Vintage Console Restoration - Part 8 "Now what have I done?"
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- Опубліковано 19 лис 2023
- I've taken on a ridiculous project: to restore a vintage Sony/MCi MXP-3036 recording console.
I don't entirely know how to do this, but I'll figure it out as I go and hopefully come out with an amazing peice of vintage audio history to use in my studio.
In part 8, I make the decision that the console ultimately doesn't work for me. I talk about what does and doesn't work for me and why I'm instead going to sell it.
The Reverb listing is here: reverb.com/ite...
#studiolife #studiogear #newgear #sony #MCI #MXP-3000 #MXP-3036 #vintagegear #vintageconsole #expo86 #restoration #vintagerestoration #audio #vintageaudio #audiogear
Thanks for the series, I found it really interesting. I went through the big console itch right before Covid lashing out with a big $$ loan to buy a SSL 6048 that was supposed to be in excellent condition. I couldn't check it before buying as it was in storage 3000Km away so only had a few photos and the seller's word on it. The seller removed it from the studio he bought it from and assured me it was near perfect when he decommissioned it also sending it via SSL in England for extensive re-capping so by all accounts it should have been good. Totally my fault for not considering old complex gear in long term storage of around five years. It works but with lot's of small issues related to the long term storage and being a thirty-eight year old console. It takes up loads of space, is super power hungry (When it runs) and since Covid my work life has changed totally so it is really nothing more than a very beautiful piece of furniture now. Everyone has changes in life, we just have to embrace them and move on to a better place whatever that might be so my SSL will be for sale once I can get it fully functional again. I also have a SL32 which I'll probably end up using, smaller, reliable and feature rich as you know. All the best from down in Australia.
Thanks for watching. It really is easy to desire an analogue beast such as these when you have memories and nostalgia and have the space.
But I think for most of us, a really nice interface, or a digital console, or a modern analogue console are all we really need.
I think if I had the opportunity to get a smaller analog board with enough inputs at a cost I could afford I might still do it. But for now I'll stick with digital.
Absolutely no reason for you to be sorry it needs to work for you. And if nothing else its been really interesting watching you restore this beast of a console. You should feel good about that, I'd have given up ages ago. Keep the videos coming.
Thanks. I'm really glad I stumbled upon this beast and took the time to do the work and document it. It was a wild ride.
I'm looking forward to getting back to primarily making music.
Loving this series! Bummer that you're selling it. That was a ton of work.
Thanks. I feel I did a good thing by restoring it, and think it will end up in a larger space where it can be used to it's full extent.
But yes, it was tons of work. I also enjoyed it (when not cursing at it).
If it doesn't work for you, it doesn't work for you. You put a helluva lotta effort into it and it was awesome to watch, and thank you for putting it out into the world. Good luck on getting everything set back up how you want it!
I think that's what my next video will be... the crazy process my brain goes through putting things back.
Tbh the coolest part was the challenge and the restoration, do more of that if you feel ❤
Exactly. I'm continuing to do what I love to do.
I learned to mix on one of these. Love that you shared this.
It was quite a blast and a great learning experience.
Nah man this console is cool but only if it works for you so big respect for your decision! All the best, Tobi
Agreed. So cool, but not for me.
Ideally a local studio will grab it and then I can still visit. ;-)
That is sad.. I really loved the whole project!
I know. :-(
But the project was still worth it.
I'm really proud of you for all the amazing work you did on this, and I'm also proud that you were able to listen to yourself and make a decision that works for you. As someone who's actually recorded in the space, I'm happy for this decision. I really enjoyed the feel of the space with the digital mixer- we had room to sit in the control room and record guitar up front and still have it feel spacious (which is good for my ability to focus). I love being in your studio and I think this is the right decision for it.
Thanks Seb. I love recording with you too.
And I agree, the feel of the space is an important part of hanging out and making music.
As much as I really enjoying seeing the journey and the install I think you made a well considered choice to favour the optimal workflow for you. I’m personally loving having my console, but I had also considered getting an MCI like yours and it would have taken up the width of my room so I really get the footprint issue! Keep up the good work mate
Thanks. It was a fun ride, but I feel great about my final decision.
