I GREW UP in an analog world. When I first started mixing sound
for my own bands back around 1968, things were simple. A big mixing
board would have four to eight inputs, maybe one effects send to an
internal spring reverb, and a mono output. Nowadays the
sound-reinforcement scenario is much more complicated.
Sophisticated listeners require that nearly everything on a live
stage run through the console, which has grown to 16 input channels
or more for even simple weekend club gigs.
While I have one foot firmly in the tube and analog world, I've
always embraced the latest audio technology, especially digital
recording, processing, and editing — so I'm not afraid of
much when it comes to using cool audio tools live. Still, the
thought of using multilayer digital consoles for live gigs has
always given me a touch of terror. For example, you simply don't
have enough time to flip through a bunch of menus when a vocal mic
is feeding back, and you don't want to have to deal with anything
complicated just to, say, adjust the subwoofer send.
So when asked to review Soundcraft's new Spirit 324 Live
console, I said I would give it a go, all the while feeling my
heart do a little dance. It's that love-hate thing. I love new
technology, but I'm always nervous that it won't deliver on its
promises.
OUT OF THE BOX
The 324 Live is a deceptively small console (it weighs just
under 32 pounds) that can do far more than its diminutive footprint
would suggest. The 324 Live is based on the Spirit 328 digital
studio console and shares much of the 328's architecture and
feature set, but there are some significant differences. For
example, the 324 Live lacks the two 8-channel ADAT Optical inputs
and four of the eight subgroups found on the 328. But the 324 Live
has four assignable Matrix outputs you can use to drive subwoofers,
center-channel fills, or delay stacks; a talk-back section; and
improved solo monitoring — all of which make it much more
useful as a live mixer.
The 324 Live sports 24-bit A/D and D/A converters and 24-bit
throughput, resulting in exceptionally high sound quality overall.
You get 16 analog and 16 digital input channels, analog and digital
stereo I/O, and lots of analog and digital output options. The
console has a 3-band fully parametric equalizer on every input
channel, four auxiliary sends per channel, four mute groups, three
types of solo (AFL, PFL, and Solo-in-Place), and a built-in meter
bridge.
But wait, there's more — you also get
“snapshot” scene automation (and the capacity for MIDI
remote dynamic automation); a pair of onboard dynamics processors
that you can patch digitally into any input, bus, or output; and
two onboard Lexicon effects processors that provide delays,
reverbs, and other ear candy.
COMINGS AND GOINGS
The stock 324 Live comes with 16 channels of analog inputs on
XLR (mic) and ¼-inch TRS (instrument) connectors, and 16
channels of TDIF digital inputs, for a total of 32 input channels.
Each of the 16 analog input channels includes a mic preamp with a
trim control, a TRS insert (something of a rarity on compact
digital mixers), and a 100 Hz low-cut filter. A global phantom
power switch turns on 48V power to all 16 microphone inputs
simultaneously. Analog (¼-inch TRS) and digital (XLR and RCA)
stereo inputs are also provided.
Output connections on the 324 Live include XLR jacks for the
main left and right outputs, the four Matrix outputs, and two
assignable Floating outputs. Quarter-inch TRS jacks output the four
auxiliary and two monitor sends, and a cue-monitor function allows
you to connect a cue wedge for monitoring channels in solo mode.
There's also a word-clock output for synchronizing external digital
devices, as well as MIDI In/Out/Thru connectors.
For live recording, a prefader output function lets you map
analog inputs 1 to 16 directly to TDIF inputs 17 to 32 prior to the
faders. This allows you the convenience of recording 16 analog
channels directly to a pair of Tascam decks (such as the DA-78HR)
without recording your live fader moves.
If you need more mic channels, you can add up to two optional
Mic Line Interfaces ($1,099.95 each), which connect to the TDIF
connectors. Each interface gives you eight more XLR and ¼-inch
TRS inputs with preamps, inserts, direct outputs, a highpass
filter, four-stage metering, and individually switched phantom
power. An Analog Interface ($415.95) gives you eight analog inputs
and outputs on 16 RCA connectors, and an AES/EBU Interface
($699.95) offers four pairs of AES/EBU digital I/O.
FADER LAYERS
There are 16 motorized 100 mm channel faders (which are actually
digital encoders and pass no audio) that you can switch between
four different control layers, allowing them to do quadruple duty.
When assigned to the first layer, the faders control the 16 analog
inputs, and when assigned to the second layer, they control the 16
TDIF digital inputs (17 to 32). At the third layer, the faders
control the four group, four Matrix, four auxiliary, and two
effects sends, along with the mono output and solo trim levels. The
fourth layer sends MIDI commands.
A 10-segment LED meter is located above each input strip, and a
pair of 16-segment LED meters monitor output levels and the status
of dynamics processing. One really cool function is the ability to
split the LED displays so that they show the overall levels of one
fader bank while also displaying the peak-overload LED for the
alternate layer. Called Alt PK, for Alternate Peak Level, this
function goes a long way toward letting the operator keep an eye on
all 32 inputs without having to resort to flipping back and forth
between layers. This makes the 324 Live a real powerhouse.
