Soundcraft Vienna II

Typed Live Console, 40 channels, 8 VCA, 8 subgroups, 8 aux, 8 matrix, 8 effects returns.

Heavy (270 kg with fly), large (2.35 m x 1.22 m), separate power supply (50 Kg better ...)

A brief summary of all that analog peak was 16 years ago now, with his weight, but also a disconcerting ease of use who are fed up of digital logic questionable ...

UTILIZATION

Well, a mixer is always the same principle: we take the signal there, he was sent here, the correct way ... The manual is 20 pages, it says "large", and even a non specialist in the language of Shakespeare as I understand everything there is to understand ... in ten minutes by my watch ... One button, one function! Compared to the manual type 3 encyclopedia volumes O1V96 a small, one can not do better ...

SOUNDS

The sound ... When you listen the first time on his own material, his own plays in his local, we realize how digital has altered our perception of sound. We are rediscovering the old work, turn the knobs, listening and not watching a screen showing us the correction we made ... The concept of three dimensions of sound, which tends to disappear more and more of the securities is meant here and there on the radio say trendy, takes its full meaning: the stereo adjustable at will, with the height of the serious sumptuous does not eat up the rest of the spectrum (thank you !!!), VCA psychics real, warm wishes, and a high chiseled, never aggressive or metal depth by rendering reverbs and other diluted who suffer more on this side "metallic" clean a lot of digital consoles ...
No, the point of view eq, preamp is amazing and insulting to the developer plugged ... Apart from some "high end" with their own qualities but made a more or less happy, the feeling of sculpting the sound material here is palpable, it's carnal ...

That said, his favorite is the pop rock, blues, the very air of a side SSL, it did not at first, but his personality is similar to that of Neve or Midas, with the punch, and this medium charmer ... The preamps are very good quality, responsive, warm, with this tendency to love the red as all (tables) English in general ... A very engaging personality, haunting at times, and ease to ring is disconcerting ... With some machines targeted in insert, you can even make it versatile, to add air to the top with an AD2055, and SSL are approached ... Not matched, because the SSL belongs to them, they know and do pay a high price ...

Really a nice personality, she almost hypnotizes a little ....

OVERALL OPINION

Since the mid-90s, I met dozens of times on big festivals of all kinds, and every time that feeling of ease is imposed on: it's simple to do with it! !
Past ten years, digital is imposed by two essential things for the boxes: the weight and bulk. The price too, as in 2 and 60 kg per square meter including fly, you have a hell of a rack device, often low-end ... Total recall functions to facilitate changes in tray, digital definite advantages, but we forget his part "dark force", the sound!
What sound engineer never cursed against the eq of a Yam, not accurate for two in the lack of a personality preamps Innovason (also excellent intuitive ...), a Midas PRO6, transparency close to most surgical asepsis a DMX R-100 (though one of the best mixers her ...)... And I speak here only of models that the average person can not afford! In the consumer line, how many compressors set incorrectly or not we have eq aberrant heard here and there, plus the metallicity scrubbing in the overall sound, this lack of width, height ... In her, the best is always the enemy of the good ...
This type of mixer can be challenging, to rediscover what one has forgotten that our business in beauty of music is one of the most beautiful in the world, and that we must respect this that goes into our machines and not to reveal it to pass it in a way that suits us ...

I chose this table for my studio, an unusual choice I admit, but the choice of sound, without any concession. The total recall and flying faders they will miss me? Probably a bit, but it gives me time to become "smart sound" has problems, there is a solution, and some sound engineers have done without these albums cults "tools of the rich", listen to "dark Side of the Moon ", it is 40 years old, and it remains one of the best standard for sound.

This table has one fault: his weight. This table is huge even when it comes to her, she is still part of specifications of some artists (and not the least ...) for this single essential quality ... Attention addictive product, which tends to change the creamery as "digital-dependent" on the planet ... I exaggerate? Just ...