THE NAME MIDAS is synonymous with high-quality, expensive mixing consoles. So ubiquitous are these boards in the world of big-time touring that it's safe to assume that husky stagehands have recently wheeled a Midas into an arena near you. So when the company introduced the Venice 160, a rackmountable board that retails for just a shade over $3,000, it raised some interesting questions.
Would this scaled-down Midas in any way resemble its more expensive brethren? Would it retain the quality that makes Midas a tour-rider standard? Although pricier than most small format mixers, would it be worth the premium price? Let's take a look.
VERSATILE VENICE
The 160, equipped with 8 mono and 4 stereo channels, is the smallest member of the Venice family, which also includes the 240 (16 mono, and 4 stereo channels) and the 320 (24 mono and 4 stereo channels). Weighing in at 36.2 pounds, the Venice 160 comes configured for tabletop use or, with side covers and armrest removed, it can be mounted in 11 rackspaces. The connection panel can be placed on the back or bottom of the unit and includes an IEC receptacle for a detachable power cord.
The internal power supply is switch selectable for a variety of popular mains voltages from around the world. The Master, Master B, Monitor 1 and 2, and Aux 1 and 2 outputs, most likely to connect to high-powered amps and speakers, are electronically balanced and appear on XLR connectors. That is in pleasant contrast to the common practice of reserving electronic or transformer balancing for the main stereo outputs only. The mono channel direct outs, FX Sends 1 and 2, subgroup outs, and speaker outs (line-level, for driving cue wedge amps) use less expensive impedance balancing and appear on TRS jacks, as do the inserts. Tape send and return feature the usual RCA pairs.
ACROSS THE CHANNELS
The Venice 160's mono inputs (see Fig. 1) each have a mic preamp based on the one in the Midas XL-4, which favors discrete transistors and other components over integrated circuits. Many circuit designers and end-users believe that discrete circuitry, which is more expensive to manufacture, simply sounds better than ICs. The mixer's mic preamps accept a maximum input level of +22 dBu, allowing the 160 to handle the hottest mic signals with no need for a switchable pad. Phantom power is switchable per input rather than globally, and its on/off status is indicated by LEDs on the rear and front of each channel. Both the mono and stereo inputs have a highpass filter at a well-chosen 80 Hz, just below a guitar's low E string. Using this filter to keep the low lows from bleeding into vocal mics does a lot to clean up a mix.
The mono input EQ, based on that in Midas's XL-3, may be the Venice series' single greatest attribute. Each mono channel offers two widely sweepable, octave-wide midbands and high and low shelving filters. Overall, I found these controls to be very effective. For instance, when I cut 3 dB to 6 dB at around 2.5 kHz, the sound seemed to move backward a few steps yet didn't get murky. Boosting above 5 kHz added sparkle and a larger-than-life quality, without undue harshness or brittleness. In a situation with a singer who frequently moved off-axis from the microphone, the Venice 160's EQ allowed me to quickly and easily compensate for the changes in tone.
Mono inputs on the Venice 160 also include a pan pot, channel mute, solo switch, routing switches to subgroups and stereo output, peak and signal present lights, a 60 mm fader, and controls for the mixer's six aux busses. FX 1 and 2 are postfader, Mon 1 and 2 are prefader, and Aux 1 and 2 are pre/postswitchable.
The Venice 160's four stereo channels are designed to offer plenty of patching options. In addition to being able to handle stereo line-level sources, they can also be used as mic inputs. (In a pinch you could even use the mic input simultaneously on the stereo inputs.) Each stereo channel has a mic pre with a gain control. For the line inputs, a trim control is provided. Like the mono channels, the stereo channels have six aux sends, and instead of the pan pot, there's a balance control.
When it comes to EQ, however, the stereo channels are not as fully featured. They have the same fixed treble and bass controls (80 Hz and 12 kHz, respectively) as do the mono channels, but the two midrange controls (well placed at 300 and 3 kHz) are not sweepable. Although perfectly adequate for many stereo sources such as keyboards and samplers, which often have extensive EQ built in, the fixed EQ can be less effective for microphones or for direct-injected stringed instruments.
MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Venice's four subgroups are routed to the stereo master with switches and pan pots. The Master fader works in tandem with a Balance knob, which enables compensation for perceived stereo balance problems caused by, say, odd room shapes or inaccurate amplifier calibration.
The Master fader allows for easy adjustment of the overall level with a single control. Master B is a second master bus output pair and is switchable between stereo and mono (the latter is useful for subwoofers) and pre- or postmaster fader, and is derived before the main output's insert points. This pre-insert placement is convenient for connecting a recorder to make board tapes, because its output isn't affected by any EQ you might patch into the main output's inserts. Master B also has an extra 10 dB of gain available, which can be useful when recording off the board during quiet shows or when feeding remote or delay speakers.
