digi mixers question

[biodad]

greetings.
time to buy a digi mixer so i can preset the mix configuration. Presonus STUDIOLIVE-16.0.2 Digital Mixer, vs the digi pre set yamaha entry level mixer or anything else rather small sized and similar. i only use 8 channels. which one, why or why not? price is not important. i wont buy behringer.
the presonus DOES NOT have FX on / off ability via 1/4 jack going to a simple foot switch, which i find disgusting. . . they reccomend a $129 tech 21 midi mouse and you change midi #'s or channels for FX on to FX off. midi mouse has 3 switches on it and you have to look down to see which one to hit, which two not to hit. i care too much about my performning and am too busy to be looking down at the ground at 3 switches. smart design morons. . .
entertainers who leave FX on while talking must have never experienced a professional concert. if i have to, i'll use my yamaha outboard FX WITH A FOOT SWITCH thank you.
i work dueling pianos and do corporate shows and i'd rather not have to walk the room 3 or 4 times to check the mix while my partner performs the first 2 songs without me and there's a room full of people. also, because he likes his monitor mix individually specific and loud, i hear the bleed of his voice and have his vocals a tad low in the F.O.H. mix. i can perform fine like this but i do not get a true read on the room mix. sometimes in corporate world there isnt opportunity for a sound check, you just make it work. preset mix is the goal. system EQ is easy as i seldom have to adjust the EQ.
i run Left out for F.O.H., Right out to me for my monitor. i hear the exact mix the room does and yes i know my read - the sound - of my tiny monitor is different than the F.O.H. system but i'm looking at the mix here.
also important, do i need to go to college to figure out how to work these things and / or how is tech support on the phone? i want to invest the scrilla in a couple days. appreciate any input

[Bruce Weldy]

I agree with your gripe about the FX on/off footswitch - but, other than that - the Presonus board is amazing. Every time I think of something I can't do, I figure out a way to do it. And it doesn't take digging into menus to pull it off, it all on the board. The only thing I have to go to a menu for is the graphic EQs on the mains and aux outs. Everything else is on the board. And on the 24.4.2, I think the graphics are via a button too.

[biodad]

thanks, i appreciate your input. it's only $ and 1 can always get more $. i'll wait a day or so and see if anyone else has any thoughts. any thoughts? - i'm opening up a can of "awe-what-da-hell".

[kekani]

Personally, I can't justify the cost, or size of most digital mixers. Of course, my friend goes to NAMM and comes back to tell me check out Line 6. Huh?

Still can't find a reason to justify this, but I'd like to play around with it to see if I even need a reason to.
http://line6.com/stagescape-m20d/overview

Of course, if it were just for fun, this would be more along the lines for me.
http://www.mackie.com/products/dl1608/about-the-dl1608/

Funny, I just got my iPad last year and was thinking about sound processing apps (especially after handing around here), and then the dl1608 shows up.

Aaron

[jswingchun]

Still can't find a reason to justify this, but I'd like to play around with it to see if I even need a reason to.
http://line6.com/stagescape-m20d/overview

That thing is so cool. Seems really well designed and thought out.

[biodad]

the line 6 item looks great. cost more than double the entry level presonus. my biggest concern is the same for ALL new on market digi stuff, i wait a year or so as there usually are problems. these companys put this stuff out a.s.a.p. because if they wait 6 months for field testing, they'll lose thousands of dollars in sales. line 6 is great stuff, so i'd NEVER put a noisy crappy heavy beavis & butthead amp on stage with products like the line 6 amp modelers and such out there but then i'm too reasonable, besides, bar cords trigger the mindless no matter what they are processed through.
the line 6 will be a big seller.

[wallywally]

Have you looked at a used Yamaha 01V ? It is proven, inexpensive and reliable, although you would have to use midi for control.

[Bruce Weldy]

the line 6 item looks great. cost more than double the entry level presonus. .

+1

For $500 less you can get a Presonus 16.4.2 that has 16 mic inputs vs. 12 and 6 aux sends vs. 4.

Not to mention, it's been out on the market for a few years now and is proven. Don't get me wrong, I like Line 6 (still have my POD) - like biodad said....give 'em some time in the market.

[mattaudio]

biodad, if you ever want to try out a Presonus 1642 at one of your gigs, let me know. I'm in Mpls. Also I have two of your old Jacks!

[biodad]

very kind of you sir. thanks. i ordered the presonus 16.0.2 or whatever the smaller one is. easier to get more $ than it is to live with a cheapskate within . . .

[Bruce Weldy]

very kind of you sir. thanks. i ordered the presonus 16.0.2 or whatever the smaller one is. easier to get more $ than it is to live with a cheapskate within . . .

You'll like it.

Have a sound gig this weekend doing a Pink Floyd tribute band. The promoter had told me what was going on and it looked like I had everything covered, but I called the band leader anyway......uh oh....seems as though there was going to be an extra singer, a sax player, an extra guitar amp, and prerecorded music.....

Through the use of the aux inputs I'll be able to get 19 channels out of my 16 channel board. I know you can do that on other boards, but I'm able to route the aux ins to sub-faders for control and I can eq the aux ins and send 'em to any monitor mix just like a regular channel. These board are really versatile. I would have been in real trouble without it.

[mattaudio]

The subgroups are so flexible I wish there were 8 instead of 4. You can set up the routing so they control FX levels, "bonus channels" such as the aux ins, or I've used them for front fills, delay fills/sound fx, or i'll assign bass/kick/keys to Main AND a sub and use it for "sub-fed" subs

[Bruce Weldy]

The subgroups are so flexible I wish there were 8 instead of 4. You can set up the routing so they control FX levels, "bonus channels" such as the aux ins, or I've used them for front fills, delay fills/sound fx, or i'll assign bass/kick/keys to Main AND a sub and use it for "sub-fed" subs

Yep, I have my Reverb and Delay routed to Sub 3 and 4. And it's all in a rack-mountable format.

And the best part is the firmware upgrades at no charge. You don't have to worry about it being obsolete two months after you buy it.

[mattaudio]

Yep, when bought my StudioLive the iPad didn't even exist yet. And now I can mix wirelessly with it.

[James R]

Good choice on the Presonus, I mix for a band who have there own PA. They have the 1604 only took me
a little while to get used to it. Plus there are quite a few videos from there live webinars they hold these every so often.
I was used to the outboard f/x but I get what I need from the onboard f/x just fine, also they got the Ipad interfaced also.
It's great to walk the room and mix and go up and ring out monitors. If anything check these out http://presonus.com/community/presonuslive/