Looks like Midas stopped making the Siena according to their website. What are the differences between the Verona and Siena other than auxiliary count? There are currently good deals to be had on both......
Siena versus Verona
- Thread starter Brandon Blakeney
- Start date
Re: Siena versus Verona
I've got a verona and I do remember looking at the Sienna when it first came out.
Basically it's monitors vs FOH/FOH with monitors.
So as you said, more auxillaries but also, NO groups.
I think that's about it. And as for the good deals, that's surely because of the Pro2 ? I will drop my verona just as soon as I can get hold a pro 2.
Andrew
I've got a verona and I do remember looking at the Sienna when it first came out.
Basically it's monitors vs FOH/FOH with monitors.
So as you said, more auxillaries but also, NO groups.
I think that's about it. And as for the good deals, that's surely because of the Pro2 ? I will drop my verona just as soon as I can get hold a pro 2.
Andrew
Re: Siena versus Verona
Yea people are basically putting large frame analogue desks out by the curb! That's fine me and my friends will pick em' up for ya! The Siena has no groups? No fader flip? Humm.
Yea people are basically putting large frame analogue desks out by the curb! That's fine me and my friends will pick em' up for ya! The Siena has no groups? No fader flip? Humm.
Re: Siena versus Verona
Makes sense! I'm glad to see the price drops in analog consoles. There are currently very few used digital consoles on the market and most new ones are a little out of our price range. The Verona seems like a pretty rider friendly desk for a regional provider.
Makes sense! I'm glad to see the price drops in analog consoles. There are currently very few used digital consoles on the market and most new ones are a little out of our price range. The Verona seems like a pretty rider friendly desk for a regional provider.
Re: Siena versus Verona
I've been pleased with the sound quality of the verona. I went from a mackie 32*8 and was amazed at the jump in quality.
I work with a profile at a local college and have used many other quality digital consoles and whilst I think they are better in sound quality (with all the other features to boot), I don't think they are an order of magnitude like the jump from a mackie.
Dave Rat will use a verona for RHCP on occasions.
No vca's is my only major gripe with verona/sienna but I knew that when I bought it. Minor gripes are the position of the headphone socket (every time I lay tape on the console i'm reminded of this), and the monitor PFL outputs are not attenuated and can't be.. but the solo is. Yet PFL can be attenuated in headphones.
I've been pleased with the sound quality of the verona. I went from a mackie 32*8 and was amazed at the jump in quality.
I work with a profile at a local college and have used many other quality digital consoles and whilst I think they are better in sound quality (with all the other features to boot), I don't think they are an order of magnitude like the jump from a mackie.
Dave Rat will use a verona for RHCP on occasions.
No vca's is my only major gripe with verona/sienna but I knew that when I bought it. Minor gripes are the position of the headphone socket (every time I lay tape on the console i'm reminded of this), and the monitor PFL outputs are not attenuated and can't be.. but the solo is. Yet PFL can be attenuated in headphones.
Re: Siena versus Verona
If your looking at used desks there a lot in that price range to consider. Crest VX, XVCA, APB Spectra and the better A&H desks sound as as good from my memory and will be more feature rich. I like the Verona enough though I was disappointed that they limited the number of auxes just for marketing reasons and i remember some of the other frustrations mentoned here. It wouldn't be my first choice in the price range but they are good desks and sound good. They're also purple and have Midas painted on the For clients. I've never driven a Sienna so Im surprised there's no fader flip.
If your looking at used desks there a lot in that price range to consider. Crest VX, XVCA, APB Spectra and the better A&H desks sound as as good from my memory and will be more feature rich. I like the Verona enough though I was disappointed that they limited the number of auxes just for marketing reasons and i remember some of the other frustrations mentoned here. It wouldn't be my first choice in the price range but they are good desks and sound good. They're also purple and have Midas painted on the For clients. I've never driven a Sienna so Im surprised there's no fader flip.
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Re: Siena versus Verona
I think the Soundcraft MH3 is a good alternative to the Verona. I saw a 48 channel MH3 with tour package go for $6000 on ebay a few months ago...
I think the Soundcraft MH3 is a good alternative to the Verona. I saw a 48 channel MH3 with tour package go for $6000 on ebay a few months ago...
Re: Siena versus Verona
I am not a fan of the sound of the Soundcraft MH series. I went between a couple MH4s and Sienas for IEMs while on tour this last summer was always happier with the Midas.
I am not a fan of the sound of the Soundcraft MH series. I went between a couple MH4s and Sienas for IEMs while on tour this last summer was always happier with the Midas.
Re: Siena versus Verona
A month ago the local GC sold a Vienna 50+ch (church unit with some funky pan pots) for $3500.
A month ago the local GC sold a Vienna 50+ch (church unit with some funky pan pots) for $3500.
Re: Siena versus Verona
That's the first time I've heard anybody comment positively on the sound of the Verona in some time. There was a lot of dumping on the Verona some years ago because it wasn't an XL4 or H3. It is priced high for it's feature set because it's a Midas but my experience is that it is a very good sounding desk. I'd agree I prefer the sound of it to the MH series.
