I am very pleased with my Christmas present... a Soundcraft Si Expression 3. It is my first digital board and I am quite impressed (gates, compressor, and parametric EQ on each channel!). Of course, I am still learning about the features and limitations of this board. In case you are considering this transition, I wanted to share my issues. My dilemma is that I had seven stereo monitor mixes (4 wireless and 3 wired) when I was using a Mamba Mix 16/8L IEM Mixer, but with the Si Expression 3, I now have only have 6 stereo sub mixes (and 8 mono mixes). However, I also wanted to have a stereo drum sub mix since my PA is stereo capable (I know that many folks only use a mono PA, but sometimes stereo inputs can be effective in live settings). As a consequence, I decided to use 5 of the stereo submixes for IEMs and 1 submix for the drums. I also did not create a submix for keyboards, but instead allocated them in stereo to the main mix. Thus, I have a mono submix for vocals and guitar. Regarding the monitor mixes: I allocated 2 of the wired submixes to mono.... Oh well.... I wish that Soundcraft would have made all 14 submixes stereo! What is your experience with mono vs. stereo monitor mixes? The problem I face is that the bass player and rhythm guitar player used to have a stereo IEM monitor mix but now have a mono mix (and they noticed the lack of separation).
BTW: If anyone has a 16 channel board and wants to add 8 stereo monitor mixes in a 1 RU unit (controlled by one or more iPads) check out my ad here: Mamba Mix MMX16/8 IEM Line Level Mix System with Cables.
Michael
BTW: If anyone has a 16 channel board and wants to add 8 stereo monitor mixes in a 1 RU unit (controlled by one or more iPads) check out my ad here: Mamba Mix MMX16/8 IEM Line Level Mix System with Cables.
Michael