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Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 7:20 am
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:41 pm
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 12:33 am
by 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
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:42 am
by 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
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:25 pm
by 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!
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 9:28 am
by Rich4349
hermanmonker wrote: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.)
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:12 am
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 11:23 am
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 12:02 pm
by BrentEvans
Rich4349 wrote: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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 8:35 pm
by AntonZ
Rich4349 wrote: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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 12:03 pm
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Thu May 24, 2012 4:14 pm
by 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.
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Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 8:00 pm
by Chris Betancourt
Rich4349 wrote: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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 9:00 pm
by 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.
Re: Allen and Heath PA12
Posted: Fri May 25, 2012 9:32 pm
by Chris Betancourt
Bruce Weldy wrote: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???