Would this be handy for a simple remote setup?

[Jules]

ZED SERIES :: ALLEN & HEATH


Seems to me this might be great hooked up with a computer (if such a set up CAN be called great in a remote context )

I must admit the connectivity spec has bamboozled me.. and I kinda get lost...

But I was thinking this could be the answer to the guerrilla rock & indie recordist's prayers

Would this and a firewire computer be all you needed? (+ mics cables etc...)

Your thoughts?

[joelpatterson]

I sure would like to hear a bit more about this, A & H is a great name and I have always been staggered with the quality of my Mixwizards, and this Zed seems like a few light years on down the... road... on down the astral plane, whatever.

Maybe the poor man's Orpheus? Let's all find out!

[rufus13]

It looks to me like a 16x4x2 analog mixer with decent channel EQ. Slightly upmarket from Mackie 1640 with Firewire.

In addition, there are 2 sets of ADAT i/o, a single channel of Firewire400 (2 connectors), and MIDI allowing the faders to be assignable continuous-controllers (not moving faders). From the text, I'm not sure if audio is fader-resistance controlled or if there are VCA's. If there were VCA's, it's likely that dynamics control would be thrown in as an additional (huge) feature.

Handy? Oh, yes. With each channel on a card, it's even audiophile upgradeable.

Cheers.

[Corran]

Nice! I've thought about this solution rather than the hard drive recorder that I use, but I still am wary about using computers on site do to their inherent flaws (DAW and OS notwithstanding).

Any indications on cost?

[joelpatterson]

Originally Posted by Corran

Any indications on cost?

A quick googling seems to indicate the simplest one around $400, up to $1500 for the 20 input version?

[Corran]

Huh, I looked at Sweetwater and I didn't see prices for the Firewire ZED mixers, just ones with USB. If that's the prices for the Firewire ones I'm very impressed. I thought they'd be more!

[Edit]: Yeah Joel that's for the older ZED line, these are going to be probably over 3k for the R16, per this thread: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-p...ire-mixer.html

Oh well.

[joelpatterson]

Right, those were the USB versions. Maybe... uh... a USB to firewire adaptor???

[Corran]

I'm assuming the USB ones only have L-R output from the mains to USB, making it not useful as a multi-track recorder.

[joelpatterson]

Yeah again. USB audio is what... poor man's mini-disc? Firewire is obviously the way to go... but then what I hear about that is the whole scheme is glitchy, sooner or later, sometimes, I dunno, I have a whole bad attitude about "tracking to a computer" anyway...

But it's high time for the perfect, flawless, guaranteed firewire interface... and could this be it?

[Coyoteous]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/new-p...ire-mixer.html

- more than $400 (maybe 8 or 9 times that?)...

added: oops, I am redundant... not a bad thing in remote recording, right?