Pix me a Mixer!

[ilovethesechord]

Er, Mix my pixer! Wait, uh.. mix my...

In the blue corner, weighing in at roughly 400 dollars, is the "Samson MDR-16".

In the red at around 400 dollars, we have an.. "Allen & Heath ZED-14"

To record my band, I know I'll need at least 2 mic inputs, 1 bass, 1 guitar, 1 synth, (Possibly) 1 Sampling machine, and at least 3 drum mics.

Mr. Samson is looking like a clear cut winner, but my decision so far is based on aesthetics alone. I know I'll need Reverb on my vocals, and the ability to record and export to a PC. Any help deciding would be very helpful. Hopefully. Will you help me?

 

[joeyjazz]

As far as overall build and sound quality goes, Allen & Heath beats Samson on all fronts.

 

[agreatheight]

As far as overall build and sound quality goes, Allen & Heath beats Samson on all fronts.

+1

 

[ilovethesechord]

Hey, thanks.

But in regards to the models of the two companies shown, does the Allen & heath still beat out the Samson?

Feature sets? The Samson has so many more faders....

 

[allexcosta]

Hey, thanks.

But in regards to the models of the two companies shown, does the Allen & heath still beat out the Samson?

Feature sets? The Samson has so many more faders....

Yes, A&H is way better.

 

[joeyjazz]

The Samson has so many more faders....

You're going to have to be more specific about your individual needs to really assess that. What I can tell you just from looking at them is you should ignore the faders for now. The Samson gives you 8 XLR mic preamp inputs while the A&H only gives you 2 fewer at 6. Those 6 channels of mic pres on the A&H are not only going to sound better on their own, but the EQ available on them is also going to sound a ton better than what you'll get on the Samson.

Your synth and sampling machine can most likely be brought in on one of the line in channels depending on the available outputs assuming you don't plan to mic a speaker for them.

The primary difference in faders is that the Samson has 4 busses while the A&H doesn't. However, the A&H has 4 aux sends while the Samson only has 2 so your routing options aren't quite as limited as the faders may lead you to believe and how that affects you will depend more on what you're recording to and how you want to route everything.

The onboard effects on the Samson most likely sound worse than freeware plugins and won't be nearly as flexible. Even if you decide to get that board you probably shouldn't use them unless you're running it as a simple PA for rehearsal or something.

 

[ilovethesechord]

Well, I'm mostly planning on purchasing a mixer for rehearsal. I've kind of been starting this "post" - jazz group....

We've got some badass gear; In my opinion, the sound quality is killer. Our first session we recorded using this 8track (via internal microphone) , and we achieved some surprisingly presentable results.

All musicality-ness aside, I would be proud to present the recording as a demo, if only to share with friends.

However, My end goal with this band is to make a living. Yes, I am planning on "selling out." For there is more to life than living with parents in a small Chicago suburb, and at 19 yrs old I feel like I need to get moving. See the world. Me new people. Grow! Get bigger!!

Destiny is calling!!!

...I'm sure that you players are more... well - played, er, played out more uh.. More playable!

Experienced?

With your knowledge, I hope I can invest in "technology" to create the most "presentable" songwriting possible. Do you all agree the A&H will last longest? Cost cheapest? Work bestest? take farthest?

P.s. thank you joeyjazz

 

[scowboy]

A&H based on mic pres alone.

Samson stuff is notoriously noisy.

 

[joeyjazz]

Do you all agree the A&H will last longest? Cost cheapest? Work bestest? take farthest?

Even if you get something bigger/better down the road the A&H would actually still be worth holding onto, or at the very least maintain a decent resale value in comparison to the Samson.

In that price range you could also look into getting a used Mackie 1604 VLZ Pro (the newer Onyx stuff kills it, but even used is still above your price range) or Soundcraft or Carvin board... but as far as new stuff goes I'd definitely say that the A&H is your best bet for the money.