Thank you for this journey you have shared, I was in the same position lately thinking I need an analog board vs my Presonus 32SC but now im re thinking all that myself, sometimes things that just work should be left to do just that, to get work done!
No problem. It's so easy to start chasing gear vs. making music. I'm trying to cut down on the former, but I really like gear. 😜
So cool to watch this journey no matter how it ended.
Glad you enjoyed it.
😢 but you gotta do what’s right for you. I agree. A smaller analog console like an API or a Trident would be ideal but those are very expensive. I got a new baby: tascam model 16. Have only just set it up. Looking forward to playing with it. 😊
Exactly! However, with the way my brain works, it's often hard to decipher what is right for me. ;-)
Binge watched all your video series this weekend on vacation. Great videos and tons of knowledge. Glad you are doing what’s best for you. I had gone through the analog console itch 5 years ago. Beginning of 2023 I sold most of what I didn’t use. (Still attached to some that I don’t use but I love the nostalgia of them) and went with the 2 Apollo interfaces with the mic pres and 16 input / output. Then set up with softube console 1 and (2) console 1 faders. Love my new set up. Very small profile with everything I will ever want or need. Can’t wait for your next videos!
Thanks for watching.
Sounds like a cool setup. I have yet to bond with using a full sized control surface with my DAW. I used to have a Mackie MCU and now can use the Studiolive as a DAW controller. But I never got into either.
I have a Frontier Design Group - AlphaTrack and I loved it. When I switched to Studio One I got the Presonus - Faderport (single). I find these controllers perfect because they are just to the left of my keyboard for easy reach. Plus I'm only every using one fader at a time to automate (whether for a single track or a group of them).
This journey was fantastic to watch! Good for you not letting the sunk cost make you make the wrong decision. That's not easy to get away from. I look forward to the next adventure!
Thank you so much.
You know you made the right decision by how you felt right at the moment you made it. Great call. And how many people have taken on the rebuild of a massive pro studio console?! You did a really good job and it does look totally cool. As does the rest of your studio. Thank you for sharing all this as you went along .. it's been an awesome ride! And don't stop!!
You got it. I actually felt quite excited to go back to my old setup.
Thanks for your support and I'm not stopping!
I understand. Your previous setup was just so optimized for your workflow. I wonder if a smaller mixer would have worked better, or if it still wouldn’t have been a fit.
I think a smaller analog mixer would work fine. I'd lose a few features, but gain a level of simplification.
Hello John, I hope that you are well, I went through a similar experience as you and had all the emotional and physical challenges financial concerns and to keep this comment as short as possible is this.
Take a good look at the new Harrison 32C Desk. It will give you the analog tactile that you can enjoy and the digital recall etc. that brings a smart Canadian like you into the 21st Century. That said, it sounds GREAT!
It will be your last big purchase and it will tic all the box’s. Sorry I didn’t see your youtube stuff sooner.
You’re welcome.
Blessings to you.
I read all about it when it was announced. Definitely would be nice. But I'm sure the price in Canadian dollars would be aproaching $100K.
Make that $130K before tax.
@@EdgetoneStudios that might be true but after you sell the Sony and what ever else you can setup a payment plan if that could work for you. I felt that you used allot of time and money and you ended up with 1995 type results. I bought my desk in 92’ and built around it for years going through changes in technology experience and knowledge I eventually worked for a major recording studio and learned much more but I can tell you this they all wanted what Harrison now has. Its all built in including mic pres, converters, inline routing, software and a slew of plugins and now 500 series hardware and Atmos matrix. It has your name on it friend. I wish you well with your studio business and hope you get your dream control room someday. Take care.
A tip of the Hat.. What an adventure. I have been a Tech for 45 years and I have the same sickness.. lol Where can I find one
There is a 24 channel version with PPMs instead of VUs just an hour North of me in Nanaimo. I believe he's asking about $2000 CAD.
You can also join the forum on groups.io. groups.io/g/sony-mxp-3k/topics
Someone just posted one for sale in the Dallas area.