REMEMBER ME
The 324 Live's snapshot automation has 99 memory slots, allowing
you to store every internal patch, effect, and level (with the
exception of the trim controls) and recall them with the push of a
button. For example, you can save a patch for the sensitive ballad
you like to do right before the metal-thrash set, and transition
instantaneously between the two. Use it for anything you like, but
once you get used to saving your major patches, you'll never want
to go back to resetting the console manually for each song. This
function makes the 324 Live especially useful for small theaters,
where a group might be performing the same play a few dozen times.
Once you have set and stored all the appropriate levels for each
scene, you can simply call up the patch as each scene arrives,
confident that the proper body microphones are muted and the lead
actor's mic is turned on. Of course, the same would apply for bands
that require complex mixer reconfiguring between sets or even
individual songs.
E-Z STRIP
Overall the Spirit 324 Live provides a lot of useful features in
a small box. As with all things digital, however, the ability to
access needed features easily is more important than the full
feature set — and that's what sets the 324 Live apart from
the crowd of digital mixers.
Another feature that makes the 324 Live stand out is what
Soundcraft calls the E-Strip — a full channel strip's worth
of knobs and switches turned on its side that you can patch to
whatever input channel needs adjustment. Think of it as a virtual
input strip that lets you access any channel at the push of a
button. Just select, say, channel 10 for bass guitar, and you
instantly have access to three bands of parametric equalization
controls, four auxiliary sends, two effects level sends, and stereo
panning for that channel.
The lighted controls show you the virtual settings of each pot;
you just adjust one way or the other to change the corresponding
parameters. Similarly, if you want to see the pan setting for all
16 channels simultaneously, simply pushing the pan button causes
the E-Strip to display them. This is the first small-format digital
console I've operated that is truly usable in a sound-reinforcement
situation.
LIVE SPIRIT
I used the 324 Live for a month's worth of small gigs, and after
an initial shakedown cruise I was pretty much up to speed. Because
these were all small acts in a club situation, the 16 built-in
inputs sufficed and I had no need for an optional expander
interface.
The equalization section was quite useful and musical, and I
could achieve the desired sound easily without resorting to lots of
knob twisting. The Lexicon effects, particularly the reverb
patches, were first-rate for a built-in unit. The stock effects
programs offer plenty for anyone to get started right from the
get-go, and a few parameter tweaks are all you need to personalize
them.
One of the few problematic things about the 324 Live is that it
has only one pair of dynamics processors. Yes, you can patch these
digitally to anywhere you might need them, and true, there are
insert points in each of the input channels, but that means you
still need to bring along a rack of compressors and patching
cables. Once in the digital domain, I would prefer to handle basic
dynamics processing within the console itself. Even a simple
compressor-gate on each channel (as many other small digital mixers
have) would make it possible to handle a drum kit without resorting
to a rack of outboard gear.
Another limitation I would prefer not to endure is the global
phantom power switch. You should be able to power a few condenser
microphones without sending power to your dynamic and other mics,
which are still the most common types of mics used in sound
reinforcement.
One final concern is the overall console operation: as easy as
it is, it's still a bit complex for a neophyte operator without any
training. I couldn't just stick a 324 Live in a club, mark up some
board tape with a Sharpie, and walk away, leaving it for another
engineer to use later that night. It can be quite intimidating for
a first-time operator when the motorized faders jump up and down as
you access the various layers, and not being able to see all the
meters at once is also a little challenging. Consequently, I ended
up running the sound for a few gigs where I would normally have
turned it over to the band's engineer. This is not a criticism of
the 324 Live console per se, but a general training issue that
anyone coming from a big analog console to a multilayer digital
console must address.
LAST WORDS
The Spirit 324 Live is jam-packed with lots of great features,
reasonably priced, expandable enough to be useful in a wide variety
of applications, and about as easy to use as a small digital
console can be. I highly recommend that you take one for a
test-drive and check it out for yourself — just make sure you
don't do your test-drive at an important gig!
Mike Sokol has been mixing on all types of consoles for 30
years. He still has his Kustom 150 P.A. head with four
high-impedance inputs, a spring reverb, and 75W of RMS power. What
a long, strange trip it's been.
SPIRIT 324 LIVE SPECS
Analog Inputs (16) XLR mic, (16) ¼" TRS line, (1
pair) ¼" TRS stereo, (1) XLR talk-back mic
Digital I/O (16) TDIF, (1) XLR AES/EBU, (1) RCA
S/PDIF
Outputs (1 pair) XLR mix left/right, (1 pair) ¼" TRS
monitor, (4) XLR Matrix, (1) ¼" TRS mono, (4) ¼" TRS aux,
(2) XLR Floating
Converters 24-bit 128× oversampling
Internal Processing 24-bit, 56-bit busing
Onboard Processing (2) Lexicon stereo multi-effects, (2)
stereo dynamics processors
Dimensions 28.17" (W) × 6.3" (H) × 21.15"
(D)
Weight 31.7 lbs.
PRODUCT SUMMARY
Soundcraft Spirit 324 Live
digital mixer
$4,799.95
Overall Rating (1 through 5): 4.5
PROS: Excellent overall sound quality. Equalization
section very useful and musical. E-Strip makes accessing multilayer
functions almost as easy as on an analog console.
CONS: Only one pair of dynamics processors means you
have to bring external compressor-gate for live gigs. Phantom power
not switchable for individual channels.
Contact: Soundcraft
tel. (615) 360-0471
e-mail soundcraft-usa@harmon.com Web www.soundcraft.com
