Do I want the VSL1818?

Okay, folks, if you all could humor me for a bit, and help sell me on the idea of the VSL1818, it would be greatly appreciated. It seems like a good way to go, but I still feel like I would be downgrading. Right now I already have the 2626, the digiFS and a Firestation (don't laugh). Certainly very capable (as long as I keep a separate install of OS 10.6 around <biting tongue>

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I'm really interested in the possibilities of live mixing with the VSL. I'm also considering the possibility of running my current hardware with either a DAW, Mainstage, or Software Audio Console (SAC), the latter of which would going to the dark side relative to operating systems. I would also have an extra eight in/out with that setup.

Regarding the mixing capabilities of the VSL software, how many aux mixes to you get? Rick said in a video that you can do 4 stereo mixes, but since it's only a 26x8 mixer, does that mean you lose the main out?

Can I route the inputs of the 1818 to the outputs of the DigiFS, and still have my auxes and mains come out of the 1818? I would like to still have the option to split all of the inputs to FOH (without the use of a splitter snake) and use the 1818 out for the monitors. Since the DigiFS also has direct outs, it seems like this should work, but I'm not sure.

Also, in the back of my head, I'm thinking that when Winter or Summer NAMM rolls around there could be more surprises, and not in a good way if I've already bought something. Is that just me?

Any other plus' and minus' you could chime in with would be great. Thanks a lot for your input.

Matthew

If what you've got works for you then I see no reason to change. I know you're biting your tongue but I know there will be a 10.7 compatible driver for the FS 2626. And God please no one later on start asking when...I can't read through that nightmare again.

You can have everything you need in one place. If you stick with the mac SAC is out. Mainstage is a good option from what I've read but I can't speak for it's capabilities.

I don't know that I could go fully 'in the box' with that much I/O to control in a live environment. I like the VSL for really small things bcause I can control it all with a mouse. More I/O makes it substantially more difficult. You'd definitely need a multi-touch screen...a fairly large one. Most I've ever really been able to control well with SAC is about 8 inputs from a mouse and that wasn't easy.

I would say, get a Fireface UFX.

THanks for the input, guys.
@MR4Y Yeah, that would be nice, but probably not going to happen anytime soon

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@ Monolithent You make some great points, and are probably right. Plus, I can always upgrade later if I decide to. Only really bad part is the 2626 isn't exactly appreciating right now.

I have played with main stage and like it a lot. It seems a little bit resource intensive, but it is certainly the most elegant solution, although stereo monitors take some finagling. It's generally very flexible, though, and the plugins are fantastic.

I would be interested in your impressions on SAC. The minimum requirements seem reasonable, but I wonder how many channels you can get with that.

SAC is pretty impressive but very much not for the faint of heart. It isn't an easy animal to manage or setup. And the documentation is substantially convoluted. Not a fun read.

The upside with it is that it will do just about anything you'll ever need a mixer to do.

Thanks for the insight. I kind of got that impression. Mainstage isn't as user-friendly as some of Apple's apps, but it's not too bad. For something as simple as I would probably need, it might be the way to go.

Are there many preset layouts available for SAC, or are you pretty much on your own to come up with what you need? I realize the whole point would be to have something tailored for your situation, but it would be nice to have something to go off of. What about channel presets? Is that something that's supported?

You have to create your own settings. It will allow you store as many different setups as your computer has space to handle.

So if you've got a philharmonic orchestra one day and a death metal cover band the next you're covered.

Like I said...it does everything but it isn't easy to always figure out how.