That’s a bummer 😢
I’m busy wiring up my console,
I hope to have it finished end of this week, even thinking about buying a 2nd console for live recording and as spare donor.
Around 300 audio and 60 power cables, nothing visible all in a 3 m2 studio. If it doesn’t fit, make it fit.
To bad that you didn’t get to do some mixes on it, I was hoping you would love it and start fixing a MCI-JH24 for a perfect matching pair 🥹
I’m sure the buyer will be very happy with your console, you did a tremendous job servicing it.
But if it doesn’t suit you then I suppose letting it go is understandable.
Try to do a A/B comparison with the Presonus, maybe you’ll make up your mind and build a bigger studio 😊
I'm going to mention this in my next studio update, but as soon as I put the Presonus back I heard a distinct difference... less dynamic range, less full bass. I was really thinking I made a big mistake.
Then I realized I was just listening to the tape returns and wondered how much of that was the console and how much was the MOTU converters. So I did a direct comparison between the Presonus out and the MOTU out. The MOTU was night and day compared to the Presonus.
So I've hatched a plan to upgrade my Presonus DAC (well, sort of).
@@EdgetoneStudios Which converters are you using? Both the Presonus and the Motu? I’m curious because I always like A/B comparisons a lot, better specs don’t necessarily mean better results specially with converters. But most modern day converters are all pretty good.
@@Studio22mix Well, currently I'm back to the Presonus Studiolive mixer, so Presonus converters. But I only ran the Sony console through the MOTU converters.
When I did the comparison, I had the MOTU 16A AVB connected to the Presonus Studiolive over AVB (because I was also trying that to see how well AVB worked). First I plugged the monitors into the Presonus, then the MOTU. Then I put one speaker in each and level matched as best I could.
@@EdgetoneStudios Thanks for your reply, looks like a solid comparison to me. Most of the time AD conversion is okay but DA is more tricky as far as I understand. I use a separate DAC just for monitoring purposes.
Would be great if you could keep both, but I suspect you, as well as myself, don't have a money tree out back...lol. Gotta do whats right for you...right..? cheers Jon
Thanks. Ideally there would be a second studio twice the size with staff to run it and I could pop over whenever I want. Haha.
I'm completely fine with moving it along, plus I'll probably own it for months to come because big things like this don't move quickly.
Big consoles arent for every workflow, I have an AMEK Einstein with added side car, I happen to love the hybrid mixing, but I do see why it isnt for everyone , especially when you have to do recalls.
That Amek is a cool console.
I need to build a second, bigger studio for the Sony. Haha
Jon...I'm very interested in this desk as I need to replace my aging Toft ATB 24...Question: Has the desk been re-capped...?...Thanks
It has not been re-capped. Tom Graffe (the designer) said on the forums not to recap anything until they need it. It's one reason I bought three extra channel strips, so there could always be functional ones while others got maintenace.
I give a full rundown in my ad: reverb.com/item/76118240-sony-mci-mxp-3036-analog-recording-console-fully-restored
Hey hope all is well I really enjoy your videos I live in Nova Scotia Canada and it would be an honor to have that mixer if you weren't so far away I hope you're making good headway in everything sir The Parkinson's your daughter's music your video game stuff everything you do it would be nice to meet you someday take care of my friend
ua-cam.com/video/EZQWkEh9408/v-deo.htmlsi=3XOTDr6j5gU_mpwj this is a video of my project I'm going to build a studio in this building and it would be an awesome place for that mixer to fit their but again I'm in Nova Scotia and you're all the way out in BC but I'm going to dream about it tonight and maybe I'll win the lottery and I'll give you a 50 gs for for fun😊 take care I hope you have a good weekend doing the johncon
Thank you, things are still going well.
Do you have a big enough studio for a Sony MXP? All we need is a large truck and a week of driving. ;-)
@@EdgetoneStudios ua-cam.com/video/EZQWkEh9408/v-deo.htmlsi=nCrCynwjnSEmn2vU
Looks like a great size place for live sound and recording. Maybe the back room could be a studio.
So back to the PreSonus board?
Yup, with an "upgrade" of sorts. More to come...
LOL
I know, right?