Allen and Heath PA12

[hermanmonker]

Has any one had any experience with this mixer.I'm currently using a Mackie DFX-12 and want to upgrade with something decent.
The reverbs on the mackie are'nt that great and only has 1 Aux outbut and 2 band eq / Channel.
I am hoping that the effects will be better on the PA12 ,and it looks a good solid mixer.

[BrentEvans]

I haven't used those specifically, but A&H makes good gear. You might want to look at the Zed series, though. You'll get more features for the money.

[Grant Bunter]

What's your application?
If you're upgrading, is it time to go to more channels too?

A&H has a good name.
Soundcraft desks have inbuilt effects via the same chip used by Lexicon and digitech.
If you go above 12 channels with soundcraft you get more Aux sends

[hermanmonker]

I have'nt have'nt looked at Zed series yet,but I certainly will take a look.

Tha advantages with the Pa12 over my mackie extra 2 mic preamps,4 band eq on channel strip over the 2 on the Mackie,
More Aux sends ,not shure about the effects but I assume that they would be better,4 band parametric eq on outputs for mains and monitors which would be really handy.These are the obvious one's I've spotted on a quick read through the manual.

My application is for a 6 piece band and Duo,the drummer has his own mixer .

I've had a quick look at the Soundcraft mixers but have'nt studied them yet,the Lexicon effects seem like a winner.

I only have room for a certain size mixer to fit in the rack ,so the more of everthing I can get the better,and also the best bang for the buck

[Grant Bunter]

I'm pretty sure there are a few desks around that go to 16 channels and are rack mountable.
Good luck with your search!

[Rich4349]

Has any one had any experience with this mixer.I'm currently using a Mackie DFX-12 and want to upgrade with something decent.
The reverbs on the mackie are'nt that great and only has 1 Aux outbut and 2 band eq / Channel.
I am hoping that the effects will be better on the PA12 ,and it looks a good solid mixer.

I'm looking at picking up a used Mackie ProFX16 mixer, and was wondering if this was a 'decent' mixer. I'm not ready to drop $2500 on a 'Ferrari' mixer, but I also don't want a piece of cr@p that I'll outgrown immediately. It seems to have more of everything you cited as lacking in the 12.

Anyone have any suggestions for a solid, affordable mixer? I'm having a hard time finding the sweet spot between price and performance. (AND in the Chicago land area.)

[BrentEvans]

Allen & Heath ZED series are very nice. Some of them have built in FX, USB interfaces, etc. Yamaha MG series are almost as good, some of them have built-in channel comps & FX. Which one you want depends on your budget and channel count needs. The versions with 16 mic pres are the Yamaha MG206C, which has 8 channel comps but no FX, and the ZED-22FX, which has a nice FX proccessor and USB I/O which comes with Sonar for recording.

Both are in the same price range. Both are better than anything Mackie, IME.

[Rich4349]

Other than running sound for a 5 man or larger band, I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would need 16, 24, 30 etc inputs?

I'm focused now on just basic dj work, so I'm figuring (perhaps in ignorance) that 4 or 6 inputs would be plenty? What about digital inputs; what sound quality do they add over old school analog? I'd like a decent number of effects, maybe 16-20? And I've seen a number of mixers, including the Yamaha O1v, that don't appear to have a cross fader. Do you just fade one channel in and the other out with these, or am I missing something? Depending on the value, I can go as high as 1000, but of course, would like to keep it a bit cheaper, maybe in the 400-600 range. I'm willing to pay for quality (ALPS components maybe?) but not for 10,000 effects no one will ever use.

[BrentEvans]

Other than running sound for a 5 man or larger band, I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would need 16, 24, 30 etc inputs?

I'm focused now on just basic dj work, so I'm figuring (perhaps in ignorance) that 4 or 6 inputs would be plenty? <snip>

DJ mixers are a whole different ballgame. The Mackie you referenced isn't any better of a fit for that than those I recommended. All of them are live sound mixers. You need to be looking at products designed for DJs.

[AntonZ]

Other than running sound for a 5 man or larger band, I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would need 16, 24, 30 etc inputs?

A band easily uses 24 inputs. Drums alone takes 4 to 6 channels if you don't mike everything separately (I use kick/snare/tom/floortom/overhead). We played a gig tonight with a band of 6. The 16ch board wasn't nearly enough. I mixed down drums (5 or 6 channels), one guitar (stereo), one "box that makes sounds" (some Roland device) and stereo MP3 playback all back to 2 channels and fed that to the 16ch PA board. I used most of the channels on my 16ch rig, the PA board was using every single input.

Cross-fading is a typical DJ function, you don't find that on boards like the 01V that are intended to mix bands and the like.

[Rich4349]

Well I ended up picking up a Pioneer DJM-800 and a pair of Pioneer CDJ 1000mk3s, in a coffin case. Probably, ok definitely, more mixer than I needed, but I am fairly confident I will not be yearning to upgrade in the near future.

[CoronaOperator]

Rich4349 - You have everything you need and a nice case to boot. The Djm 800 is a very nice mixer and rider friendly for most electronic dj's (rane ttm-57sl being the most common exception). The DJM uses 1/4" TRS output's as well as XLR so you might want to make a few 1/4" TRS to XLR input and output adapters so that you are always compatable with whatever hookups you come across. Even a few 1/4 mono to RCA cables can come in handy. Very nice setup indeed. Most often red means bad, but in the case of the pioneer the first yellow is the limit. View Topic

[Chris Betancourt]

Other than running sound for a 5 man or larger band, I'm having a hard time understanding why someone would need 16, 24, 30 etc inputs?

I have a couple of small ones a 16ch. and the S.A.C up to 64 never used it all, 28 at a time was the max for a church event. Hey hermanmonker I'd go big save the $$ and get $2500 for a small digital mixer and you will be like a kid in a candy store, Mackie has a new digital mixer DL1608 that will be out soon for a $1000 and its really cool. Im gonna change my 16ch for this one myself.

[Bruce Weldy]

The 3 piece band that I'm currently running sound for will barely fit on a 16 channel board.....and that would require using some aux inputs. And we are splitting mics on the toms.

Nothing that I'd want to give up - everything there is important to making it sound good.

[Chris Betancourt]

The 3 piece band that I'm currently running sound for will barely fit on a 16 channel board.....and that would require using some aux inputs. And we are splitting mics on the toms.

Nothing that I'd want to give up - everything there is important to making it sound good.

Thats a big drumset then 16ch for a 3 peice band?? Guitar, Bass, 3 Vocals, and Neil Peart on drums???