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Midas Venice 320 vs. A&H GL2200-32 vs. Yamaha MC32/12


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I'm getting the itch to replace my Mackie SR32-4 with a better console. These are all around $3K. I can make any of these work just fine. The Yami has a few more busses, which would be nice...BUT I really am looking for a good quality board.

 

Any hands on opinions would be hugely appreciated.

 

Thanks...

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Well, I'll give you the generic answer which is (w/out any other info) what you'll likely to encounter anywhere. But unfortunatly I havn't used the Yamie MC, so I won't comment on it.

 

The GL is a nice board, nice and flexible, does what you ask. The venice is basically all the same feature set, but a little less flexible in the aux department (2 fixed @ post fade + 2 fixed @ pre) and it comes a little 'messed up' post/pre eq throughout the aux's (aux 1/ post eq, 3/4 pre?, 5/6 post)

 

The preamps in the Venice are the same found in the XL4's, no problems with those at all. I have found that the total output on the l/r bus to be quieter than the GL's, not too sure about the aux's I havn't a/b those when I've switched out the GL for some gigs.

 

If you've got the cash, I'd go with the venice, but if you need the extra channels, the gl would be the way to go, or else look at the new verona (believe starts 8ish?).

 

My $0.02 - duty taxes

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IMO:

 

the Yamaha is not as good as the other two.

 

I didn't get to A/B the midas with the AH, but I went with the AH due to long throw faders. I also remember midas being more pricey than the AH, but I really don't remember exact figures for it was some time ago.

 

one salesman told me they thought the venice had a better sound than the GL2200.

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I have worked on one of the Yamaha's (just verifying specs) and found it to be very well constructed.

 

Soundwise, I think it would depend a lot on what kind of speakers, mics, etc that you have before automatically assuming that any one of them sounds better than any other.

 

The mic pre is a very small part of the overall sound. All three companies have the technology to make a fine product.

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Originally posted by Audioeast

in order of best to worst IMO


Venice - great sound (but dont care for the 60mm faders)


GL2200 - Great value period!


Yammie MC- IMO a design failure - crappy pres, EQ, construction, reviews, resale!

 

I "deconstructed" one and found the construction to be very good... single PCB (not my preferred choice but acceptable in that price point) double sided glass-epoxy, excellent wave-soldering and preamps / eq very similar to other Yamaha products including older PM series consoles. I haven't seen any reviews, but it's certainly acceptable (for the price point) in my opinion.

 

Isn't the Yamaha significantly cheaper (street price) than either of the other two?

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AH, did you use the single pole low-pass filter at 12.7kHz to verify the noise measurements of the Yamaha? That's one of the funniest things I've read on a spec sheet. They use that on everything, I even tried it once on ours, and got about 3dB better measurements on everything.

 

SoundMan

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Originally posted by SoundMan

AH, did you use the single pole low-pass filter at 12.7kHz to verify the noise measurements of the Yamaha? That's one of the funniest things I've read on a spec sheet. They use that on everything, I even tried it once on ours, and got about 3dB better measurements on everything.


SoundMan

 

 

I have seen that too... kind of a unique application of noise weighting, but in practice I have found the Yamaha MC mixer product to be practically quiet, and fully useable, Noise was not an issue at all.

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Originally posted by agedhorse


I "deconstructed" one and found the construction to be very good... single PCB (not my preferred choice but acceptable in that price point) double sided glass-epoxy, excellent wave-soldering and preamps / eq very similar to other Yamaha products including older PM series consoles. I haven't seen any reviews, but it's certainly acceptable (for the price point) in my opinion.


Isn't the Yamaha significantly cheaper (street price) than either of the other two?

 

 

with the 3 models i dont think price is the issue, i've had to use that desk on several ocassions and found it to be a step sidways from mackie (sound quality wise) it certainly has a great feature set but IMO the mic pre and eq is rough, i thought the pots and faders felt flimsy and just overall didnt care for it, but this is just 1 opinion

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  • 6 years later...
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Not used the Venice but.. short throw faders on a 'professional' mixing board?! Eurgh!

 

I owned a GL2200-24 for a while. Good sounding board but had it's fair share of reliability problems. Never anything serious or close to ending a gig, just little niggles. Fortunately spare parts are easy to come by and it's very easy to service.

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Take a look at the Soundcraft GB4/8 also. Pretty impressive feature set. I really like the sound of the Soundcraft. I'm from Denmark, so I don't know how these are priced compared to the AH and the Midas. They should be in the same price range though. They don't tend to color the sound as much during summing of channels. It sounds very clean.

