The best 'Classic' Mixer
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Forum Name: Golden oldies
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Topic: The best 'Classic' Mixer
Posted By: GregM
Subject: The best 'Classic' Mixer
Date Posted: 13 October 2011 at 11:40pm
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Ok, here's one I'd really be interested in people's views on:
What do people think of as 'the' ultimate classic mixer?, you know, the one you could never actually afford back in the good old days.
I have a personal view - which I fully acknowledge is based on my limited experience of the times - so would be really interested in the views of others........
I suspect I can pretty much predict Colin's opinion (lucky bugger!), and would be very interested in Ian's opinion (he'll probably ditto Colin!) but I suspect there's many many more SP'ers out there who have plenty of first hand experience of what they think of as desirable old skool kit.
BTW, my current view is the Citronic SM607 - I virtually mortgaged my body to buy one - although I remember actually wanting the (twice the price) Allen & Health studio desk, I once had the pleasure of touching an A&H job at Roger Squire's showroom, after which the 607 never quite got there for me.......
So, what did you yearn to mix with in the 80's?, and why?
Anybody got a 607 to part with?....
Greg
------------- Remember, if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question! |
Replies:
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 13 October 2011 at 11:47pm
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Citronic 607 was pretty much the one for me. Real workhorse units. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: GregM
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 12:14am
 Have to agree - but I know there have to be others?------------- Remember, if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question! |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 8:52am
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Greg,that A&H production mixer was really nice,it is in the squires
catalogue,a club near me had one back in the day,nice piece of kit...i
agree,it made the Citronic seem a bit "disco shop" compared with it. The american Bozak mixer was also a good one.  ------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 9:59am
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Ian, any idea how much the S6/2 would have cost at the time? I remember buying the Citronic & knowing that there was no way I could afford the Allen & Heath but can't recall specific costs. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 10:53am
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Around £600 springs to mind Chris....that would have been a fortune in 1977 of course....i can remember paying £250 brand new for a Citronic Hawaii console in 1979,to give an idea of scale.
------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 11:57am
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That sounds about right, I think it was almost double the cost of the Citronic. It was pretty much a brodcast standard unit, built and priced accordingly. Closest I ever got to one was the Squires catalogue! ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: shagnasty
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 12:18pm
| Midas XL3 or Soundcraft Series 4? |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 1:48pm
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Ahh, well that's proper FOH mixers. Definitely the XL3 from a few years ago or more recently Midas Pro 6. For theatre use Cadac of any vintage and for broadcast Studer Vista. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: burningbush
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 3:14pm
Quite liked the look of the Bozak rotary job IIRC.Then the Formula Sound. Courtesy of Ian ------------- music is the message |
Posted By: burningbush
Date Posted: 14 October 2011 at 3:22pm
Check this with its £1300 price tag.... ------------- music is the message |
Posted By: GregM
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 5:00pm
Looks close enough Ian - some actual prices taken from my copy of the 1977/78 Squire catalogue:
A&H S6/2 £453.60 plus whatever VAT was then (7.5%??)
Citronic SMP506 (short version) £206.86 +vat (no sign of the SM607 that early)
RSD 800b £594 + vat
HH S500d £399 + vat
Optikinetics Solar 250 £70.20
Pulsar 3 chnl Modulator £199.80
------------- Remember, if you don't want to hear the answer, don't ask the question! |
jbl_man wrote:Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 5:01pm
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The VAT was 25% Greg.
