This might belong somewhere else so feel free to move it but yeah, so as the title implies.. I am currently a non commercial home project studio experimenting with 2" tape recording, mainly for the sake of its' sound for tracking. Having grown up being a DAW producer I haven't decided whether I want to mix on it as a long term option ( probably not haha ) but I'm enjoying learning alternate workflows and far prefer the results than sitting automating VST's in logic all day.

The otari is running like a top after head relapping and calibration;
My main current issue is my 24 track 8 bus console ( soundtracs Topaz Maxi ) is basically too unreliable - in that every time I sit down to session overdubs or stems to the tape, one of my channels has dirt noise on either an EQ toggle/flip/phase invert toggle/bus assign/mute/solo literally any of the above, and it's really affecting workflow having to pull buttons off and spray cleaner in constantly especially when I'm recording with guests.

I'm a repair tech myself and I realize Ideally I need to get all the boards out and get them into an ultrasonic cleaner or something ( which I don't have). The boards are massive and I've already been through every switch with servisol. Really can't be arsed to take all the knobs and boards out again ( it's not modular ).
I've already reflowed every solder joint on the master board and replaced a fair few dodgy TRS sockets so at least it's electrically sound.

Anyway without waffling much more I wanted opinions on either:
-another fairly budget sub £1k analog 24 trk minimum mixer that's not going to give me switch noise problems without days of restoration work..
-a decent sounding digital 24 track alternative, I guess automation or magic faders etc could be awesome in the long run
-a decent (budget) 24 channel ADC/DAC and doing away with the Topaz all together or just using it for it's colour when needed. I own two RME FF800 already but Been having problems on new Mac OS, probably firewire related. Plus that's only 16ch total. Looked at ferrofish pulse 16 as a USB replacement but again only 16 tracks.

Part of me wants to persevere with the Topaz and get it nice, but who knows if it ever will be solid.. my house is so dusty, perhaps dust will just find its way in again? I do need to Hoover it and start covering it..but yes part of me also just wants something more practical and reliable that won't have me tearing my hair out every session.

I do really like the overdrive flavour on the Topaz ch gain and EQ though so I'll miss that if I go digital won't I?

Anyway, all thoughts welcome.

hey. how come you deleted your post? was going to reply, just been busy. I hoovered off the Topaz today with a filter over the vacuum and there was layers and layers of dusty gunk. Im making it a cover today and going to try cleaning the switches with IPA as recommended on the soundtracs FB group

Trying to understand here. Are you flipping phase, pressing the flip switch, toggling EQ's, etc while the mix is going down? Normally, I leave all these alone while I'm printing anything.

Or are these things just rearing their ugly head while they're pressed in....

Nah, not pressing any of that stuff while recording or monitoring, of course not, much the latter - I hear scratchiness during monitoring or recording and when working /jiggling this list of controls, the noise is remedied suggesting they are the problem.

Hmm. I wonder if they're are simply physically worn out...which cleaning won't remedy. Maybe replacements are in order (if you like the board enough).

Ive been thinking about it a lot. a guy on the soundtracs FB group has given me a method to clean them without disassembline the board as its not modular (PITA) so i'll give it a bash. And yeah I really do like the board, for under £500 i think its great. sounds fat as f***!

Those lower budget recording consolse from back in the day were decent for the money but not built to last. Good luck getting your problems resolved. Dirty/worn pots, loose/worn circuit board mount connectors etc. Aslo they a &*^$%#@ to service since they are usually just a few really big circuit boards so every single knob and pot has to be removed and unscrewed to get to work on it. But you already know that..

Other options.. i guess it depends on how you want to operate. If you only want the console for monitoring mixing.. i would consider 24 rack mounted mic pres (if you need that many) and finding a good used pro grade sound reinforcement console for monitoring/mixing. Those can be had for limited funds vs a pro grade inline recording console.

For under 1k I would think the M3700/M3500 would be worth a look.

If you can find an X2 where the gremlins have been sorted they sound decent and probably will run you 1k or under. There's always the 38:8 Mackie, but those seem to be creeping up.

DDA, Audient, Midas, Neotek or...Mackie 24*8, or 32*8.

Those are my suggestions.

Tascam is ok.

Grab an old Niche box, or Mackie auto (otto?) for automation on the inserts. Run from an old cheap mac or PC.

SMPTE to MTC off channel 23 or 24. JL cooper or Lynx box.

I have a DDA, we installed it in a historic mansion for a bit, it's now in storage. If you want a DDA, and can find a Profile? That's the ticket. All are really well built though. Sturdy desks.

When I moved the DDA out of my place, I needed something, so I got a Mackie 32*8 as a placeholder.

This isn't the first one, I worked at a place in the 90's with a 32*8 as well. Not a bigger than life sounding console, but the specs and noise are tough to beat at that price range.

When Mackie put these out, a lot of British and American console manufacturers went under. Lots of places put them in b rooms, Universities, etc.

Lots of solid Panasonic parts in old Mackies.
Sealed Panasonic faders, caps etc.

A lot of the same parts in Euphonix consoles.

Not very flattering sounding, but clean, quiet, and reliable.

To recap or repair them?
Pain in the A**.
Big motherboard arrangement, no channel strips to pull.


So if you go looking at Mackies, make sure there are no issues before putting down your money. Consider it a "disposable" console that sounds good. If that's the case, you can go on working without hosing your console with deoxit all the time, and get back to making music.

