Soundcraft Signature 22 MTK EQ and FX Test
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- I am checking the EQs and FX of the Soundcraft Signature 22 MTK mixing desk on the Spectralis 2, the swarm oscillator RT-311 and the dual multimode filter RT-451.
This video contains only sound demos and no dialogs. There are tons of videos online, where people are talking about the mixing desk.
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This was a proper demo. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. The EQs are smooth and sound great!
Thank you very much for listening and your comment! Yes! I really love the EQ section.
I never expected to ENJOY watching a mixing demonstration. I like how you just did what you did without talking us to death about it.
Thank you very much. Before I purchased the mixer, I searched for reviews and demonstrations at youtube. In most of them someone talked about the mixer without even connecting anything to it. That made it very hard for me to come to a decision. That was the main reason I did this video. So one can choose any of the other videos to hear someone talking about the features and this one is for those who prefer listening to the EQs and FXs. ;-)
Jörg Schaaf what a great demo man , you should get paid for this!! The best video of a mixer console on UA-cam!!
No stupid bulshiit bla bla and talking .. oh please don’t get me started on unboxing ....man I don’t even understand why people do unboxing videos WTF??? Thanks a million
I agree. Great job! I watched this twice and it convinced me to get one. The EQ's sound pretty great/musical.
Good video my friend,you convinced me to buy ,it's hybrid digital and analog right?
I’m literally never this lucky finding such an excellent demo of a particular feature of an obscure vintage item I’m interested in -ever. I’m looking at the spirit lx7 split 16 channel deck that has the same lo-hi mid parametric eq it sounds so good man thank you for the demo
@@Pb_salt Thank you so much for your kind words! Good to know, that it helps!
Great job Jorg. Straightforward good demo.
Jörg, that was great. I was only hoping for a good demo of the mixer, but you exceeded that and put on a very enjoyable sound show. Thanks and all the best.
Thank you, Matt. Glad to hear, that you like it!
Just came back to visit. I still love video. I got the soundcraft signature 10. It helped me learn how to use the SSL 4000. Thanks for your advice.
Getting a Signature 12 in a Week and half...Im so excited.....that has a presense.....and smooth eqing
Picking up my MTK22 in a few days
Sounds great
The RT eurorack modules totally stole the show for me! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for those, the'd make very nice companions to the Dreadbox gear - character and tone to spare!
At last! Proper demo.
Thank you, Joao!
Just got my board today, so stoked!
Cool! I hope, you enjoy your new mixing desk!
Gorgeous sounds, sir. If I can make my synths sound half as good through the desk, I am sold.
Thank you!
You just can't beat the Sapphire Asymmetric EQ. The dual sweeping mids on this unit are priceless tools for achieving very clean, rich, natural sounding vocals and good separation between instruments allowing you to seat them in the mix for a very polished and professional sound for a live band.
The stuff at the end sounds like the music heard on "How It's Made" lol. Cheers
Excited! Mine is coming tomorrow hopefully!
Yes! Great. And this really is how one should mix a track isn't it? Really brings back the hands on approach in a different way than daw controllers and automation.
Eq sounds awesome. Thanks for the demo.
i bought the mtk 12 and the sound that come out this mixer is sweet!!.. and the eq are lovley
Big thumbs up, amazing demo. Thanks very much.
Thank you very much, Rui!
i recently purchased this mixing desk and it really is a nice sounding EQ section.......If I could give anyone a tip......get to know this EQ inside and out because it is worth it. It is a great desk!!
Thankyou for this video....very inspiring.
Most excellent, thanx Jorg !
Gorgeous!
10:29 Dr.Octagon - Blue Flowers! :)
Sounds surprisingly good given the price. Even through UA-cam I think you can detect the separation that a decent desk gives you.
Thanks for watching and commenting on my video! I am especially impressed by the USB performance of the driver combined with the musically sounding EQs of that desk.
awesome man, im sold.
3:55 Diablo town music! :)
hostia ya te digo, que recuerdos
Great demo! Thanks.
9:45 and further is just acoustic acid. My brain is liquified.
I feel so good.
Thank you ;-)
Hello Jörg, this video may seem a lifetime away for you, but it's perfect timing for me because I am looking to move away from a small Focusrite interface for something that offers more control away from a computer screen and fiddly little mouse! I was literally about to buy a Focusrite 18i20 along with a Focusrite OctoPre, but quite bechance discovered this piece of equipment a couple of hours ago on Google, and it seems absolutely perfect for my needs.
Firstly, many thanks for a great video, but also for taking the time to reply to almost everyone who had questions; I read every one of your answers with much interest, and can only say that this UA-cam page is probably about to change my life and how I record my music (so, thank you for your efforts!)! Secondly, I have a question regarding microphones: the aforementioned Focusrite OctoPre was being purchased due to the hiss when having to increase the gain to practically 90-100% on my current Focusrite Saffire Pro 24 DSP (gain is 60db), and so my question is, do you think I still need a mic preamp with the MTK22 or is it completely silent without having to twist the gain knob so far around?
As a side note, I read one of your answers regarding the global 48v knob instead of individually for each channel (you said that it was probably okay and that the manufacturers would have put a big warning sign on it, and users wouldn't buy outboards with one 48v knob if it was a bad design), but I read somewhere a couple of days ago that phantom power could affect ribbon mics (I don't own one, but may one day look at doing so, who knows?).
I am looking forward to placing an order for the MKT22 in the next day or so, but now that you have had it for a couple of years and have had time to really get to grips with it, what is your honest opinion of it two years down the road? Thanks, Jörn :)
I love that desk!
