ratman Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'm pretty close to pulling the trigger on a DL1608, and I'm wondering if any BCers use a DL series mixer and would share their opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 DL1608 and DL32R here. Very good choice of no nonsense mixers, especially with the upgraded master fader app. The only weak point is the reverb - but for live use it's hardly a problem. What's not to like? 31 band EQ on outputs, para EQ and hpf on each channel, 2 fx bus (3 on dl32r), compressor and gate... And then the relatively high aux count. For the money, hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 Yes, the new Master Fader app is a huge improvement on the old version. And the My Fader app is now compatible, about time. The reverb does seem to be one of the few minor niggles. And as soon as Mackie make recordings instantly playable on the iPad, I think they'll have pretty much nailed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted April 16, 2015 Share Posted April 16, 2015 I've done a couple of shows on a 1608 and other than the psychological barrier of no physical controls, it worked really well. It doesn't have the comprehension (complication!?) of something like an LS-9 (I always come back to these don't I?) but as a straight forward and convenient mixing setup, I have very few complaints. The reverb as mentioned isn't the best out there but with a bit of manipulation it can be made useable and less boxy / toilet bowl / bathroom like. I got a reasonable short delay effect out of th second FX unit also. Manual head amps on the 1608 (gain controls) aren't an issue for me, all my consoles are the same so it's no different. The 32 has recallable head-amps which is very handy and a step forward. Apparently the 32 does more too with additional FX units, multi-track recording as well as a host of other bells and whistles. Whether you need the additional channels and a total recall facility only you can decide and being honest, I've never used a 32 so can't comment on it's operation. In a nutshell, the 1608 works very well indeed. In my opinion at least! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 The LS9 is certainly a different beast to most of the digital mixers out there. As soon as I started mixing on the GLD, I figured that the LS9 is far more convoluted than it needs to be. The fact the LS9 is still so commonly used after all these years though, is testament to Yamaha. They are great desks even now... (even though people are beginning to shift them on now). The thing that sets the 1608 away from the competition is it's price and aux count. Off the top of my head, only the Mixwizard gives you 6 aux sends (although I think you have to set a jumper to get them all to be prefader) at a cheaper price point. The fact that the DL1608 then has the compressors, more powerful eqs, gates, reverb, delay etc... just cements the reasons why its such a great desk. Add to the fact that it's light, compact and also allows for remote access via iPad and monitor mixes via iPad/iPhone/iPod touch... it's immense. As for the reverb, I'm hoping that a firmware will put a better reverb in the box - I'm not hopeful though since they haven't done it since the DL1608 was released... and it has been a common complaint. It's not the end of the world but a partnership with Lexicon would be a pretty amazing addition. From a maxing point of view, the DL32R adds More VCA and Sub mixes and an additional fx processor (as well as additional inputs and outputs obviously). The other notable features - as touched on above, is that whilst the 1608 records a show to stereo, plugging in a hard disk to the DL32R allows you to record 24 channels simultaneously (pre dsp) to disk so that you can input them into your favourite DAW and edit to your hearts content. If you reroute the USB inputs to the channels, you can play it back through the mixer - this is how you do the soundcheck without the band thing - but in reality, unless you are using a silent setup or on a massive stage where the speakers way overpower whats happening on stage, this is only partially useful as you won't get the bleed from stage. Still, great for setting up gates and tweaking eq and compressors to your hearts content. The DL32R can also be used as a 32/32 soundcard with your mac or pc. The big thing that sets the DL32R apart from the rest of the range is the inclusion of Dante - that defo puts it into at least snapping at the heals of the realms of pro audio. The DL32R has digital gains as opposed to the rotary knobs - and a fine tune trim. It works well. Obviously, with the 1608 this is manual. The 1608 is probably the sweet spot of the range... unless something like a DL24 comes out as for most bands, the DL32R is overkill. The other thing worth mentioning - although it hasn't happened to be an issue to me, is that the DL32R is completely wireless... whereas you do have the safety net of docking the iPad with the 1608. (Im using an Airport Extreme as my router with the DL32R). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 VTypeV4 - ha, just noticed your the soundguy at the Rigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratman Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks guys. I was pretty sure I would be making a good choice with the 1608 and your replies have confirmed that. The feature list really is off the scale for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTypeV4 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 [quote name='EBS_freak' timestamp='1429231303' post='2749583'] VTypeV4 - ha, just noticed your the soundguy at the Rigger! [/quote] Guilty as charged.. I'm guessing I mixed you at some point? Trying to recall an EBS user.. I'm still happy with my 'oldskool' digital boards, I'm reasonably sure I could use the 328XD blindfolded. Less so with the 02R, as much as I love it, it's quite capable of being a jackass - much like an LS-9! It's that Yamaha lineage! I never used a GLD but the Qu was simple enough and very user friendly. I loved the Digico SD8 too, that was a winner.. As mentioned above, the price, the features and the simplicity of the Mackie make it a winner.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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