------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: The Builder
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 6:28pm
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SM450 with the long crossfader, nice switchable voltage out too. ------------- It just is. |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 7:12pm
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I had a sm450 but like most people then lusted after the then older 607 but couldn't afford it, when I did get some cash together I bought a Soundout clubmaster (JWP's mixer of choice for installs) and a pair of SL1200's and Mr P let me pay him weekly for it. It was a couple of years later I managed to get hold of a 607 it was lovely and worth the wait I later modified it with a crossfade from Citronic (the 1U thing) From the Citronic I went to a GLI 3990 which was wicked when it worked but a bitch to keep working. from the GLI I went to a vestax PMC15 which I still rate as one of the best "cheap" mixers I've used to date. Out of all the early stuff nothing could even come close to the 607 for sound quality & reliability. ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 7:17pm
Oh by the way we had one of those A & H mixers in the parkers mix studio for making the background tape's up I thought it was crap, But bare in mind I was mobile DJ at the time so the layout and stuff on it was all wrong to me then, the studio was set up with SL1200's, quad 405, tannoy's, and a revox PR99 all about quality not the Dj  ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 10:24pm
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Yes, they were pretty alien to the format that most mobile DJ's had come to expect. Much more studio like. The SM607 seemed more user friendly in a gig situation. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 10:29pm
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Just thinking, we have heard about the best DJ mixers but what was the worst? In my case it was a TUAC with touch sensitive PFL buttons. First sign of humidity and they all latched on. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 10:47pm
I remember those they were horrid, they also did the weight & treble aimed at reggae sounds. I think the worst has to be the early phonic stuff (any phonic stuff) Halfway down this page http://forum.speakerplans.com/show-us-your-preamp_topic9784_page4.html" rel="nofollow - http://forum.speakerplans.com/show-us-your-preamp_topic9784_page4.html
------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 15 October 2011 at 10:58pm
Thinking of that weight & treble got me on google, Have a look at this and look how much it sold for  http://www.popsike.com/Vintage-Reggae-SoundSystem-BassTreble-PREAMPEarly80s/110384945125.html" rel="nofollow - http://www.popsike.com/Vintage-Reggae-SoundSystem-BassTreble-PREAMPEarly80s/110384945125.html ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 12:30am
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Weight & treble. Now that's a bit of kit I never played with though it seemed more aimed at the reggae boys. How did it sound? (I can probably guess...) ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: jbl_man
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 12:38pm
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I certainly wouldn't rate TUAC in the best classic mixer catagory,my experience of them in the 70's was lots of RF oscillation and instability when you turned the input gain or treble up....lost a couple of tweeter diaphragms due to that. Colin,thats a staggering price.....the man who payed that has never heard the sm607,Supernova or PM80? ------------- Be seeing you. |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 12:51pm
I can't remember how much the weight & treble was when it was new, they used to sell them Iin a shop not far from me (Garland bros) but I know they were only about 100 quid or so. Non of the Dj's could work them out when they first come out because it was billed as a Dj mixer but all all the functions were wrong (not many of us had come across a reggae sound at that point) ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: The Builder
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 1:07pm
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Worst was a Vestax 19" Chrome thing.
Massive gain structure design fault, no PFL if master not up past 50%, then at over 50% massive output distortion.
They actually (allegedly) addmited this to an Engineer in Twickenham.
Second worst (this shows how bad the above was) Saxon from Croydon ------------- It just is. |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 6:06pm
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[QUOTE=jbl_man]I certainly wouldn't rate TUAC in the best classic mixer catagory,my experience of them in the 70's was lots of RF oscillation and instability when you turned the input gain or treble up....lost a couple of tweeter diaphragms due to that. Ian, I had a TUAC for a few months, couldn't wait to get rid of it! Awful bit of kit. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: Pirlo
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 7:24pm
Dynacord M1:  Rodec MX180:  Bozak CMA-10/2:  Urei 1620:  [...] ------------- Who the fu&k is Mr. Phanton, and why he has so much power!? |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 16 October 2011 at 9:05pm
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I love the look of that Rodec mixer not a bad price either at 1200 quid ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: BASSHORSE
Date Posted: 17 October 2011 at 8:37pm
+1 on the dynacord m1,..top mixers!
