Venice mixers, though designed primarily for live-sound applications, can frequently be seen in studios, where their high-quality signal paths and mic preamps, and flexible routing
Venice mixers, though designed primarily for live-sound applications, can frequently be seen in studios, where their high-quality signal paths and mic preamps, and flexible routing options, have found favour with many a recording engineer. Now their makers, Midas, have announced a significant update to the range, which renders them even more studio-friendly.
The Venice F series, like its predecessor, comprises three mixers of different sizes and channel configurations. The Venice F16 has eight mono mic/line channels and four stereo mic/line channels, while the F24 ups the mono channel count to 16, and the F32 features 24 mic/line channels. As before, all mixers in the range have six aux buses and four subgroups, though the updated versions also have a mono bus (in addition to the main stereo bus), and a 7x2 matrix — a separate mixer section with two outputs, where the inputs are derived from the four subgroups, the stereo outs and the mono bus.
Routing is now even more flexible than before: channels can be output to buses individually (though a button on the strip allows you to pan between buses in the usual way), all auxiliary sends can be switched between pre- and post-fader operation individually, and auxes 1 and 2 can be switched to send either before or after the EQ.
Other areas of improvement include the use of 100mm faders (on all channels and buses), a polarity-invert switch and -20dB pad on each channel, and a revised EQ section: based on that of Midas’s XL3 desk, the EQs on Venice F mono channels now feature variable bandwidth controls for the two mid bands, and variable turnover frequencies for the high and low shelves.
The mic preamps on the new models have also been updated, and these were apparently designed by Midas’s Director of Console Development, Alex Cooper, who has been with the company since 1985 and worked on such highly regarded products as the Midas Heritage and Klark Teknik DN540 compressor. As you’d expect from Midas, construction also appears to be free from compromise: the frames are made from steel, and all pots are metal-shafted and individually nutted to the top panel.
Already, then, the Venice F consoles cram in many of the features you’d be hard pressed to find on desks twice their size, but if you’ve been wondering what the ‘F’ stood for, then wonder no more: all mixers in the range incorporate a 32-in, 32-out Firewire audio interface. Sends and returns between the mixer and a computer are highly configurable: channel direct outs can be sent to your DAW for multitrack recording, aux sends and effects returns can be routed to and from software plug-in processors, digital audio can be routed to the desk for analogue summing and EQ’ing, or you can use your DAW’s effects as inserts on the desk.
Unfortunately, the Venice F range was too new for pricing to be announced at the time of writing, but we expect to find out shortly. For more information, check out the Midas web site, below.
