small mix boards shootout

Davey

Davey

Goliath of Tone
do you guys have any experience with phonic systems?

i'm trying to decide between a soundcraft compact 4 and a phonic mu802

they are basicaly the same (still have to go through the phonics features and compare them)


soundcraft have a pretty good reputation for building quality mix boards (though i dont know if that covers their whole product range) havent heard anything about phonic until recently (though they are aparently an old company)

the phonic is a little bit cheaper (<100$) as the soundcraft (125$) and i can get it localy (would need to order the soundcraft from germany)

sooo.. what i'm asking is.. phonic < soundcraft and by what margin (to justify the added cost and ordering/shipping hassle of the soundcraft)
 
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Re: small mix boards shootout

I myself just bought a soundcraft compact 10, i'm waiting for it to arrive, so I'll have some hands-on experience to attest to with that if it'll help you, let me know.
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

Ha, the Phonic looks EXACTLY like my Behringer board! Now I know who they copied it from.

I think you will appreciate the features of the Soundcraft a lot more, especially for computer recording. I am looking to get the Compact 10 myself. Search for my thread entitled "Behringer - Never Again" for more info.
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

ratherdashing said:
Ha, the Phonic looks EXACTLY like my Behringer board! Now I know who they copied it from.

I think you will appreciate the features of the Soundcraft a lot more, especially for computer recording. I am looking to get the Compact 10 myself. Search for my thread entitled "Behringer - Never Again" for more info.
Click to expand...

hah i just got rid of my behringer too.
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

i know.. the behringer units suck.. looks cool on paper, but after a few months they break down. not what i'm looking for in a mixer.
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

My Behringer's been running steady for 2 years, but it sounds like ****, and hisses like a bitch. That's my only problem with it ;).
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

For small-scale recording, I think the Soundcraft is the way to go. The company has an impeccable reputation, and the Compact 10 even won a TEC award. (It stands to reason that the Compact 4 has the same circuitry as the Compact 10) The lack of Aux inputs, USB/Firewire connectivity, and sub busses means you will eventually have to move onto a bigger console, but I think it's a reasonable starting point.

On the other hand, I've not heard of the Phonic Corporation. (Which is Chinese in origin) The Phonic board has way more in terms of features/flexability, but I have no idea if the board is any GOOD.
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

thanks guys.
my primal concern is that the board is too close to behringer in quality =/

and yea. the compact 10 and 4 have the same kind of circuit.
i'll do some more digging on this one
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

My keyboardist has a 16 track Phonic. It has a lot of knobs and lot of sliders. Through the two month recording process over the summer, we managed to cook or otherwise destroy two of the channels on it. Some of the others can introduce a lot of noise too.


But it has a lot of knobs and sliders...
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

I just got my soundcraft today. It's really great. Mostly it just has everything I need, but everything's real solid and high-quality feeling. The preamps are good too, AND the meter lights are pretty! haha
 
Re: small mix boards shootout

ratherdashing said:
Ha, the Phonic looks EXACTLY like my Behringer board! Now I know who they copied it from.

I think you will appreciate the features of the Soundcraft a lot more, especially for computer recording. I am looking to get the Compact 10 myself. Search for my thread entitled "Behringer - Never Again" for more info.
Click to expand...


Actually, they´re both Mackie Ripoffs :D

Id go with the Soundcraft based on previous experience.... We used to use the stuff for rentals, and it just took whatever the gigs would throw at it and said: "You want more or is this enough?";)
 
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