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Posted By: oldskool
Date Posted: 18 October 2011 at 2:57pm
| Well for what it's worth it was always the Super Nova that gave our crowd wet dreams, although I am lucky enough to have one now. One of the clubs we worked had Citronic 607 and it was very nice to work with especially as we used to do all sorts of things with jingles (remember them?) and we used to go roving with a radio mic and the auto ducking on the mic inputs was very useful. We did play with Tuacs in about 78 to 79 until a big bang took the power amps out too and it was always Citronic after that but damned if I can remember the model numbers. We did have a huge mixer made by Guerrini? in one of the consoles and that lasted for years and was very good. Never seen or heard another one though. |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 18 October 2011 at 8:47pm
Whilst I agree with you that most Dj's of our era probably lusted over the Stereo Supernova it does have it's limitation's. The lack of inputs for one (switchable line in's would have been real useful & I do realise CD's were almost unheard of then) the lack of balanced output's and also the size of it, I could never work out why it was made so wide considering the rest of the world was already making the 19" format as standard. I do realise it was designed as a club mixer but it was also designed by what was basically a mobile DJ (if you can call froggy's system mobile ) so I would have thought he would have gone with 19" as standard.Until I bought mine I had forgotten it had un-balanced outputs and I must admit it through me out a little as the case mine came in had single XLR's all wired for mono. I'm about to have some mod's done on mine to make it more usable, I'm having the gram channel's made switchable to gram/line and also having the output's converted to balanced (all without harming/cutting/drilling the mixer) This has already been done by Matamp, In 2000 they designed/built a modular version of the Stereo Supernova, it was all done in the same format as the PM90 I.E single removable channels but more or less the same layout as the original supernova (except the gram bass & treble filters were removed) but Matt Mathias didn't like the build/component quality so the whole project was scrapped, shame would have been interesting So although the Supernova is a lovely bit of kit to own and use it's not perfect (in my opinion anyway) and the title probably fall's to the PM80/90 considering the amount of them built and installed (can't stand them myself) ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: Pinyorouk
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 11:15am
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After using many DJ Mixers I finally found one that I was totally pleased with, the Ecler Sclat 200VS. Here are a few pictures of the sclat range. Totally modular and excellent sound quality with long "Throw" Alps faders and pots throughout. Sclat 8: (Sclat 10 released in 1985 was the first of the Ecler modular mixer range. I can't find a picture though).    Sclat 100:  1st 2 are input modules, 3rd one is an output module:  Sclat 200VS:   |
Posted By: Nachural
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 11:42am
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Ecler make some really nice kit and that's a brilliant example. ------------- it's all just cardboard and magnets really |
Posted By: djeddie
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 3:04pm
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They were (are) nice mixers those Ecler units apart from one thing... the sockets on the back panel!
------------- Chas n Dave : it's like Drum and Bass but with beards. E=mc² ±3dB |
Posted By: Pinyorouk
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 3:56pm
Which sockets? I thought most DJ mixer sockets were mounted on the rear panel unless your referring to a British mixer, possibly by Formula Sound where the sockets are on the bottom.
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Posted By: djeddie
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 4:58pm
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The PM80 / 90, the FSM600 (from Formula Sound) and the Citronic SM650 and 550 all had the connectors on the rear panel allowing something like a CD head to be mounted directly behind. When the mixer is in a club install you'd have to lift the mixer up to get to the connectors on the rear panel whereas with the connectors on the bottom you wouldn't! ------------- Chas n Dave : it's like Drum and Bass but with beards. E=mc² ±3dB |
Posted By: Pinyorouk
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 5:19pm
Now I understand, thanks for educating me, never thought of that !
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Posted By: mykey-
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 6:16pm
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MRT60 possibly the best mixer ever made ------------- BbbBBRAAAAPppBBBBbgushhhhhhhhssshhhhhGrAbRAAAAAAPPPPPp = Dubstep |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 6:46pm
You know that! Real classy piece of kit------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: djeddie
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 7:03pm
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Holy hell! The MRT60! That's up there with ------------- Chas n Dave : it's like Drum and Bass but with beards. E=mc² ±3dB |
Posted By: Pinyorouk
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 7:14pm
True ! no sign of good quality components or sound!
