £400 + vat

 

If you fancy having a look at one PM me and you can come and have a play. We also have a GL2800 40ch and some of the ML range if anyone else is interested in doing some comparisons

[Rich]

Hi guys

 

Thanks for all of your comments. Sorry I haven't replied, I've been moving house and unable to get online.

 

My gut reaction said go for the A&H, but I'd seen the Yamaha on Thomann, and I'd heard their reputation for top end mixing desks.

 

I intend this desk to see me out for quite a while, but although 24ch are more than adaquate at the moment, is it worth looking at a 32 frame to leave room for expansion in the future?

 

Thanks for you help folks. Rich

[si pie]

Just to add my bit on the end!!

 

I've used both.

 

Yamaha's High quality doesn't compleatly run through down to it's cheaper equipment, However A&H does!

 

After using both desks I would suggest you buy the A&H. It's a much more versatile desk and will definitly last you for a long while!

 

Hope this helps

 

Simon

[brad!]

Whats the best price anyones seen for the GL2400 32? Just out of interest. You should see the review in SOS live, its rather favorable. I think it was last months, you're right.

[Rich]

Whats the best price anyones seen for the GL2400 32? Just out of interest. You should see the review in SOS live, its rather favorable. I think it was last months, you're right.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

1568.12 inc VAT from the concert systems website.

 

If anybody else finds a cheaper quote please let me know.

[brad!]

thats where I'd found the cheapest too, I dont think it will drop for a while, although it is worth looking, for anyone who's interested, for the older GL2200, no matrix, but I've seen a couple of companys flogging them off dirt cheap.

[paulears]

An ironic postscript to this thread. Roy Chubby Brown Show - they turned up as usual with rather nice kit - Nexo PA, A&H GL4000 desk - rigged ok. Powered up and things go a little pear shaped. The desk, complete with twin power supplies throws a fit. Mute groups mute all channels, and refuse to un-mute, with no inputs connected, outputs show full scale on mono and one group. No amount of love, care attention was going to sort it. A&H called back to see if they could help, but with 90mins to show time, not a lot they could do. What saved the day - you guessed it, a Yamaha GA32/12!

[jayselway]

The company I freelance for had that trouble - went in to do large swing / blues band - big ballroom - and the desk just locked up. Mute groups were truly stuck, and outputs were acting very strangely to say that there was no audio going out - ended up with 1k tone stuck in pa that only went when desk was disconnected.

 

Not nice - saved by a Spirit Series Two. They sent the A&H back, and were given another one, with "sincere apologies", but no reasons as to why it happened.

[mikeyzer0]

An ironic postscript to this thread. Roy Chubby Brown Show - they turned up as usual with rather nice kit - Nexo PA, A&H GL4000 desk - rigged ok. Powered up and things go a little pear shaped. The desk, complete with twin power supplies throws a fit. Mute groups mute all channels, and refuse to un-mute, with no inputs connected, outputs show full scale on mono and one group. No amount of love, care attention was going to sort it. A&H called back to see if they could help, but with 90mins to show time, not a lot they could do. What saved the day - you guessed it, a Yamaha GA32/12!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Glad the show got sorted in the end. The way I heard it from the engineer was that the GL4000 had to be trolleyed along the pier in torrential rain, which seems to have got through the flightcase into the mixer and affected its performance somewhat. I trust the Yamaha was a little more waterproof! <_<

 

Mike

[paulears]

It is certainly true that the rain was coming down in buckets, but although the case was wet, I couldn't see any sign it had got inside. Not the same for the loudspeaker cases with a top handle - the top of those was certainly wet.

 

I think when A&H look at it, they will find a ribbon connector has vibrated loose - and the long run down a bumpy pier with timber decking makes this more likely. The annoying thing was A&H did suggest removing the bottom panel, but the damn thing had torx heads and nobody had a driver!