 

Someone wrote that the pres in the Midas are the same as in the XL4. I honestly dont think that is true! Rumours has it that the Midas is actually a desk built by Dynacord (which with Midas is a part of the Telex enterprise).

 

I can't speak for the Yamaha (havent tried it). But both the AH, Soundcraft and Midas should be a noticable step up from your 32-4.

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the short throw faders on the venice isnt as big of a deal as a person would think. i've never even noticed it and i go back and forth quite a bit.

 

the stupid aux routing however is a huge pita. also i am not friends with the eq section; i'm not sure if the eq is beyond me or i am beyond the eq, but it does something other than what i intend for it to do.

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How so?

 

 

ok, example: i am to the point where i can just listen and use my fingers to eq on a mixwiz, GL2x00, MC and MG yammy or even a lowly mackie. but the damn venice i have to dig out my flashlight and even then i can never really get it to do what i want, its either to peaky, resonant, subtle, or i need to go outside of the narrow freq band on each sweep (kick drum). also, the sweeps overlap at around 800hz or so, and VERY ODDLY i often find i have strange things going on at 800hz on the mixer.

 

at one point in one show i found i had the vocal bumped a crack off center at 800hz on BOTH sweeps:facepalm: i tried to zero one and just use the other but it was different sounding. i've used the venice countless times and i have a lot of trouble with the eq. i have also posted before a few times about how when directly interchanged with a GL2200 i have to run the venice mains at damn near clip to get the volume out of the system i would get with the GL2200 peaking at +3. i know how to work around this but it still strikes me as odd.

 

another odd thing is i find i have to use the faders often above unity, which i dont do at all on any other mixer.

 

these things are just things i notice; i have no reason or rational about why i do them or why it is happening.

 

even with these complaints i have about the venice i think its a good sounding mixer, much clearer sounding than A&H (for some reason) i.e. i dont have to use as much eq on various channels to get a clean result.

 

also i must mention i have used two different venice's with two completely different rigs and had similar results. one thing i notice on both rigs is a buildup at around 3150hz and it could be coincidence, or its not.

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used the venice at a weekend festival rented system, most of what coaster posted i found to be absolutely true, had to push mains up really really high, though that could have been the fault of underspecking vrx tops and subs by the rental company..mic pres sounded good but eq was a challenge to get right. I was very happy i had my nih parametrics in the foh rack for lead vocal and kickdrum especially for the clicky sound some of the drummers wanted.

 

Currently own a gl2000 and the feel, overall sound, and just sense of quality i get while using it is quite a bit better than what the midas could give me..granted any competent engineer can make anything within reason work, there are things to be said for comfort and friendly routing/layout.

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also i am not friends with the eq section; i'm not sure if the eq is beyond me or i am beyond the eq, but it does something other than what i intend for it to do.

 

 

+1. Somebody talking into an SM58 should be a breeze to EQ, but somehow I couldn't do it on the Venice. Luckily I had some outboard EQ.

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The MC32/12 is a fairly large board, one I'd keep in a raod case on wheels. It's also a 2 man lift, so if you're working alone I'd look elsewhere. I've use the venice some, not a lot but much prefer the GL2400 all around. The Soundcraft GB4 and GB8 are both exellent consoles too, worth a look. I own an LX7 (original) and it's close in feature set it's a step down from the GB4.

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I've used the Venice quite a bit. Installed a GB4 at the club a good while back. And work on a GL board at another club I work at once in a while.

 

Personally, I like the Soundcraft GB4 the best of the 3 I work with regularly. It's a big board though.

 

Running the Venice and the GB4 on the same sound system I thought the GB4 sounded better, take that for the opinion it is though.

 

I've used the Venice the most and it's the board I like the least. I have some of the same opinions as others. The aux setup is just a pain in the ass. I almost always have to run the faders above unity. And the eq just doesn't always react like I want it to when I make an adjustment.

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I almost always have to run the faders above unity.

 

 

why do you suppose that is? about the only faders i dont run above unity are oddly enough the kick drum and bass guitar. in contrast i usually run the kick drum fader at unity on a GL2X00 but on the venice i have it down -20 or so.

 

i wasnt sure i wanted to admit these issues at first lest i be confused with a novice so i am glad to see these experiences are not mine alone.

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the Venice works well, I have one here and have mixed a number of shows on it. sort of overpriced for the features. no phase, pad, weird auxes but sounds just fine. I'd take a GL2400 over it.

 

I bought an AH ZED428 and have done about 60 shows with it this year. it works quite well, especially for $1699

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