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Danny T Danny T is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

I bought one of these because I wanted a cheap mixer to gig with and
wanted to have an easy way to track into my macbook. It's an 18-
Channel Mixer with FireWire and records 16 in at once.

My only use so far is in less then perfect listening conditions but I
like it just fine. I'm wondering if anyone else has used it and
compared any of the feathers (A/D) to anything else...... I'm just
curious really....

As a small gig mixer I think its really good. I did try to do some
recording with it but it was in a bedroom with M-Audio monitors so
it's hard to really make a statement. It sounded good in there :-)
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Badmuts Badmuts is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?


"Danny T" wrote in message
...
I bought one of these because I wanted a cheap mixer to gig with and
wanted to have an easy way to track into my macbook. It's an 18-
Channel Mixer with FireWire and records 16 in at once.

My only use so far is in less then perfect listening conditions but I
like it just fine. I'm wondering if anyone else has used it and
compared any of the feathers (A/D) to anything else...... I'm just
curious really....

As a small gig mixer I think its really good. I did try to do some
recording with it but it was in a bedroom with M-Audio monitors so
it's hard to really make a statement. It sounded good in there :-)


I have its bigger brother and so far it's fine except the firewire interface
is not stable, which is why it's being exchanged soon by the dealer.


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Danny T Danny T is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

On Sep 17, 3:26*am, "Badmuts" wrote:
"Danny T" wrote in message

...

I bought one of these because I wanted a cheap mixer to gig with and
wanted to have an easy way to track into my macbook. It's an 18-
Channel Mixer with FireWire and records 16 in at once.


My only use so far is in less then perfect listening conditions but I
like it just fine. I'm wondering if anyone else has used it and
compared any of the feathers (A/D) to anything else...... I'm just
curious really....


As a small gig mixer I think its really good. I did try to do some
recording with it but it was in a bedroom with M-Audio monitors so
it's hard to really make a statement. It sounded good in there :-)


I have its bigger brother and so far it's fine except the firewire interface
is not stable, which is why it's being exchanged soon by the dealer.


Is the instability a matter of that single board or something that is
inherent in many of them... or do you know?

Thanks
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Badmuts Badmuts is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

I have its bigger brother and so far it's fine except the firewire
interface
is not stable, which is why it's being exchanged soon by the dealer.


Is the instability a matter of that single board or something that is
inherent in many of them... or do you know?


I think it is this particular board and i suspect the power supply, but it's
the only helix board i have experience with.
Otherwise it's an ok board, doesn't sound as fat as a Soundcraft, and built
from cheap parts, but for the money and if you treat it with care it's great
and it has a very complete and well thought out feature set.

I also own the Firefly 808 and that has been working great for me so far
with no driver stability issues.
It has a few other issues:
- ADA8000 won't always sync well to 808 thru ADAT. Hope to solve this using
wordclock cabling next to adat.
- there is a slight noise in the outputs when sample rate is set at 48 kHz
- there was a software issue with the mixer but the most recent driver
solved this.
I would still recommend this unit to those on a budget.


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Danny T Danny T is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

On Sep 18, 5:17*pm, "Badmuts" wrote:
I have its bigger brother and so far it's fine except the firewire

interface
is not stable, which is why it's being exchanged soon by the dealer.

Is the instability a matter of that single board or something that is
inherent in many of them... or do you know?


I think it is this particular board and i suspect the power supply, but it's
the only helix board i have experience with.
Otherwise it's an ok board, doesn't sound as fat as a Soundcraft, and built
from cheap parts, but for the money and if you treat it with care it's great
and it has a very complete and well thought out feature set.

I also own the Firefly 808 and that has been working great for me so far
with no driver stability issues.
It has a few other issues:
- ADA8000 won't always sync well to 808 thru ADAT. Hope to solve this using
wordclock cabling next to adat.
- there is a slight noise in the outputs when sample rate is set at 48 kHz
- there was a software issue with the mixer but the most recent driver
solved this.
I would still recommend this unit to those on a budget.


Awhh, the reason I use mac. I noticed when I opened up the box that
there was a PC install disk. I plugged it into my mac and the mac saw
it immediately as did all my programs. :-) hail mac!

I haven't used the board much at all but thought it was fine for what
I have used it for. I guess the converters all come from the same
place usually anyway so these days, anything 24 bit is pretty good. I
was just a bit worried about using it at a gig and having it crap out
on me. that would be a nightmare.

Thanks for your input.


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Geoff Geoff is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

Danny T wrote:
Awhh, the reason I use mac. I noticed when I opened up the box that
there was a PC install disk. I plugged it into my mac and the mac saw
it immediately as did all my programs. :-) hail mac!


Mac users are incapable of inserting a CD ? If you had a Mac that came out
beofre this device existed, then you would be totally stuffed.

I haven't used the board much at all but thought it was fine for what
I have used it for. I guess the converters all come from the same
place usually anyway so these days, anything 24 bit is pretty good. I
was just a bit worried about using it at a gig and having it crap out
on me. that would be a nightmare.


Mine's a little noisy in the mic amp dept, but adequate for the things I
use it for.

geoff


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Danny T Danny T is offline
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Default Phonic Helix18FW - anyone else try/use this?

On Sep 18, 7:47*pm, "geoff" wrote:
Danny T wrote:
Awhh, the reason I use mac. I noticed when I opened up the box that
there was a PC install disk. I plugged it into my mac and the mac saw
it immediately as did all my programs. :-) hail mac!


Mac users are incapable of inserting a CD *? *If you had a Mac that came out
beofre this device existed, then you would be totally stuffed.

I haven't used the board much at all but thought it was fine for what
I have used it for. I guess the converters all come from the same
place usually anyway so these days, anything 24 bit is pretty good. I
was just a bit worried about using it at a gig and having it crap out
on me. that would be a nightmare.


Mine's a little noisy in the mic amp dept, but adequate for the things *I
use it for.

geoff


We're not incapable but I have to say it's nice being pampered...
You'd rub it in a little too if PC's ever were so smooth, now wouldn't
you? :-)
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