From the very limited amount of info I've read (and still reading) they don't appear to have the headroom of many of the consoles of today...but I dig the sound of older recordings and got some idea in my head that a tube based mixer would be more ideal for me. I thought they didn't make them anymore but then I saw this from TL Audio. I'm not a pro by any means and would just be working at home on my own stuff, so I'm not really concerned with clients not liking a certain sound in case this thing is just a one trick pony. They appear to be pretty new in the U.S. so I'm hoping some of you guys from across the pond might have some experience with this brand. Hopefully the tube aspect isn't just a gimmick, but I'm sure I'm probably just falling for their marketing anyhow.

TL Audio = Focusrite. You've been warned. And the product reviews they offered for this mixer seem awfully vague. How much do they want for it ?

That's news to me...thanks for that warning. I think the 12 channel is around $5k.

The specs show a LOT of distortion when just passing a normal signal level. I can understand wanting the option of having some saturation on something, but having no choice in the matter is surely pretty lame. Aside from that I think these are supposed to be quite solidly built.

What records are you thinking of that you like the sound of? It would have to be pretty damn old to be mixed on a tube console...

I owned a stereo tube pre-amp of theirs a few years ago. I wasn't that impressed by the build quality. Just because there are tubes in something isn't always an indicator of the quality of the unit. Saddly tubes have become a key marketing term. Not unlike the deplorable "warm" "punchy" etc etc etc.

You could get a ward beck 12 channel console for under 5 grand. It won't have tubes but it will have hammond transformers and everyone around here knows how "warm and punchy" those guys are.

Go look on the ward beck board if your interested.

otisroom wrote:You could get a ward beck 12 channel console for under 5 grand.

I don't know if this one is still available.


http://www3.telus.net/public/a5a54476/vintage_gear.html


It's been on this site for a long time. I have several of the modules that are loaded in that frame and they're all pretty cool. The compressors in particular can be heavy handed when needed. The EQ's are supposed to be set up for broadcast not recording, but I find them useful at times. I have no idea how well they'd stack up in a mix. Those modules aren't discrete; they each got some chips, if that makes a difference to you...

tarandfeathers wrote:What records are you thinking of that you like the sound of? It would have to be pretty damn old to be mixed on a tube console...

The other thing is that a lot of older (50's/60's) recordings get their sound from gratuitous use of a live echo chamber (with pre-delay). And mono. And a live performance.

Have you been over to tapeop.com yet ?

otisroom wrote:Just because there are tubes in something isn't always an indicator of the quality of the unit. Saddly tubes have become a key marketing term.

Yeah I know....this is exactly what I want to avoid. Throwing something in there just for the sake of a marketing gimmick...but I think I was just being hopeful since that's kinda the vibe I've been getting. Thanks for the Ward Beck suggestion though, I'll look into it.

I don't know a single first rate engineer who is familiar with the TL Audio tube stuff that rates it highly. I used one of their equalizers once like 10 years ago, and it passed sound, that was about it.

Good gear develops a reputation because it does a job uniquely well, and it develops that reputation pretty quickly. Anything that's been around as long as the TL Audio tube stuff ought to have earned a reputation if it was worth a damn. My money is on "it isn't worth a damn."

Good gear can be hard to find used sometimes (cheap and in good shape)...right now I'm just settling with mediocre gear, looks like I'll keep on looking. A boy can dream though

Thanks for all the input.