Disclaimer - I have never owned a Soundcraft product but am considering the Signature 22MTK.
First Question - I would expect the noise floor of these pre's to be sufficiently low enough. I have used the Octopre and never experiences what you reference. I 'd be curious to know what Mic/source you're using...:?
Re. Ribbon mics - they're are great. You should get one.... if you haven't already. I was once told that our ear responds to sound in a similar way as the ribbon element does. And Yes, Many older models will be damaged by the 48V but the newer ones aren't susceptible. royerlabs.com/ribbon-mics-and-phantom-power/
I am using quite cheap Rode NT2A microphones and they perform quite well with the desk.
Defo getting the MTk 12....assuming the audio quality is the same. Am not at the advanced level of 22 tracks mixing as yet....taking it slow but at 799 vs 460 us dollars, it is certainly to pause and try to think long term. Chewing over it and your video tilts me over to the 22 channel one! Thank you, sir!
Fantastic work
The master at work!
Thank You!
A humble track of mine for you in return...
soundcloud.com/psysword-rizvi
thanks. This is a very good test
thanks sir,for a great demo,very detail,clear & helpful....
Thank You!
Sick bass line!
Thank you!
I understand, if the sound is there, what's to complain about, right? Ah, thanks for the break down for the outputs. I sometimes record bands and usually can get by with 6-8 inputs, but most of my work is just myself. I'll be using it strictly as an analog mixer into Cubase for a while, later I might get a new DAW, thinking of moving to Reaper, and utilize the USB 2.0 digital ins and outs. That's something I'll look forward to experiencing. I love analog summing and eq.
Pretty cool jam
Nice! I plan on getting one of these in January to replace my aging FX16ii.
Getting one of these tomorrow! :D
Cool! I wish you some great productions for your new desk!
I like this desk. Thanks for the demo; a great one!
I find that I still don't want to drive the pre amps too much past 50% because i'm old skoool. The only thing I am really missing is a separate control room output so I can dip monitors while mixing down at the level needed.
I am using a stereo group for doing so. That works perfect.
Man, that eq sounds amazing. What's your over all opinion on this board since you've been working with it for a while? I'm considering picking one up. Looks like it's your main mixer?
It simply gave me back my creativity. There is simply no competitor in that price range with 24 ins and 22 outs for my DAW, 100mm Faders and these sweet EQs. I love every aspect of that console. The knobs are a little bit wobbly and I am missing some functions like bypass switches for the EQs, solo in place etc. And yes - the mute function is not perfect. But hey - that all does not matter, when you are satisfied with your recordings and enjoy mixing on that console. I really love it.
I just imagine I had the chance to test it for half a year and would have to made the decision now - Buy it or not. The answer would be simple. Yes - I buy it now with all experiences I made with it.
Can you feed external effects through this? I heard there are no sends - want to put my strymon through it if possible - Sounds Great Jörg
Sure. The beast has 5 AUX SENDS and 4 subgroups. I am returning the FX outputs into normal channels. I would do that even if it had AUX inputs. Using normal inputs for FX signals has a lot of advantages. You have the whole EQ section and you can send the FX signal to another FX. Furthermore you can record the FX signal into a the DAW independent from the dry signals.
you learn something everyday :) thanks mate
Oh wow, didn't realise how good the Spectralis sounded.
Thank you!
getting the mtk 12 to use with my synths this is fantastic!
very good
Thank you! Still love that desk!
I was already going to buy one of these - but this can only help. Nice retro roland electro funk by the way.
Highly entertaining! I just purchased this board and am having a blast with it. After watching this I am even more excited to learn more about its capabilities.
Thank you, Jeff!
Real Quality
I could light up a fattie and sit in that seat for HOURS. sweet demo
Thank you, James!
Jorg, thanks for the response. Great to hear that you still find the mixer favorable! Also, it shows there are 5 aux sends and also 4 group outs. Can I use these simply as 9 independent mono outputs? Yes, I've heard the knobs are wobbly, do you feel this mixer is well made and built to last? Does it feel like a toy or are you getting a professional feeling from it? It sounds and looks great. Thanks for your thoughts!
You can use the aux sends as mono outputs. That works for the group outputs only if you turn the pan to the hard left or hard right. You can't send a track only to group three, when the PAN is set to the mid position, as you have only 3/4 and 1/2 group switches and not indeendent switches for single groups. With other words - you have 5 mono outs with the AUX sends and 2 stereo outputs with the groups.
I don't care, whether it feels professional or not when the results are professional. I am not expecting the tactile feel of a 10.000 Euro console, when I pay 850 Euro. With 22/24 IOs for my DAW, the EQs and the 100mm faders it was a no brainer for me and I was totally blown away by the USB driver performance.
Can't you tell me how to save the rever and echo on the signature, when I fix it and disconnect it from the power, it returns to the first condition again, no, and I kept it in the mfx store.
Sorry, but it is not possible to store FX settings in the mixing desk but in most cases, I only need to select the correct FX algorithm again to get the result from one day earlier.
awesome stuff
Thank you!
@@SCHAAFJOERG Moin Herr Schaaf. Ich habe da mal eine Frage die mich seit ein paar Tagen beschäftigt. Ich habe versucht mir diese selbst zu beantworten aber entweder überlese ich etwas oder ich bin zu doof. Ist es möglich externe Effektgeräte einzuschleifen? Ich würde ungern auf mein Space Echo verzichten. Über eine Antwort würde ich mich sehr freuen.
