Soundcraft Introduces Live 8 Professional Mixing Console

Jan 30, 2006

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Adding to the established family of Soundcraft professional live consoles is the new Live 8, aimed at FOH mixing for venues and touring bands. The desk's high input and output count also means that the Live 8 is suitable for multitrack recording work.

A development of the ever-popular Spirit 8 desk, the Live 8 is a very affordable and well-featured console that is built around a solid steel chassis with individual channel PCBs and a classic operation topology for ease of use. Various frame sizes hold from 16 to 40 mono inputs, which, when combined with two stereo input channels and eight stereo returns, mean a staggering input capacity of 60 inputs in a very compact frame. An integral meterbridge with LED bargraph meters indicates all input and main output levels.

The desk uses the high-performance UltraMic+ mic preamp, designed by Graham Blyth and capable of handling a wide range of input signals without padding, individually switched +48V phantom power, and a comprehensive four-band equalizer with swept mid-band sections on each mono input. Six auxiliary buses, four mute groups, and a long-throw 100mm fader complete the input channel, which can be routed to eight subgroups and the main stereo mix.

Two full-function stereo inputs provide gain settings for pro and semi-pro equipment, a two-band equalizer, and six aux sends, as well as the four mute groups and routing to the eight subgroup and mix busses.

The output section is complemented by an integral 10x2 matrix section, and the desk is supplied with a new design of lightweight switched-mode power supply.

The Live 8 is bound to find favor with installers and bands alike, offering a rich feature set at a very affordable price with the added advantage of carrying the legendary Soundcraft mark of quality.

Suggested US list pricing on the Live 8 is as follows:
16 mono + 2 stereo channels: $3,199.00
24 mono + 2 stereo channels: $4,199.00
32 mono + 2 stereo channels: $5,199.00
40 mono + 2 stereo channels: $6,199.00

For more information, visit their web site at www.soundcraft.com.