10+input mixer/recorder options?

Darren Levine

Darren Levine

Veteran
To start with the summary, studio client wants to record upwards of 10 folks. Prior consultant just listed a 16 track mixer along with a zoom f8.

it's a situation i'm still gathering info from all sides to see what the actual need is. In the meantime, looking for recommendation for either board based, or portable units which could satisfy this need. It's a small studio that may be wanting to do some grab and go shoots, so i'm weighing tailoring their setup to portable capable units instead of rack units. The cart they got to put everything onto would also benefit from smaller units.

Budget is still up in the air, for arguments sake lets say it's under $4k to achieve mixing and recording of 10 tracks, whether it be a single unit or separate units. It could end up going the route of 2x recorders, but i would prefer single unit.

in my looking around, the sound devices 12 track is just about the only thing that comes up under $6k. numerous multitrack options which unfortunately max out at 8 inputs.

cheers
 
On similar lines for this type of project, I use a Soundcraft MTK mixer that has usb iso sends: in my case the 12 MTK with 12 usb outs (and 14 usb returns) into an Android tablet, but you could use the 22 channel version and, of course, a laptop. Nice to have a familiar physical mixer with faders etc. http://www.soundcraft.com/en/products/signature-12-mtk. Again AC powered and perhaps the separate tablet/laptop makes things too clunky. I'm sure there are more - and upmarket - versions of the same.

Cheers,

Roland
 
I like Matt's and Roland's suggestions of looking at a music-industry mixer with some sort of integrated or simple off board (hard drive, laptop, whatever) recorder. The one I'm currently most familiar with (use it about 2X month; don't own one) is the Allen & Heath Qu-16. I use it mostly for live sound and mainly record a simple board mix, but it can record 18 channels of 24/48 to a USB drive (ie- you don't need to attach a computer, though you can), can be a front-end for a DAW. It doesn't generate timecode and I haven't tried feeding it TC, but others say they've fed TC into the stereo line-ins ("track 17") with success. Fits in a rack, if that's your thing. It's not perfect, but it's pretty nice: http://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/qu-16/

So there's three options... Upside: These music-industry mixers and mixer recorders approaches can be pretty cheap... Cheap enough to maybe get one of these and one or two Zoom F8/F4s or Sound Devices MixPre 6/3s and stay under budget...
 
While not cheap, a versatile solution would be an SD 664 or 688 and the CL-12 fader panel. I was just on a high-end network shoot for promos and one of the high-end guys here in town was the A1/mixer and his set-up was an SD 688 with CL-12. Now you can actually mix all the channels from the front panel, but it wouldn't be fun.
 
What I have used in similar situations is a combo of a mixer with a computer connection like the Alesis ones with a FireWire port and the production recording software BoomRecorder.

http://www.vosgames.nl/products/BoomRecorder/

The big plus is that Boom Recorder was designed for production recording so it has things like TimeCode and dual recording and a big buffer. I have test recorded 128 tracks to a USB2 bus powered harddrive with out glitches.

And I use a completely different system for low track count field recording. Getting one system to do both means one or both uses will be compromised. BR also lets you take notes that are tied to the recording and produces recording logs.
 
love these suggestions, very helpful. thank you all!

Still waiting on more input to focus in on the needs. will update when i have movement
 
I've done a Mackie Onyx mixer that has firewire out into Boom Recorder. Worked great when I did it, but that was when Firewire 400 was the standard. You'd want to check and make sure the board and Boom Recorder are still compatible.
 
What Dave suggested was a good idea.

Darren, I would also find out if they really need iso's on everybody. You could save a pocket full if they didn't.
 
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