@@theswampling Moin! Ich habe natürlich ebenfalls externe Effekte im Einsatz. Das Pult hat 5 AUX SENDS, von denen 2 den internen Effekten zugeordnet sind, die aber ebenfalls einen externen Ausgang besitzen. So kommt man also schon mal mit bis zu 5 regelbaren FX-Sends zu seinen externen Effektgeräten.
Der Rückweg vom FX-Ausgang zum Pult muss über die normalen Eingänge des Pults erfolgen. AUX RETURNS gibt es bei dem Pult nicht. Die Verwendung von Mixer Eingangskanälen für FX-Signale hat aber auch Vorteile. So stehen einem die EQs für die FX-Returns zur Verfügung und FX-Signale können über die AUX-Sends gleich wieder zu weiteren Effekten gesendet werden.
Great! Thanks för sharing
hi , it seems to me like the converters quality in this baby is not bad at all? or is it just me..it sounds way better than focusrite 18i20 ?? What do you think?
I am sorry but I don't have a focusrite. 18/20. So I can't compare both. But I had a lot of other audio interfaces over the time and the soundcraft is not worse than any of them. I would never again buy a standalone interface when I can get a mixer with built in converters because I simply love to mix out of the box. Audio Interfaces are for people who would love to produce completely inside the computer what is not bad at all. But I prefer analog summing in a mixing desk. It's just the workflow I love.
Hello Jörg, are you using a specific USB for the interface? I know there's a big discussion on Digital Audio USBs. But this video sounds super crisp!
Do you mean a special USB cable? I am using a standard USB cable for 1,50 Euro ;-)
Nice! That's all i wanted to know :) hehe
Hello Jörg! How does the mixer compare to the Midas Venice F24 or the Allen Heath Zed-R16, do you think those mixers justify twice the price of the MTK22? I love the Eq of the MTK, do you think the Zed has a better Eq soundwise (not featurewise)? Which one of these 3 mixers you think is better and why? I'm after a really sweet Eq, multi-channel interface and no less than 5 aux sends. The Midas is now a legacy product but still available. I'm curious... I love the looks of the MTK and the EQ, hate the look of the Midas but everyone says it has a great sound, and the Zed has midi on every channel but only 4 aux sends and i couldn't find one to hear the EQ section. Can you help? Regards.
Funny - when I was looking for a new mixing desk, I was interested in an analogue console with Audio Interface and at least 16 in and outputs for my computer. So - I had to make my decision between the Allen and Heath ZED R16, the Midas Venice F32/ F24 and the Soundcraft Signature 22 MTK. Here are my reasons for choosing the MTK.
1.) MIDAS has a fan. I was very sure, that I don't want a fan! Even if it is not loud. I hate fans in my studio.
2.) The fader length - I really enjoy the 100mm faders.
3.) Firewire - I don't know, how long computers will support firewire and I thought, it's safer to choose USB instead.
4.) The size. The Midas would create a lot of problems in my setup. I wanted to have the mixer just in front of my computer monitor, between my speakers. The Midas ist just to high for me. It would not be possible anymore, to keep the mixer in front of the speaker.
At the end it also was a devision because of the much lower pricepoint.
Beside that - all three consoles have really nice sounding EQs and I am sure, the MIDAS and the A&H just feel more professional with more sturdy knobs and faders. But I am only using the desk in my living room. I am quite sure, I made the correct decision. But if the Midas had no fan, less height and an USB interface I probably had chosen the MIDAS desk.
again, this board sounds beautiful! One last question, is it possible to mute aux1 and 2 for the monitors? I usually do alot of mixing with my headphones due to not wanting complaints from my wife and neighbors. thanks again for this video
The headphones are always assigned to the stereo master output. So you can simply turn the monitor( in this case group output) volume down. The headphones have an additional volume knob that reduces the headphones levels. So the headphones are dependent on the Master Fader setting but have additional a volume knob that is assigned post master fader.
big thanks. I just finish reading the manual and bit the bullet and ordered the SS10.. Can't wait to join you guys with owning this exciting piece of gear. Can't wait until I have enough room for the 22mtk.
I have this console and love it. However, after only 2 years of use, the USB connection stopped working and it seems to point out on a hardware problem that many users are complaining about. Need to send it for repair now. :(
Shit happens. Mine was three and a half years old, when it happened. Service was done in a hurry. Received my board back within two days.
great jam and great test! quick questions, is this just plugged to the computer via USB or is there an AC/DC power supply as well? 2nd question, Can you plug up your studio monitors via 1/4 jacks? I was looking at the unit and t looked like the 2 outs are XLR only
Thanks for watching my video and commenting on it. A desk like the soundcraft signature 22MTK can not work bus powered via USB. Hundreds of Opamps inside such a device are consuming much more power than USB is specified for.
The 2 outs are the Master Outputs. You are using them for tape recordings or for Live events to connect the desk to the PA system. These analog outputs are level controlled by the Master Fader. The master fader does not only control the output on these XLR outputs but also on USB channel 23 and 24 - the channels you are usually using for mix down recordings in your computer.
You should not use these outputs for monitoring. The speakers should not follow the recording gain of your mastering. Instead of that I am using group 3&4 for my speakers. So I can adjust the speaker volume independent from the recording level in my DAW. And the best thing - the group outputs have 1/4 jacks.
You can connect active speakers direct to the desk. I am using passive speakers and connect the desk to a power amplifier.