That's the first time I've heard anybody comment positively on the sound of the Verona in some time. There was a lot of dumping on the Verona some years ago because it wasn't an XL4 or H3. It is priced high for it's feature set because it's a Midas but my experience is that it is a very good sounding desk. I'd agree I prefer the sound of it to the MH series.
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Re: Siena versus Verona
Any idea what the repairs would have cost? Not sure I've worked on one of those, but I believe it's a buckets-of-eight design for the circuit boards.
Any idea what the repairs would have cost? Not sure I've worked on one of those, but I believe it's a buckets-of-eight design for the circuit boards.
Re: Siena versus Verona
Pretty much everything is buckets these days. The XL200 and the Crest Century VX where among the last single channel strip consoles as I recall. Heritage and X-VCA where the beginning of buckets from those companies. I'm sure something similar happened with Soundcraft. Allen and Heath and lots of others still do the single channel end up card in desks as opposed to all surface mounted single PCB designs but they're mounted under large one piece tops so you'd need to pull the knobs and nuts from the suspect channels then flip it over and take off the bottom, ribbons and grounding strips to take a channel card out. Way more involved then three screws and some ribbon cables.
Funky pan pots can mean broken traces or worn out or really dirty bus switches other places in the circuit that cause the image to lean to one side or some similar wackeyness. They're built to be worked on and still in production so it's probably not to large a bill. But any large format analogue board will develop problems due to all the connections and moving parts. I worked in a venue that had an Allen and Heath GL show up brand new with a bad channel out of the box. When it was opened up some years later to fix a few broken Mute LED solder joints all that was needed was to re-seat the ribbon on that channel and it's worked ever since. The things are fairly complicated really.
Pretty much everything is buckets these days. The XL200 and the Crest Century VX where among the last single channel strip consoles as I recall. Heritage and X-VCA where the beginning of buckets from those companies. I'm sure something similar happened with Soundcraft. Allen and Heath and lots of others still do the single channel end up card in desks as opposed to all surface mounted single PCB designs but they're mounted under large one piece tops so you'd need to pull the knobs and nuts from the suspect channels then flip it over and take off the bottom, ribbons and grounding strips to take a channel card out. Way more involved then three screws and some ribbon cables.
Funky pan pots can mean broken traces or worn out or really dirty bus switches other places in the circuit that cause the image to lean to one side or some similar wackeyness. They're built to be worked on and still in production so it's probably not to large a bill. But any large format analogue board will develop problems due to all the connections and moving parts. I worked in a venue that had an Allen and Heath GL show up brand new with a bad channel out of the box. When it was opened up some years later to fix a few broken Mute LED solder joints all that was needed was to re-seat the ribbon on that channel and it's worked ever since. The things are fairly complicated really.
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Re: Siena versus Verona
Sorry to resurrect a thread from the dead but I thought I'd pass on that there's an XL3 on eBay in Kansas right now for 5k. Serviced two years ago and comes with wiring looms, case, doghouse, easy up, and a cool patch bay that allows 1/4" dual point AND single point inset points. Sick deal. Somebody buy it! It would spank a Verona/Sienna with a belt and not even feel bad about it.
Sorry to resurrect a thread from the dead but I thought I'd pass on that there's an XL3 on eBay in Kansas right now for 5k. Serviced two years ago and comes with wiring looms, case, doghouse, easy up, and a cool patch bay that allows 1/4" dual point AND single point inset points. Sick deal. Somebody buy it! It would spank a Verona/Sienna with a belt and not even feel bad about it.
Re: Siena versus Verona
And after it spanked the Verona/Sienna, it would send you and yours to the chiropractor every time you moved it.
Seriously, if this is for an install AND you have the bench tech chops to keep it working it's a lovely sounding piece of gear.
We've replaced the one that used to live in monitor land at one of the clubs I work for because the niggling little things were getting too much to deal with. Worn out switches etc.
No one even imagines that it's digital replacement sounds anywhere near as good but on quick turnaround between multiple band shows the ability to store and recall scenes seems to have made up for the sonic loss.
And after it spanked the Verona/Sienna, it would send you and yours to the chiropractor every time you moved it.
Seriously, if this is for an install AND you have the bench tech chops to keep it working it's a lovely sounding piece of gear.
We've replaced the one that used to live in monitor land at one of the clubs I work for because the niggling little things were getting too much to deal with. Worn out switches etc.
No one even imagines that it's digital replacement sounds anywhere near as good but on quick turnaround between multiple band shows the ability to store and recall scenes seems to have made up for the sonic loss.
Re: Siena versus Verona
Well your right of course but the OP was asking about the Verona. So I indented to make him aware of the XL3. He wasn't asking about digital V analogue. And yea it's almost 800lbs of righteous desk. Nobody wants to drag that around anymore.
Well your right of course but the OP was asking about the Verona. So I indented to make him aware of the XL3. He wasn't asking about digital V analogue. And yea it's almost 800lbs of righteous desk. Nobody wants to drag that around anymore.