Hi,
Without wishing to appal anyone, is it possible to cut down a mixer with modular parts, separate channel strips and so on, to make a smaller mixer?
For example, one that had 32 channels, just remove 16 of them and cut the frame down to leave a 16 track mixer?
Not that I'm really considering such actions, just curious to know...
Cheers,
Roscoe
Cutting down a mixer?
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
Possibly.
It depends on the way the modules are connected to the groups/main outputs.most module-based desks are built in a modular fashion, typically with the internal PCB's and hardware supporting 8 modules — hence desks often being available in 8/16/24/32 channel frames.
Some desks use ribbon cables to bus everything together, so channels can be removed, the ribbon cable cut, and the frame shortened as necessary.
Others use a motherboard PCB which the channels plug into. Often the motherboard PCB is designed to host 8 channels and multiple boards are linked together to support the full channel count so channels can be removed in blocks matching the motherboard count, along with their motherboard(s).
Desks with rear panel connectors (not on the module) usually have PCB's carrying eight channels worth again, so easy to reduce console size.
The other issue to consider is the power supply. Reducing the number of modules will reduce the current demands, and in some cases that could affect the rail voltages and/or ripple noise, so modifications or adjustments might be necessary.
However, it would make much more sense, and be a lot easier, to sell the too-large desk and buy a smaller model, rather than hack a big one down.
It depends on the way the modules are connected to the groups/main outputs.most module-based desks are built in a modular fashion, typically with the internal PCB's and hardware supporting 8 modules — hence desks often being available in 8/16/24/32 channel frames.
Some desks use ribbon cables to bus everything together, so channels can be removed, the ribbon cable cut, and the frame shortened as necessary.
Others use a motherboard PCB which the channels plug into. Often the motherboard PCB is designed to host 8 channels and multiple boards are linked together to support the full channel count so channels can be removed in blocks matching the motherboard count, along with their motherboard(s).
Desks with rear panel connectors (not on the module) usually have PCB's carrying eight channels worth again, so easy to reduce console size.
The other issue to consider is the power supply. Reducing the number of modules will reduce the current demands, and in some cases that could affect the rail voltages and/or ripple noise, so modifications or adjustments might be necessary.
However, it would make much more sense, and be a lot easier, to sell the too-large desk and buy a smaller model, rather than hack a big one down.
-
- Hugh Robjohns
Moderator -
Posts: 40761 Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 12:00 am
Location: Worcestershire, UK
Contact:
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
Thanks Hugh, as I suspected.
I don't have one! But, there's a large desk going locally that looks to be headed for landfill. Who's going to buy a 48 channel desk? That's a shame, I thought... There's fewer opportunities for these sort of things in the central Scotland area than for example London. A reasonable voice is required sometimes!
Cheers,
Roscoe
I don't have one! But, there's a large desk going locally that looks to be headed for landfill. Who's going to buy a 48 channel desk? That's a shame, I thought... There's fewer opportunities for these sort of things in the central Scotland area than for example London. A reasonable voice is required sometimes!
Cheers,
Roscoe
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
rha wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:25 am Thanks Hugh, as I suspected.
I don't have one! But, there's a large desk going locally that looks to be headed for landfill. Who's going to buy a 48 channel desk? That's a shame, I thought... There's fewer opportunities for these sort of things in the central Scotland area than for example London. A reasonable voice is required sometimes!
Cheers,
Roscoe
What is it? You have to get it, 48 channels? no prizes for guessing things like this will come around again in popularity, they already are, so I’d grab it, and think about it later.
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
Not sure I'd want to get into cutting down mixer frames, but there are quite a few modular designs where the frames were made in several sizes and the modules are interchangeable. The old Soundcraft 200 series desks are like that for instance, and I think the same is true of Alice and some other broadcast-oriented consoles. And above a certain quality level the modules themselves will be valuable in their own right. What's the mixer?
-
- Sam Inglis
Moderator - Posts: 3084 Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2000 12:00 am
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
Hi Arpangel - it's a soundcraft mh4.
It's at least twice as big as anything remotely realistic - unfortunately I don't live in a georgian town house, or a huge barn somewhere.
Thinking about it, I'm not sure how often stuff like this comes up locally, as I haven't been watching long term. But relatively speaking there's a lot less up here, as you'd expect I guess.
It's at least twice as big as anything remotely realistic - unfortunately I don't live in a georgian town house, or a huge barn somewhere.
Thinking about it, I'm not sure how often stuff like this comes up locally, as I haven't been watching long term. But relatively speaking there's a lot less up here, as you'd expect I guess.
Re: Cutting down a mixer?
It is a live sound desk, so probably not ideal for recording use, though the extra channels can be used as returns. A lot of that central section is for the matrix controls for monitor outputs, though that could be useful for headphone mixes for full band recording in a studio.
Reliably fallible.