Jörg Schaaf thanks for the info. I was a bit concerned about the power supply seeing that I was looking at the SS10 and it didn't look like it had a 9-12v power supply on it. I already own the Alesis multimix8 which is both standalone and an audio interface but has no mute buttons :(.
Thank you for watching and commenting my video. Yes, you are right. The console has no dedicated monitor section. For that reason I am using the group 3 + 4 as my monitor control section. My amplifier is directly connected to the group output. I can check the MONO compatibility with the Mono switch and yes - I have not assigned the group to the Master.
Channels 21+22 are normally in use for the playback return from the DAW. If you would like to compare your mix on the DAW with a CD player, you can connect a consumer CD player with RCA jacks directly to the console. The USB switch selects then between the CD player and the Computer stereo playback track.
I have never used the track 21/22 pre/post fader switch for AUX 1 and 2 because I am not using effects at all on my playback channel. But you can switch the AUX PRE/SEND function independent from the other channels which is a good thing especially when you are going to use AUX 1 and 2 for monitoring.
I recommend to check the owners manual that can be downloaded from soundcrafts homepage for any further questions.
www.soundcraft.com/serve-me-this/5862
Great desk. I just wish it had ios\android preset recall and control.
great vid sounds mazin shows u dont av stare at a screen 2 make some great sounds thats loose live organic and gud grooves
jörg, how does the dynamic for analog equipement? i mean, the converters, are they "compressing" the sounds? i would take that mixer instead of a rme ucx, which keeps the sounds alive. but i want the faders... thanks, you are still one of the sweet spots in eletronic music!
I am sure, the sound on this great mixing board is a mirror of the operators skills. I have no chance to compare that desks audio quality with a RME UCX - but I mainly bought the desk because I want to mix my stuff with direct access to eqs and faders etc. I love that desk. The USB performance is absolute great with my computer, I love the sweetpot sound of the EQs and the form factor is perfect for my needs. It is important for me to have the desk in front of me between the speakers and in the same direction like the monitor. So the ergonomic aspect is very important to keep control over the sound.
Here is my second video. I fed all channels to subgroup 1+2, fed that into an old behringer compressor, fed that signal into my multimode filter and from there into input channels 17 + 18. Then I can record the 17-18 insert on USB channel 17+18 and the sum with FXs and EQs at 23+24. So - people are missing master inserts? That is a good way to deal with that problem.
ua-cam.com/video/ssIiB9krRCI/v-deo.html
Hello, nice demo :) is this recorded via the internal usb or an external soundcard?
I recorded everything via the internal USB chipset!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
This is awesome! I am getting the mtk22 in a couple of days, and can't wait to start recording. I am totally blind and use sonar 8.5 producer with Jaws scrips for accessability. Do you offer any descriptive audio on the controls and functions of the mixer? I am truly excited to start working with this mixer in my studio. Previously I was using the Mackie 1220I firewire mixer, but wanted to move to something a little bigger. This product looks amazing!
I am sure, it is perfect for such a setup. The height difference of alle buttons between on and off makes it very easy to feel their settings with the fingertips. You can feel for the values of the parameter potentiometers as well because the knobs have good mechanical indicators. I wish you good luck with the mixer!
Thanks, and thank you for so much information here.
Thank you so much for this great video.
It would be great if you could do a video on ITB vs OTB (Signature 22 MTK) mixing.
Thanks again.
Everyone should work in a way that works best for him. A general ITB vs. OTB discussion makes no sense in my opinion. Everyone is different. I love OTB mixing. But I am doing it for my own pleasure. I love to work this old school way of mixing because I used to work like that when I started to produce my music. I worked for a couple of years from 2000 ITB but I simple feel more comfortable with a real mixer and a couple of hardware effects. I love to tweak an EQ with a dedicated knob and closing my eyes while tweaking the sound. Other people are only satisfied when they have total recall for everything. I don't like total recall because there is always a chance doing it better next time. ;-)
Professional studios can not work without total recall because they need to switch from one artist to another or from one track to another without loosing time. People sometimes complain the other day about the sound and you can show them, that it is exactly like they agreed to it the day before. etc. There are a lot of good reasons for ITB mixing but for me it is more important to have everything in direct access.
👍 The reason I asked for such a video was that we could hear how Signature 22mtk summing sounded different than ITB summing so that would help in making a more informed decision if somebody plans to buy it.
It depends on so many different parameters where the most important ones are the skills of the producer. But beside that you can create brilliant mixes on both setups and can fail totally when you mix something when your ears are exhausted. I can't give you an answer on that. ITB depends also on the DAW you are using or the EQ plugins you have. Even when mixing OTB you can still use your plugins - so it won't make anything worse, when you add a console. I love the sound of the EQs and they match my taste much more, than the EQs of my DAW. When I am adding highs in my DAW it sounds like adding highs. When I do that with the mixer, it sounds more like adding a shimmering silver gloss to the mix - what I really like. But maybe I can get the same result with an EQ plugin what I don't know so far. I never tried that. But I love to have this knob for the shimmering gloss.
I know - that answer is again not what you expected - but I am not the guy who says "Take this" or "Take that" and I never did a comparison. It is even possible, that I can create better mixes ITB. But it does not matter for me because I don't like the ITB workflow. I did not made my decision because of the sound. I did that to have 22 channels with faders that control my recordings. And to have direct access during live sessions.
Thankyou again for a very insightful reply.
I very much agree with your statement regarding the sound of eq. I have a Sound craft M12 mixer. I find it easier to to shape my sound on M12's onboard eq as compared to the plugins.
