[big jilm]

An update for those who may be following:

Messing with the rig today at low coffee shop levels at home, I find the Soundcraft isn't bad. I started singing through my AKG 214 condenser, and the vocals sound about a thousand times better than they did with my old yell-for-rock-voice SM58, which always sounds murky with my baritone voice. I switched to a J-45 Aura patch on my Fishman pedal, and it sounds a lot better with my J-29 than the previous patch did. I was using a Martin spruce/rosewood HD-28 patch that I felt sounded the most like my guitar, but it was so woofy through the mixer and speaker that it was an issue. I am still thinking that I will get on the change-my-pickup train (as futile as that may end up) pretty soon.

Overall, the mixer is pretty cool. I am still trying to get my head around how the reverb works, but I am dialing it in pretty nicely right now. I don't think I am in love with the reverb, but I no longer hate it at all. I am most concerned with the reverb for vocals. I love the size of it and that it fits on my Pedaltrain. The mic preamp seems decent, though I am no expert. I am liking how my vocals sound right now with my AKG through the Soundcraft into the QSC K12. Sure blows my old Fishman Loudbox Performer out of the water. I like the fact that it has a mid control, unlike the Allen & Heath Zed 6fx which is the other one I was considering. Plus, the Soundcraft is smaller and lighter (and likely more cheaply built). I am thinking I will keep the mixer as of now, but I am still messing with it. I can say that while I was playing and singing, I was inspired by the sound... I can tell that I was feeling it, because every time I really dig a tone I start playing some cover and end up morphing it into a songwriting session, so there's that.