The FX Returns 1 and 2 are on faders and can be assigned to subgroup pairs or masters and routed to the monitors. Aux returns 1 and 2 may be mixed into Mon 1 and 2, respectively, as well as into the stereo masters, making them useful for click tracks, backing tracks, or additional effects returns. The generous sprinkling of Mute switches in the Master section is also extremely handy.
FAMILY VALUES
According to Midas, the 160 and its Venice siblings were designed by the same engineering team that worked on the company's large-format consoles. Extensive listening tests, including direct comparison to the touring colossi the XL-4 and the Heritage 3000, were an important part of the design process. Economies of scale allow Midas to use the same high-quality components in the Venice series as in their higher-end mixers. Having said that, making the move to a Midas still doesn't come cheap. The Venice 160 lists for $3,158, with the 240 at $4,235, and the 320 at $5,325.
What do you receive for all this money? First and foremost, you get great sound. The Midas Venice 160 is a beautiful-sounding console, set apart from the pack by its aural authority and personality. Whereas other mixers that I use daily — and I use them without complaint or apology and with full confidence — sound clean and accurate, the Venice 160 sounds fat and swaggering. Bass through the Venice 160 seems not louder but rather bigger, almost rooted to the earth. The sound is just a little warmer, richer, a tad better integrated, with a touch more separation between instruments and voices.
The Venice 160's feature set is well-thought-out and finely implemented and can facilitate a more extensive installation than your basic “two mains and four monitors” setup. What's more, the mixer is well stocked with faders and mutes, making it very convenient to use.
However, in a world where drum kits typically start with five mics, the 160's eight mono inputs can get used up pretty quickly, and the additional four mic channels available through the stereo inputs are not as useful due to their nonsweepable EQ and lack of channel inserts. Midas's engineers have kept the quality up while reducing prices to something approaching real-world affordability by eliminating features like programmability, mute groups, VCA groups, and superabundant meters — features largely needed for managing the copious inputs typical at megashows.
VENICE ANYONE?
Who are the Venice's 160's potential users? The Venice series was designed to be comfortable and familiar to engineers of prominent artists doing that unplugged tour of better clubs; for corporate A/V presentations in which a small-format, high-quality console is required; or for any application for which ultimate performance in a small footprint is needed.
While definitely not the mixing console for a young band's first P.A. system, I can think of plenty of other applications for the Venice 160. For instance, electronic-oriented acts with a few vocal mics and several samplers and keyboards would get much mileage from the mixer's complement of inputs; they might even mix themselves from the stage and send a stereo feed to the house. Acts that require a moderate number of inputs and don't carry full production could benefit from substituting a Venice 160 for a venue's larger but less pristine console. The 160 would also make a great touring in-ear-monitor board, providing a consistent aural environment at outdoor festivals and clubs along the way.
Overall, Midas has done a great job of bringing its upper-line quality to the more affordable Venice series, although they're still expensive when viewed on a cost-per-mic-input basis. A potential purchaser should consider the Venice 160 in context of overall budget and equipment with which it will be mated. A superb mixer will not compensate for substandard equipment elsewhere in a system. However, if top-quality transducers, amplifiers, and processing are already accounted for, the Venice can bring out their very best.
VENICE 160 SPECS
Inputs (12) XLR mic, (8) ¼" TRS line (4 stereo pair), (4) ¼" effects returns, (2) RCA tape return (L/R)
Outputs (8) ¼" direct, (4) impedance balanced ¼" subgroup, (2) XLR monitor, (2) impedance balanced ¼" effects, (2) XLR aux, (2) XLR master, (2) XLR master B, (2) stereo headphone, (2) impedance balanced ¼" stereo speaker, (2) RCA tape send (L/R)
Inserts (8) ¼" TRS mono channel, (4) ¼" TRS subgroup, (2) ¼" TRS master
Mono Channel EQ Highpass filter 2nd order Butterworth, 80 Hz; treble ±15 dB @ 12kHz (shelving); high mid ±15 dB, continuously variable 400 Hz-8 kHz Q factor 1.4 (1.4 Oct); low mid ±15 dB, continuously variable 100 Hz-2 kHz Q factor 1.4 (1.4 Oct);bass ±15dB @ 80 Hz (shelving)
Stereo Channel EQ Highpass filter 2nd order Butterworth, 80 Hz; treble ±15 dB @ 12 kHz (shelving); high mid ±15 dB @ 3 kHz Q factor 1.4 (1.4 Oct.); low mid ±15 dB @ 300 Hz Q factor 1.4 (1.4 Oct.); bass ±15 dB @ 80 Hz (shelving)
Buses (4) subgroup, (2) monitor (prefader), (2) effects (postfader), (2) aux switchable pre/postfader, (2) master L/R, (1) mono PFL, (2) stereo AFL
Distortion at 1 kHz Mic to insert (+30 dB gain, +20 dBu output) typ. 0.0007%; mic to master (+30 dB gain, +20 dBu output) <0.009%
Crosstalk @ 1 kHz Channel to mix 80 dB
Dimensions 19.3" (W) × 7.6" (H) × 22.4" (D)
Weight 36.2 lb.