Cheers.💐
your arms are so smooth
This is a great demo - thanks. Do you (or anyone reading) happen to know if the USB talks to Linux OS nicely?
I am sorry for my late reply. I never checked the Mixer with a Linux system but as the unit works with USB class drivers, the chances are probably not bad.
Any luck on repairing this unit? I ran into this video from your post in the harmon forum..
So, now I have a final update for the mixer issue. The German Service at AUDIO PRO HEILBRONN Elektroakustik GmbH was very friendly and helpful. It seems like that a small number of units have a problem with the power supply. I highly recommend to talk to your distributor in the country you are living in directly and make sure to provide them the serial number when calling them.
Hi! Great vid! I bought this a few years ago, but now I have the issue with the master fader:
only at -30db sound comes trough, only left monitor
then it gets louder till you are at +0 / +5db. right monitor comes a bit through but is much quieter that left monitor.
When the fader is all up (+10db), the sound comes through in left and right monitor on an equal level.
You have any idea what is the issue with my master fader?
The fader probably collected some dirt. The best way to repair that is replacing the fader. As a workaround you can use the Subgroups instead. At mine I from time to time run into problems but they are caused usually by buttons on the mixer. Push all buttons in the signal path a couple of times to make sure, they are not causing the problem.
THanks for sharing!!! excellent brilliant demo and also music!!!!!
i have heard some "pops/buzzs/peaks" (e.g. around 8:35 or on "Mute" before ending fade out..) What do you think could be the reason? anyway again thanks for your music!
At 8:35 I am driving the inputs to high. So, what you hear is clipping. You will also notice, that I am correcting the Mixer settings then.I reduce the gain to avoid these clippings.
yo! thanks Jorg, all the best !
Hi Jorg, did You find better console or that one is still in your setup?
It's still in my setup. It does exactly, what I need. Why should I change that? Sure, there are better desks available but they also cost much more money. The Signature series is perfect in that price range. If someone would take it away from me, I would order another Signature MTK desk immediately.
u are great for me sir
Thank you!
Really looking at getting one of these for my synth stuff. How would you say the on board effects are? They sound fairly decent on the demo but do you recommend them or do you recommend some additional external effects? Specifically reverbs.
You maybe already read at forums, that the FXs are noisy. But I can admit they aren't if you keep the sends on a high level and reduce the returns accordingly. I am often using the tape delay and the plate reverb. They are just fine for demos and live sessions. You can't have enough FXs. It's always nice to have some left. I am sometimes using Soundcraft channels for FX returns by assigning MIX busses to USB channels. So I can use the nice EQs of the desk on the computer FXs.
Great demo, thank you very much ! Did you worked on Soundcraft GB2 ? If you did, what can you say about sounds of GB2 and Signature ? Big thank you again, really !
No, I didn't. I had a soundcraft M6000 console back in the nineties but that is too long ago to make a fair comparison.
Ok Jörg, and thank you very much for your answer ;)
Nice Video! Planning on buying a signature12 soon. Since you have experience with the 4 band EQs, how would you set them for clear vocals on male vocals? Thanks
I set my EQs according my ears. Voices are different. Micros are different. The arrangement is different. There is no general rule. Start always with a flat EQ. Then look carefully for the levels of the tracks. If that is already good, you can maybe start to tweak a little bit. You can find unwanted boosts very easily by setting a very low EQ gain and then tining through the entire range. Then you hear instantly, which frequency is disturbing. Change the gain after finding the correct frequency. Give some air onto the voice with the Highs and remove the lows to make the vocals clearer. When recording vocals in your homestudio, always use the 100Hz Highpass switch to avoid rumbling.
Thanks a lot for the help! Appreciate it
Hey, if you’re still taking comments on this console, how are you recording the onboard EQ since it is pre record? I’ve seen some clumsy workarounds
I would never record the individual parts with EQ settings.You only need that, if you want to record a subgroup or the sum of the mixer. Otherwise it does not really make sense as i am adjusting EQs always at the end, when all tracks are recorded and when I am using the EQs to get a well ballanced mix. If I printed the EQs before into my recording, it will be much harder to balance the different tracks.
Also - if you switch between recording and playback on a track, you always need to update your EQ settings, because the EQ is processing the signal otherwise twice. For that reason recording the dry tracks is the best solution on your way to a good mix. Just my two cents ;-)
Isn’t the EQ and FX bypassed if you are recording directly via USB to your DAW?
If you record from 23&24 you are recording with all FXs and EQ settings. If you don't use all channels simultaneosly, you can use a trick to record more than two tracks at once:
Assign channels to a subgroup. Connect the group output to a channel, that is not in use. Record the individual USB insert point - also with EQs and FXs and everything, you assigned to the subgroup. You can go a step further by using Aux sends in the same way like subgroups. In the end you xan record up to 5 Aux and 4 subs - what means that you can record up to 9 tracks with EQ at the same time plus the sum 23 & 24.
Nice !
Thanks!
Great video. Getting this soon and wondering if I would need to get myself an outboard EQ for my stereo buses/2 bus or if the desk’s EQ would be sufficient. What are your thoughts?
I recommend using analog patchbays to get the best out of it. Then you can patch all your outdoor FXs, EQs and other goodies very easy for channels, FX chains or even the subgroups. So all MTKs inputs and outputs are connect to patchbays in my rack and all my synths are connected to the patchbay as well. For each production I can connect my stuff different. It is important, that that works as easy as possible. Otherwise you are not doing it.
Patchbays normally have switches that change the default routing between the jacks of the front and the rear panel. So your instruments are by default connected. But it is easy to cut a connection and use a different instrument instead by just inserting cables into the front panel.