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Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 7:39pm
There you go True class: You wouldn't believe the amount of these we sold with SL1210's ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: The Builder
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 8:09pm
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besides low heaphone volume, they did the job ------------- It just is. |
Posted By: simonh
Date Posted: 19 October 2011 at 9:15pm
| Now that brings back memories, was my first mixer... |
Posted By: 4642a
Date Posted: 19 January 2012 at 8:45pm
Hi Colin...
i was wondering if you had success with this mod?
thanks,
David
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Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 19 January 2012 at 9:18pm
Not as yet was a busy boy over Christmas and the desk was in use but it will be done over the next few weeks, it's going to be done by using a 1u plate with switches to switch between the 2 channels that way the mixer won't be altered at all as such. ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: 4642a
Date Posted: 19 January 2012 at 9:38pm
seems a good route to take...
I was thinking of putting the switches on the front side of the mixer plinth...
I'll have to see if there is room...
Are you doing to modification yourself?
take care,
David
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Posted By: mostyn
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 6:59pm
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cor opti's at 70 quid plus vat,reckon i paid that for mine at hereford disco centre then plus the sound animator and the p & n lighting stand!
mozza
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Posted By: bee
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 9:16pm
for me its this mixer...... not as old as some listed in this thread, but great sounding.....
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Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 9:44pm
Bee there was one of these on fleabay last weeks I meant to post it up. ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: djeddie
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 10:24pm
It didn't look that shiny though!
------------- Chas n Dave : it's like Drum and Bass but with beards. E=mc² ±3dB |
Posted By: bee
Date Posted: 26 March 2012 at 10:32pm
| well ahead of its time, and still is in terms of sound quality..... remember every first leisure night club having these in there main rooms..... |
Posted By: burningbush
Date Posted: 05 April 2012 at 5:46pm
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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cloud-CXM-Mixer-Cased-Denon-Dn-2100f-/170817752888?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item27c5880f38" rel="nofollow - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cloud-CXM-Mixer-Cased-Denon-Dn-2100f-/170817752888?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item27c5880f38
------------- music is the message |
Posted By: dan i dubdub
Date Posted: 05 April 2012 at 6:35pm
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Posted By: BASSHORSE
Date Posted: 05 April 2012 at 8:38pm
| yep..did many a mix on the old MRT :) |
Posted By: BASSHORSE
Date Posted: 20 April 2012 at 7:03pm
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anybody used any of the rodec mixers? http://www.rodec.com/" rel="nofollow - http://www.rodec.com/ they do look sweet!
 |
Posted By: colint
Date Posted: 20 April 2012 at 7:38pm
No but they are a peach of a mixer, if the Supernova was sold a Rodec is what would replace it, I have been tempted. ------------- Never criticise another man until you've walked a mile in his shoes. Once you have, call him what you like, you're a mile away and you've got his shoes! |
Posted By: Sheggy
Date Posted: 20 April 2012 at 7:56pm
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Gave my MRT60 away just a couple of years ago! I still feel sad for that old friend even though they are a bit pants... S |
Posted By: burningbush
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 3:45pm
Check this GLi on ebay just now... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-GLi-PMX9000-DJ-Mixer-/330720652104?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item4d007cab48" rel="nofollow - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-GLi-PMX9000-DJ-Mixer-/330720652104?pt=UK_Mixers&hash=item4d007cab48 ------------- music is the message |
Posted By: scuddmann
Date Posted: 25 January 2017 at 9:07am
with out a doubt any Citronic mixer made at Melksham UK but my favourite was the SM607 outstanding,,, I still have 2 SM 450's from the 80's UK build and they are better than 85% of anything I have heard today, but that's my opinion and everones ears are different. so what do I know, 39 years in the sound industry makes you sinical at best!!!!
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Posted By: scuddmann
Date Posted: 25 January 2017 at 9:11am
| a classic door stop these were awful and never worked more than 2 hours at a time, cheap and nasty in my opinion, soz:-) |
Posted By: njw
Date Posted: 25 January 2017 at 9:37pm
I'm still using an SM 450, I've tried more modern stuff but prefer the old Citronic by a long way, and I think I've mentioned this before but it has the best sounding mic section I've ever heard on a dj mixer. And the headphone output is so loud I reckon I could actually power the monitor speakers off it!
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Posted By: scuddmann
Date Posted: 26 January 2017 at 11:29am
| absoruddylutly Bob!!!!! |