Way cleaner than a topaz fidelity wise for certain. Whether you like clean or not, is a whole nuther discussion.
But mackies are pretty damn bullet proof.

I run the mackie still, and a Soundworkshop console (when I use a console anymore). With either the SW preamps, or other outboard. I don't use the Mackie pres much, if ever. But, I used to. And they are fine. No euphonic coloring like a discrete , transformer coupled or tube preamp, but absolutely fine.

The SW has been gone through, recapped, modded, Jensen input xformers, etc. But the switches and pots are like your Topaz, and showing their age.

The mackie? As long as you hit the ribbon connectors every 4 years (deoxit), it's bullet proof. No scratchy pots, switches or faders.

I would say that it is "reliable" as hell man.

Glamorous? NO.

But totally underrated and subjected to internet snobbery because they were affordable, attainable to home studios, and ...sounded pretty damn good.
This made mackie a target for all manner of bashing and snobbery.
A lot was out of fear. The writing was beginning to be on the wall to large studios, that now people could get a clean recording and mix at home.

Just my take on it all.

Maybe a Soundcraft Ghost too, it's almost as clean... spec wise as a mackie. I think it uses TL074's though. SMT variety. Mackie used 45XX JRC chips, and to my ears they are bit clearer sounding. After mackie used these, LOTS of ad/ da converter manufacturers began using them.

Also, on the Ghost, like the mackie, there are many channels on one pcb. On one hand, due to the lack of ribbon cable and wire running everywhere like a console with pull-able channel strips, the noise is significantly LOWER on these SMT, all in one PCB designs.

On the other hand, if you DO have to repair these types of desks...no fun. It can be done. Prepare for a project and a lot of down time though.

That's the trade off.

But they seldom break...so there ya go.
Good luck in your search!

PS:
I've been toying with the idea of putting my DDA back up. I'd have to get it back in shape. It's almost as clean and quiet as the Mackie, but it has more weight to the sound. Bigger low end (I put huge caps in it), but it is ever so slightly less transparent. And a hair noisier. But, it has a "sound".
I may pull it out of storage for the heck of it one day. It was in service for a decade here. It's a damn nice console for what it is, but i have to say, the mackie is way more versatile. 32 inputs with 32 mix B, just nutz for that size footprint. And money.

DDA for sure if you can find one. I swapped out a D Series for The Box because I didn't need 32 channels and it was huge.

All top-notch and easy to work on as well. A different league from anything else in that price range if you have the space.

I agree. At this point though, ANY console from the 70's 80's 90's even 2000?

Is really do for a recap.

Unless it was already done with really high quality low ESR caps.
DDA though?
EASY as pie to work on.
Be careful as always with the traces, and the holes aren't plated through, but ez nonetheless.

Pretty clean sounding boards, not quite as clean as some other new boards, but musical.

I saw a guy saying they lack headroom vs. Neoteks (Electrical audio tech), I never had any headroom issues with a DDA.
Heck, I don't ever remember even clipping my DDA.

Noah is right though, as far as connectors, switches, etc. Nice and overbuilt. Heck, the mute group (cut) switches are the same as an 80's SSL.

Also the fader circuit in the D and Q series has a built in "kill" circuit to reduce noise when the fader is all the way down, and is also cleverly designed so as when the fader is near the bottom, or half way up, you don't lose top end.

I still think they hit it out of the park with the Profile though.
Killer little console.

You can hear it on Yes's Talk album. No tape on that album, early Protools (two apples sync'd up, session 8 systems I think) but man, that is a punchy, clean sounding album.

After a day to think about it, I'd say DDA, Audient, or on a budget (bang for buck), the Mackie if image and brand names aren't critical for clients.

Mine do not care what it says on the label.

But I am thinking I want to setup my DDA again for grins.

Best of luck.

My DDA was definitely in a different league than a Mackie or Tascam. I bought mine at auction for about $100 with two power supplies.

I did some recapping, and some resistors on the VCA channels needed to be changed.

Basic soldering and all parts are off-the-shelf. Great meters, top-notch switches, pots, etc.

Quiet board, fader mutes like said above, etc.

One thing - you're not putting this on a second floor. I had mine on concrete. The console had to be taken apart to move. The frame itself is a work of art.

$100 in ANY condition is a Steal! I love that console man.
Yes, they're heavy. Mine is only 24 channel, 8 bus, and it's still near 300 lbs I think.
Totally worth it.

If I could go back, I'd try to get a DCM, or profile, but I love mine. Just right footprint for me.

Definitely built better than a mackie. They do measure worse than the next generation of surface mount consoles, but they have a sound.
Measurements aren't everything.

And spot on with the recapping.
Any board 20 + years really should be recapped, even if you don't think there's an issue.
The low end will come back, and the board will sound better.

I ran the DDA group on Yahoo groups for several years (with David Deardon's permission), Lots of info there on recapping and mods.
I let it lapse, but I think that somebody migrated it to somewhere else?
If you know where Noah, please let me know.

Nice photos!

Makes me want to get mine out from down the hall! Buried behind a ton of stuff now...

This one came from the Hatch in Boston and I bought it from the State of Massachusetts. Lots of legendary shows on this one!

For my needs, The Box made more sense, but it was fun. I passed it on, and it's going into some community education center or something along those lines, which is cool.

There's a DDA group on FB and it's nice. Everyone is cool. I don't have the console anymore but still read that group once in a while.

It may be self-evident, but one key question I'm not seeing definitively answered yet by the OP is if you go analog do you need/want an in-line console?