With such a patchbay configuration you can simply insert anything you want into the output bus. Sometimes an EQ will make sense - sometimes not.
By having instant access, your creativity will grow. I would say - patchbays are the most essential tools in a studio.
Hi Jörg. Enjoyed listening to this again!
May I ask you..
Do you use the USB connection from the MTK22 to your computer to record your final analogue print? Oder wie? ;-)
Thanks!
Yes. Not always. But often. Just record from 23 and 24. Nothing easier than that. If I would like to use the stereo EQ from channel 17/18 or 15&16 for the analog print, I feed everything into the same subgroup and connect the subgroup to the desired channel. Then I assign only these two channels (17/18) to the SUM.
Now I can record a mixdown with the sum EQ from output 23 and 24. If you have a master insert FX just connect the master FX between the subgroup out and the 17/18 input and again record from channel 23 and 24. All you have to do is assigning all chennels of the project to the subgroup and not to the master. Channel 17 & 18 are not send to the subgroup but to the master.
Yes! Ich bedanke mich bei Dir ;-) You've answered everything.
Edit: And one more question, please..
How highly do you regard the importance of a good USB cable?
Hi Jorg, have you tried using the aux outputs for fx returns? Since this console doesn't hace a dedicated fx return besides the internal one I'm wondering if there is a way around it. Thanks! Grrat demo
I always use normal input channels for my external FX returns.
I am using this mixer with my modular rig, and see you are as well. I am trying to use an external guitar pedal with this using the aux send. I am using channel 19 as the return, but it sounds really bad, almost like the effect doesn't work at all. I know the pedal works well as an effect because I can just run the pedal on a channel without using the aux send by running a module directly into the pedal then into a channel on the mixer and it sounds perfect. Are you having any issues with the aux send? Are you using the aux sends at all? Thanks for your help, I can't seem to get any good information on people using this with external effects.
All my Aux sends and the group outputs are connected to a patchbay. From that patchbay I am feeding the aux and group signals into my FX units and return the FX signals back into normal channels. By doing it this way I can even record the FX returns onto separate tracks in my DAW. I am using the EFFEXX, an Strymon timeline, an Alesis wedge, a SX-700, an old Yamaha SPX 50 etc. - they all work just fine with the Mixer.
Hello Jorg. I bought this mixer because your review was very good. I have purchased all four of the Eventide Pedals. Space, Modfactor, Time and Pitch. Could you give me any advise on the connections to this mixer as I would like to have them all on sends so I can blend them in with any channel. thank you.
Hey, ich hätte mal eine Frage (bin über nen deutschen Post von dir hier gelandet also auf deutsch :D)
Besteht irgendwie die Möglichkeit externe Effekte einzuschleifen? Vorzugsweise als extra fx Spur in die daw zu bringen ? Hat ja meines Wissens keinen extra einschleifweg etc? Könnte man über nen send in den Effekt in einen anderen Kanal und von dort abgreifen ?
LG Sebastian
Das Pult hat 5 FX sends. Als Returns kannst Du normale Eingangs-Kanäle nehmen. Eingangskanäle können direkt hinter dem gain Regler, pre EQ und pre Fader über USB aufgenommen werden.
Jörg Schaaf Danke für die schnelle Antwort. Ich denke das ich mir das Teil kaufen werde :D
Do i need amplifiers for this or directly to a speaker only?
You don't. The Yamaha and Adam-Audio powered studio monitors in my set up work great with the MTK22.
The Mixer has no power amplifiers on board. It will work with active speakers like a charm. But passive speakers need an amplifier.
@@SCHAAFJOERG what about headphones? Does it need an amplifier for the Sony MDR-7506?
@@defaultcolor No. The headphones amp is good!
@@SCHAAFJOERG Thanks for the response. 1) What cables do I need to run this setup? I’m ordering a MTK22, TR-08 Drum Machine, and Yamaha Reface DX. I have a MacBook Pro with Ableton. Would it work something like this: TR-08 > XLR cable > MTK22 > USB > MacBook Pro? 2) Would I use XLR cables to connect my synth/drum machine directly to the MTK22? Record on the MTK, send raw recording to DAW(no printable EQ/FX)? What if I wanted to use the built in EQ on individual tracks and have them printed on my final mix? How would I go about doing that? Is the EQ only available when live mixing? Would I have to buy some sort of external EQ module?
Hey man, with the mtk i can print eq on master channel in my daw?
Sure. Check the other answers from me in the comment section. You can record multiple tracks and print the EQs with some little tricks.
Tnk's man, i can print 9 chanells, plus de master bus right?
@@vozera1219 Yes. Exactly! 5 AUX SENDS & 4 Subgroups. For feeding into the subgroups you need to pan the two tracks per group hard left and hard right.
Hey great demo! im planning to buy the signature 22 analog console for live mixing. can you also do a demo of that if you can before i finally decide on it?thanks
Thank you! Glad to hear that you liked my demo. Unfortunately I can't do a demo in a live mixing environment. That board will never leave my house. It's my central studio tool and is wired to my equipment via patch bays. I am using it every day.
Jörg Schaaf how about the signature 22 analog board, the one that is not mtk?will it have similar overall sound quality to this mtk version?
Jörg Schaaf its a $100 cheaper in market price. soundcraft does mentioned that it is indeed of the same standard
The sound quality will be the same but you have no multichannel connection to your computer. I highly recommend to choose the MTK version. It makes no sense to go for the cheaper one. The price difference is much smaller than the feature difference between stereo and multichannel recording. Juts image. In a Live situation you can record all tracks independent and simultaneously and do the mixdown later in the studio.
