Studiomaster consoles have a long and spotted history that is known to as many professionals in the audio field as it is not. Established in 1976 in a chicken shed in Cheshunt, England under the name Recording Studio Design (RSD), the company was originally created as an answer to the demand for high power amplifiers for PA systems which were at that time being powered by expensive American brands. Before they knew it, and from a little help from the endorsement of their amplifiers by Pink Floyd, RSD grew into building mixing consoles, culminating in a focus on the studio market under the name Studiomaster. Eventually their name and brand grew considerably, producing notable mentions over the years like the Series 2, Mixdown, P7 and T24 studio consoles.
Nowadays the company is based in Bedfordshire, England and after building a new manufacturing facility in the Far East, their product line is bigger than ever, including products like line arrays, digital DSP units and studio monitors. Showcasing their mixer range is currently the MCX class of medium format mixing consoles, aimed at both the live and studio markets.
Construction
The MCX range is available in five sizes: 12,14, 24, 32 and 48 channels. They all are ruggedly built; employing a stiff steel chassis all contained within a high quality wheeled branded flight case, which comes standard with the MCX24 and above. What caught my eye about this console is that the channels are installed in 8 channel modules, along with a modular master section. This makes servicing a lot easier and for some reason gives the impression that they are of a higher quality than other brands in a similar class, such as Mackie or Soundcraft.
Overall the build quality seems solid and robust. The knobs feel rooted to their bases – some knobs on certain consoles can seem flimsy – and the 100mm faders ride smoothly and feel well seated. I would certainly say that these consoles were built to take abuse in a live environment but still retain a feature set worthy of the studio.
Channels
Although features like channel count will certainly vary depending on which MCX console you get, the overall features are the same, particularly within the master section.
Inputs
Focusing on the MCX24, you get 24 mic inputs and four stereo inputs. On each mic channel you will find a four band sweepable EQ, mute and listen (solo) facilities, a high pass filter (18dB/oct @ 80Hz), phantom power, and a pad. It is not specified how many dB the pad cuts and I found it curious that the pad was only reserved for the line inputs. The EQ on the stereo channels has a fixed frequency per band, which is pretty standard for mixers of this level.
What’s handy about the stereo channels is that they also include a mic input, which can be used simultaneously with the stereo inputs, giving a total of three inputs per channel. This is indeed flexible. The mic inputs supply the now standard 60dB of gain; the mono line inputs get 40dB, and the stereo inputs 12dB which is more than enough for most needs. Inserts are found on every mono channel as well for easy connection of outboard gear.
Other inputs include a 2 track input (called a playback input) and a handy talkback input which can be routed to either L-R, group 1-2, or any of the auxes with the push of a button.
Studio Master MCX24 Console
“The MCX range of mixers have created a new level in price performance for the discerning sound engineer, installer, and band.”
Groups, Auxiliaries and Oscillator
The MCX24 supplies four sub-groups that can each be panned individually within the L-R bus when assigned as such for mono or stereo operation. Alternatively they can be used in what is called “Stage Mode” which “swaps the group and mix faders with the auxiliary send controls effectively producing a monitor mixer”. This is a very handy feature that I’m sure rental companies will find alluring.
Every input channel on the mixer can be routed to either the L-R bus or the sub-groups by way of standard routing buttons situated next to the channel faders. Each sub-group also has its own four-tier LED meter, which indicates signal below 0dBu, at 0dBu and +4dBu, and lastly indicating an overload.
Regarding auxiliaries, you get six and all are switchable to be either pre or post fader, which is a welcome feature that is only seen in higher end consoles. Something that made me happy when I first looked at this console is the included oscillator that can be set to put out either pink noise or a 1kHz sine wave.
Both are essential for system calibration and room EQ adjustment and when engaged can be assigned to any of the busses or auxiliaries via the talkback buttons. This is definitely something you do not find on other consoles in the medium format class.
Outputs
The MCX24 has a variety of outputs which suit both the studio and a live situation. Starting with the mono channels, you will find a direct out for each. This is obviously handy if you’re multi-tracking or if you’re making a live recording. As mentioned before, this console was designed to be at home in both live and studio situations and being as such, there is also a monitor out included for easy connection to your studio monitors. There are outputs for all busses including L-R, and sub-groups 1-4. Each bus gets its own insert too, which is great when you want to, for instance, strap a stereo compressor over the stereo drum bus.
When not in Stage Mode there are separate TRS outputs for auxiliaries 1-6. All TRS outputs are balanced. Lastly, there is a stereo recording output using the RCA-type connector and a mono sum output which can be switched to either be fed from the L-R bus or the listen bus.
Master Section
The master section houses all of the master controls and faders for all auxiliaries, sub-groups and busses on the MCX24. Also included are two XLR sockets for two 12V lamps, a headphone output, monitor level control, oscillator level control, and a 12-bar LED meter showing level from -30dBu to overload.
One notable feature that you do not find on many consoles in this class is a mute and listen facility for each sub-group and for the L-R bus. This effectively changes your sub-groups into mute masters.
In Use
I found the MCX24 straightforward and intuitive with all of the features one would need for most if not all mixing and recording situations. The mic preamps sounded clean and uncoloured, although lacking character. This is probably a good thing since a console designed to fit into so many applications would probably benefit from a preamp that is clear and representative.
The EQ sounded particularly good and I felt that it covered the spectrum well with minimal harshness when pushed hard. The oscillator was particularly useful when calibrating and checking the room for inconsistencies and I commend Studiomaster for including it.
Overall the operation was pretty standard for a mixer in this class so anyone that is comfortable on medium format consoles will find it familiar. It was most definitely the little things that made the mixer stand out and I think that it will give other mixers in its class, like the Soundcraft GB series, a run for their money.
Conclusion
The Studiomaster MCX24 is an impressive mixer for this price point. I have absolutely no complaints about it and will even say that it rivals some of the better known and established console manufacturers. Two thumbs up!
REVIEW: Greg Bester
Supplier: Tuerk Music Technologies | (011) 792 8402
Suggested Retail: MCX24 – R 29,995-00 | MCX32 – R 37,995.00 | MCX48 – R 68,995.00
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