Thoughts on high end processors?

[Rick Lee]

Anybody use the more expensive processors? Any big advantages over the lower end stuff?

[Gregory East]

The local sound guys use Presonus and Yamaha digital mixers and make a dog's breakfast out of it.

[Bruce Weldy]

and make a dog's breakfast out of it.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

[Bryce]

I had to look that one up. Apparently its a bad thing.

[Rick Lee]

Uuuh,... you're not insulting me are you? If so I'll have to send my son over and Course he doesn't have a horse so maybe he can come over with his drum set and beat on it...

What I mean is instead of using the DCX or PA+, have any of you used like the Xilica XP-4080, or the Driverack 260, or?

[Bryce]

Time to derail the thread even further. Greg, the best PA I've ever heard was Bruce's, run with a Presonus mixer, the same model I have, in fact.

Ok, to continue on track:

Rick, according to my research, the 260 is just more flexible in terms of I/O and processing, so unless you are running a more complex system that requires more control (IE, multiple sub clusters requiring different delays), you'd get the same results with either. No experience with the Xilica XP-4080, and their website is down.

[Rick Lee]

so unless you are running a more complex system that requires more control

Yep, doing a quick bid with the middle cluster needing to be delayed more than the sides. Good reviews on the Xilica, but the 260 is tried and true.

[Gregory East]

If you have delay, limiting, EQ with multiple presets and it's quiet, what more do you want out of a processor?

[Rick Lee]

If you have delay, limiting, EQ with multiple presets and it's quiet, what more do you want out of a processor?

That's about it! However, if you're in a room with multiple zones you start running out of outputs. And then if you start reading reviews, some of the units have limitations on their processing, i.e. you e.q. one cluster and then when you start e.q'ing another cluster one of the e.q. bands drops out on the cluster you've just e.q'd! ... and the unit doesn't alert you to that fact.

Just wondering if any of y'all have had any "real world" experience with them.

[Grant Bunter]

Just a thought Rick,
If covering zones is the issue, as well as the other problems you've mentioned, is it worthwhile considering (say) 2 of the not so top end processors you know work well, like the DRPA+ or the Bunker? You could put signal splitters on the inputs to feed a pair of processors, and double your outputs capabilities.
You're overall cost for the 2 would be not much larger than the cost of your high end jobbie...

[Rick Lee]

Having two could work. I noticed some have a "thru" connection. However, I've contacted a sales rep on the Xilica and he convinced me it's what I was looking for so I went ahead and bid it. Nothing like firmware updates to fix some issues! And he gave me a very nice price incentive...

[Bruce Weldy]

Just a thought Rick,
If covering zones is the issue, as well as the other problems you've mentioned, is it worthwhile considering (say) 2 of the not so top end processors you know work well, like the DRPA+ or the Bunker? You could put signal splitters on the inputs to feed a pair of processors, and double your outputs capabilities.
You're overall cost for the 2 would be not much larger than the cost of your high end jobbie...

The one downfall of the PA and PA+ is in the delay function - it maxes out at about 10 feet if I remember correctly. More than fine for everything I, or most anyone else, will need for a standard stage setup. But, to do more intricate delay speakers in a big room - you'll have to step up to a more expensive unit.


EDIT....

It's 10ms or 11.3 feet

[Rick Lee]

One of the nice things about the Bunker- it has pretty long delay until you start using more complex xover configurations (2x3, 2x4). Don't remember off the top of my head... one of the nice things about getting older- your delay keeps improving...

[gzc_stageTech]

Anybody use the more expensive processors? Any big advantages over the lower end stuff?

Where's your price break between "expensive" and "lower end stuff"?

I have a Lexicon MX400 that I love for (outboard) reverb and delay in the $400 range. Lexicon also makes a sweet digital unit for $3k (I wish I could).

Compressors, well there's a bunch in the "working man's price range"...$200-$400. I have a dBX 160 that I trust. Then again, I have a couple of the Alesis 3630's that work well (so far) too. But if you can get to the $1k price point, you'll find some that are used in studios around the world.

Tube preamps...there's a product you can sink a paycheck into. But a nice warm tube pre is something you'll love once you have one. I got an entry level ART Octo-Pre and it is working great for me. Fantastic on vocals...it really warms them up.

But then again, as Bruce has pointed out, the PreSonus has some nifty processing onboard already. I use those always. The outboard stuff is just for "polishing".

Chris

[shawn_g]

It seems that you start to get extra features with the high end units like compression, feedback eliminators, more eq options, longer delay, network control, more ins/outs, etc... When I was shopping around, some of the lower end units either had to be controlled via the front panel, or had clumsy "looks like it was made in 1990" software, not to say I didn't see some of the same issues on a few high end units. There are diminishing returns once you get to a certain price point and I don't believe the higher end units perform any better, they just have more features depending on your needs.

We're using a Symetrix Jupiter 8 at my church, which comes with some really nice software to let you control every aspect of the unit over a network. The software is top notch and very intuitive; we've been really happy with it.