Jörg Schaaf thanks! hmm im primarily looking for a live sound mixing for a church setting, not necessarily as a recording console. Anyway, i'll keep that in mind. Thank you so much for replying!
Hello, thanks for this video ! Do you know if thr delay will feed back into itself if you push the fade up below 0db?
Hi Jörg, That is some impressive sound you are creating! I really enjoyed listening to you on this video - the mixer sounds better than anything in the price range. I just purchased this mixer to hookup my synths, effects, beat boxes, and microphones. I've read through the manual and everything seems very straightforward except for a few specific questions that I hope you may be able to help me better understand as I don't want to damage the 22MTk or any of my synths.
1. I have condenser microphones so need to enable phantom power and it is global on this unit, will this cause any problems with my synths that are connected via the 1/4 inch jacks or is the power only present on the XLR connectors?
2. Nearly all of my synths (except my Kurzweil) have unbalanced 1/4" outputs. The line inputs are specified as balanced. I understand that will give better common mode rejection of noise and potentially a hotter signal. What do you do in your setup for these connections? Is it critical for a home studio with 5 meter or shorter cables? Will using TS cables work ok or better than TRS in this case?
Thank you very much!
Michael
1.) I already used the phantom power several times and have not experienced any problems so far. If there would be a danger doing that, they would put a big warning into the manual. If that would be really a problem, noone would even think about buying mixers with global phantom power switches. There are many mixers out there that work the same way.
2.) So far, I am running the whole desk unbalanced. I should at least connect my balanced instruments with TRS cables but then I have to change much more than that. I am using for example patchbays for all instruments and effects. Most instruments are connected only, when I am using them. So I am not using the instruments on the same channel again and again. It changes for every project. So - if I would want to go TRS I had to change the complete setup. That would probably cost more, that the complete desk. Sure - the quality would be even better than now but to be honest - I am already very satisfied with the results.
Thanks Jörg! I appreciate your help as I have limited experience and want to setup everything so it works well. Best of luck to you!
Michael
Thank you, Michael. You are welcome ;-)
Have you had any experience with the Allen & Heath ZED series? If so, how would compare the sonic quality of the Soundcraft Signature series to that?
Unfortunately not. I compared the specs a lot. I also heard, the A&H ZED would feel more sturdy than the Soundcraft. But I had a couple of reasons to choose the Soundcraft:
1.) Firewire - I don't know whether Firewire will be supported in the next generation of PCs or not. I feel much better with USB.
2.) The pricepoint - the Soundcraft is less than the half of the ZED mixer.
3.) I love the 100 mm Faders of the Soundcraft. The ZED sports 60mm faders instead.
4.) The ZED series have inserts. That is a plus of the A&H.
5.) I like the compact size of the Soundcraft because I wanted to create a setup, where I have access to everything at the same time. The Masterkeyboard, the Computer keyboard, the computer monitor, the speaker, my modular system, the rack units, some effects etc. With the ZED mixer, I am running into problems because it is much wider.
Anyway - I am sure, both mixer are very cool and you can mix great music on both of them. It does much more depend on your skills, than on the mixer. I always loved the sound of the soundcraft EQs but I had never the chance to check the A&H EQs. So - for you, maybe the decision is a result of different thoughts about the two mixers. I am satisfied and did a lot of music since I have that mixer. I even produced a new music album since I have that desk. The reason? Because it is real fun to mix music with long faders. I will never go back to computer screen mixing. Not because it is worse. It's only because I like it doing it that way ;-)
Thanks a lot for such a detailed reply. A friend of mine used to have a ZED, and we used it on small live gigs, and I remember quite liking the sound of it. I'm not talking about the sound of the eq, just the general vibe I got when when I brought up the fader on his vocal mic. All mixers and all circuitry have their own character...Some mixers sound brittle and hard and sterile (e.g. Mackie) and others sound phat and warm with a bit of sizzle (e.g. Midas Venice, A&H Mix Wizard series). The A&H ZED series sounds quite good though I must say...Clear but with a touch of warmth and analogue feel-good factor. I remember he had both a 16ch and a larger 22 or 24ch ZED, and the larger console sounded slightly better to me...which I put down to perhaps a bigger and beefier internal PSU. Anyway, I was just hoping that you might be in a position to comment on such things re. the Signature series. I don't even worry too much about residual hiss and noise...more interested in the texture and tone of the sound than a bit of hiss buried miles underneath the music (although mains hum would be another matter). From what I've heard on various UA-cam demos of the Signature series, it does seem to sound nice and full-bodied and smooth, which would definitely be a plus. I find that all modern powered PA boxes which use Class D amplification tend to have this thin and hard tonal character which - while having a certain clarity about it - often bothers me subliminally. And, given that these days a digital mixer is often the default front end at gigs, that only exacerbates the "sterility factor" to my ear. So, I think having a nice analog front end driving a Class D amplified PA speaker has some virtue as a combo.
I know exactly what you mean. I had to work with Mackie mixers and didn't like that neither. It has a sterile character and I really don't know why. But what we don't like is perfect for some music styles. I much more like the warm, British sound and I think, the MTK delivers that quite good.
