Turtlerock Forum

Yo Trokkers,

Any opinions on this compact console from the 80's?
Worth a look or give it the big bypass?

Chezz in advance

Functional but noisy. Mic pres are nothing special. Weird internal line/tape switching makes permanent connection of line inputs on the first 8 channels impractical.

I'd give it a big bypass.

audioio wrote:Functional but noisy. Mic pres are nothing special. Weird internal line/tape switching makes permanent connection of line inputs on the first 8 channels impractical.

I'd give it a big bypass.

Hey David,

Thanks for the advice.
What would your suggestions be for a small format desk up to 24 ch as a front end to a digital recording system?

Cheers

440Hz wrote:What would your suggestions be for a small format desk up to 24 ch as a front end to a digital recording system?

Oh my goodness. I have to admit my impressions of Ta@#$% consoles come from examples that didn't see a lot of love, but even so.

I now have the pleasure of using an AWS948 at work, but I suspect that's beyond your budget (mine too). I have fond memories of some Soundtracs I encountered in the 80s and 90s... PC Midi, Topaz and Solo. According to this site, they all pretty much had discrete transistor mic pres. I liked them.

Now, to find one, that's harder.

audioio wrote:

440Hz wrote:What would your suggestions be for a small format desk up to 24 ch as a front end to a digital recording system?

Oh my goodness. I have to admit my impressions of Ta@#$% consoles come from examples that didn't see a lot of love, but even so.

I now have the pleasure of using an AWS948 at work, but I suspect that's beyond your budget (mine too). I have fond memories of some Soundtracs I encountered in the 80s and 90s... PC Midi, Topaz and Solo. According to this site, they all pretty much had discrete transistor mic pres. I liked them.

Now, to find one, that's harder.

Each to his own, but I had a soundtracs PC Midi and did not like the sound of the mids one bit....cloudy non transperant etc.Sold it six months after i bought it!
I much preferred my A & H Mixwiz for a budget recording desk. There a a few of the larger A & H desks that I would go for before a Ta@#$% or soundtracs. Other desks I have really liked are DDA and the earlier sound craft desks or a Tac Scorpian.
http://www.smithys.com.au/productDetail ... ctID=20606

Soundtracs Topaz ( uses Analogue Devices low-noise preamp chip )
http://www.smithys.com.au/productDetail ... ctID=20169

Midas Venice
http://www.smithys.com.au/productDetail ... ctID=20420

Chris H wrote:Soundtracs Topaz ( uses Analogue Devices low-noise preamp chip )
http://www.smithys.com.au/productDetail ... ctID=20169

Not sure about this. I've seen listings of these before on ebay, and they seem to have arrived after Soundtracs' metamorphosis into Digico. Pretty sure there's an association with Wharfedale, which itself used to be a respected speaker manufacturer (and may still be), but now sells crap-looking clones of PA gear for very little money. Not sure where all that will end up now that the Soundtracs name has been revived for the Waves/Digico DSP platform.

Anyway, I'd try to get an old one, like those shown on the Studio Systems site.

We just got a Soundtracs Quartz 32ch and love it. In line so technically 64 inputs, 6 auxs, any channel can become a group, 4 band sweepable eq (q's are a little odd but getting to know them as time goes on...), 24bus etc etc. Not exactly a 'colourful' console but very clean and decent sounding pre's too.

Use it as front end tracking console but also utulise the line in's for our external pres then use for mixing purposes via tape ins, no patchleads needed just a flick of a button.

so many options for what you want though!

Some great options and food for thought.
Thanks for the input guys ;-) Keep em coming