Thanks Jorg. You know, when the audio circuits respond in a sonically pleasing way, one doesn't feel the need to continually keep messing around with processing and EQ, or another way to look at it is that many alternative settings on the EQ seem to "just work"...they are just different views of the same sonic subject. On the other hand, when the console or audio circuitry doesn't have the right vibe, it prompts endless fucking around with settings and EQ only to never be happy. I'd be interested to hear the same source mix run through the Allen & Heath ZED compared to the Signature, no EQ...just run through flat to hear the difference in the default VIBE of the 2 boards.
I like this mixer. Did you have to ground it.
great demo ! It actually helped me decide to go for the mtk22. I do have a question, I am using reaper for ex. and to be able to control all channels separately I must have no master output assigned. However if so, I cannot use a master effect on the master channel since that one outputs nowhere, while if mixing in the box all applied on master channel will be heard. Is there a way to do so on using the MTK22 or not. Thank you.
Check my little video about the missing master insert.
1.) I assigned all channels to subgroup 3+4 and not direct to the master.
2.) The subgroup is fed into the outboard effects.
3.) I am returning the outputs of the outboard effects into stereo channel 17/18 (I am using 17/18 because of the full featured EQ on that stereo pair)
4.) I assign the stereo channel 17/18 to the master output.
ua-cam.com/video/ssIiB9krRCI/v-deo.html
I meant the vst,s assigned to my master within daw.
I am not sure, whether I got you but that would work the same way. You take the USB insert of this stereo pair then und run this channel in USB return mode. The USB insert of that pair is then assigned to your Reaper master output. So you can use any VST plugin. The signal afterwards runs through the EQ section of the stereo pair and from there to the Mixers Master. Instead of using outboard effects you are using two patch chords instead.
Be careful to set the assignment buttons correctly - otherwise you will get some feedback problems.
did you control youer daw from the mixer
No. That's not possible. The signature MTK series feeds multiple USB audio streams into the computer. Beside the analog mixing desk functionality it has an USB Audio Interface with 24 inputs and 22 Outputs. So you can process up to 22 tracks from your DAW with very good sounding analog EQs. But faders and knobs don't send any data for the DAW.
@@SCHAAFJOERG thanx
Hi! I just got my mtk12 and I’m excited about it. In the manual it says “this equipment must be earthed” , unfortunately I have no earthed connections al home (I’m planning to build a few). Besides equipment damage for voltage overload and electroshock (which sounds pretty bad) do you think it can run performance problems or so...? I’ve found that the headphone out is a bit noisy at 75% which might be normal, but also the gain of the mic preamps can’t drive a regular dynamic mic without taking the gain to high so it starts to add noise too; i can’t even see the wave form in my recordings clearly, do you think it might have something to do with the non earthed connection? Thanks!
Hi are you able to play music on say iTunes or Virtual DJ or any other music player on your mac while recording your instrument and voice in a DAW, I used to be able to do this on the Yamaha MG10XU, I had to change it to the Soundcraft, but can't get it to play music while I record into the DAW
That's easy. I am doing that all the time.
@@SCHAAFJOERG I was able to figure it out, I changed the output to channel 11/12 so everything plays from there now, unfortunately, i'm not able to get FL studio to play out from the mixer other DAW works fine
how can you add compression to a channel if you have no inserts? Can you send the individual channel out via USB thru a compressor and back? How does it compare to the Tascam 24? I heard some problems with crashing on the Tascam. Any such problems with the Soundcraft unit?
Dear Gary,
if you would like to add a compressor, you can do that in the software, as the signal is capured just behind the gain stage of the mixer, goes from there over USB to the Computer and from the Mixer channel in the DAW, where you can insert any FX you want, back to the mixer. All you have to do is setting the Mixer channel to USB playback. That puts then the compressed return from the DAW back to the faders and the EQs.
I am using from time to time hardware compressors. In that case I am using an AUX Send, send the signal of the channel I want to compress to the SEND, Connect a compressor to the AUX SEND output and feed the output of the compressor into a second channel of the desk. Now I can record both - the uncompressed and the compressed signal on two tracks.
I have no experiences with the Tascam desk. Sorry!
I have no problems with the soundcraft desk. But it was one time in service because the USB stopped working after a couple of months. But the did a very quick service here at the German Distributor.
@@SCHAAFJOERG Thanks for getting back to me. I have ordered my Soundcraft 22MKT and should get it later this month. What DAW do you use? I have both Cubase and Ableton and use mostly Ableton. Do you have any experience in how Ableton works with the 22MKT? I have seen videos where is is running through both Pro Tools and Logic Pro, but not too much on Ableton except for some simple how to get sound to come through. Thanks again for your reply.
@@garyusinger I am mostly using Logic.
if i without USB,,,use old format line out to record all channel mixed,,,that sound also clean no noise like your video?
Sure. The USB 23 + 24 master collects the sound from the line output - so it can't be worse. Depending on the recording device you can even record the signal with a higher resolution. I am total satisfied with the results I get via USB.
Jörg Schaaf Bm
I payed $800 for my signature mtk22. Does that sound about right?
Sure! I paid more here in Germany.
Thanks, I am really excited to get to working with this mixer, and I truly appreciate all the material you have provided here. It is most helpful to me.
What are you hiding in the right side there?! A Minimoog ?!! :-)
I am not hiding my Mini. I am just protecting my baby from collecting too much dust ;-)
Sure man, I was joking! Just want to know if it's really a Minimoog, and yeah, it is :-)
did you record the acoustic guitar using this console?
No, the guitar samples are already quite old. I recorded them 4 years ago before I received the new desk. I recorded them directly into my MotU soundcard. But I sold the MotU Card meanwhile...
+Jörg Schaaf thank you