What should I do with this Studiomaster mixer?

[glebert]

A "friend" of mine gave me a Studiomaster Pro2 203 16 channel stereo mixing board that didn't work. He didn't have the factory power supply for it. I cobbled together a supply that I could use to work on it, but it is +/- 12V instead of 15, has no 48V for phantom, and also has a mechanically noisy transformer. Anyway, got the board working (just needed a few op amps) but now don't know what to do with it. Even with a power supply it isn't worth very much. It would probably cost me at least $50 to get a power supply close to being right and changing connector to something that will work. I could build one from scratch or modify/fix the one I have, but that will cost almost as much and take more time. I've put it up for sale on Craigslist and FB for $40 but really no interest. What would you do with it? I would consider using it myself but I have grown too used to having a board with built in effects.

[Mick Bailey]

Up until a few weeks ago I had a pile of guitar, bass and home audio equipment that I'd advertised on and off for years with zero interest, a lot of it for free collection. Even the time wasters didn't want to waste their time. Some of it in 100% working condition, some items really good but just needed 'something' to get perfect. The postage cost was more than the value of most stuff. I got so sick of moving everything around to create space that I dumped it all at the recycling centre. Depressing. I'd had a lot of this gear for many years thinking that someone would want it, but I was mistaken.

[glebert]

Up until a few weeks ago I had a pile of guitar, bass and home audio equipment that I'd advertised on and off for years with zero interest, a lot of it for free collection. Even the time wasters didn't want to waste their time. Some of it in 100% working condition, some items really good but just needed 'something' to get perfect. The postage cost was more than the value of most stuff. I got so sick of moving everything around to create space that I dumped it all at the recycling centre. Depressing. I'd had a lot of this gear for many years thinking that someone would want it, but I was mistaken.

I haven't had to dump working stuff, but am getting close.

[Jazz P Bass]

Ypu could unload it at a pawn shop.
Or give it to Goodwill.

[Mick Bailey]

For over a year now they've not been taking anything in and many places don't want electrical goods because of liability issues when they sell them.
We also have a pile of general household stuff that's too good to throw away, but have not been able to find anywhere that wants it. Books in particular are difficult to dispose of, though there's a facility nearby that re-distributes good readable material. I took two car loads there a few weeks ago and the third time we were asked to dump them in the waste intended for incineration - they were swamped and couldn't take any more.

All this is a symptom of a society of abundance. Quite a few years ago I sent some boxes of pens to a school in The Gambia. They were earmarked for disposal and printed up for a UK public sector initiative that ran out of funding (because they spent all the money on mugs, mouse mats, pens and posters). The person who took them there said the teacher broke down in tears because they'd never had pens before and he was overwhelmed by the generosity of strangers.

[J M Fahey]

A "friend" of mine gave me a Studiomaster Pro2 203 16 channel stereo mixing board that didn't work. He didn't have the factory power supply for it. I cobbled together a supply that I could use to work on it, but it is +/- 12V instead of 15, has no 48V for phantom, and also has a mechanically noisy transformer. Anyway, got the board working (just needed a few op amps) but now don't know what to do with it. Even with a power supply it isn't worth very much. It would probably cost me at least $50 to get a power supply close to being right and changing connector to something that will work. I could build one from scratch or modify/fix the one I have, but that will cost almost as much and take more time. I've put it up for sale on Craigslist and FB for $40 but really no interest. What would you do with it? I would consider using it myself but I have grown too used to having a board with built in effects.

I would remove boards and connectors, send iron parts to recycler by the pound, burn wood at the stove if you donīt minf burnt paint fumes and throw boards, ribbon cables and connectorsin a cardboard box for now.

Feel free to cannibalize pots,switches connectors and maybe some ICs as needed (bet youīll have tons of DIP8 ones there).
resistors, capacitors, diodes, are not worth it, when a board gets stripped of useful parts, in the dumpster it goes.

If that takes up much space, you may use the burn and slap technique, reduce stock to a shoebox of pots, connectors and switches (may group pots same value in individual baggies) and Op Amps which are "universal", anything else gets junked.
Keep mounting screws together with connectors.

Back in the time, when we switched from Tube BW to SS Color TV, I kept dumpster diving for old TV chassis, pulling tube sockets but mainly killer Mallory caps, we had a local plant here.

[glebert]

Got a local guy said he wants to buy it. We'll see if it works out or if he flakes.

[The Dude]

..........Feel free to cannibalize pots,switches connectors and maybe some ICs as needed (bet youīll have tons of DIP8 ones there).
resistors, capacitors, diodes, are not worth it, when a board gets stripped of useful parts, in the dumpster it goes.......

That's not a bad idea if the sale doesn't go through. I've found that parting out some older technology nets more cash than selling the unit whole.

[Leo_Gnardo]

Some gear is really a hard sell, unless you accept pennies on the dollar (or pound, euro, whatever). The co-owner of a local studio told me a couple years ago he made a remarkable score. An early 2000's big elaborate Midas console, normally intended for live FOH mixing, but still totally useful in a multitrack studio. Original cost was somewhere around $100,000. Owner went digital, didn't want to pay storage on his "antique" and sold it to my friend for $1000. When he went to pick it up, the owner asked "would you like another?" Well.... sure! And threw in a second identical console for no extra money. There you go, excellent non-digital technology for a halfpenny on the dollar.

Earlier in the millennium, big studios were going out of business left and right, 24 track tape recorders went for about 5 grand more or less. Another local studio nabbed a terrific plate reverb that had once been part of Bearsville Studios where scads of hit records were made. IIRC about a thou for that gem too.

[The Dude]

That's a good score for a studio. Midas preamps are the shizz!

[Mick Bailey]

.....burn wood at the stove if you donīt mind burnt paint fumes......

I worked with a guy who had a problem with his neighbour who had a large wood burning stove in which he burnt redundant computer keyboards.

[Jdaniels11]

A "friend" of mine gave me a Studiomaster Pro2 203 16 channel stereo mixing board that didn't work. He didn't have the factory power supply for it. I cobbled together a supply that I could use to work on it, but it is +/- 12V instead of 15, has no 48V for phantom, and also has a mechanically noisy transformer. Anyway, got the board working (just needed a few op amps) but now don't know what to do with it. Even with a power supply it isn't worth very much. It would probably cost me at least $50 to get a power supply close to being right and changing connector to something that will work. I could build one from scratch or modify/fix the one I have, but that will cost almost as much and take more time. I've put it up for sale on Craigslist and FB for $40 but really no interest. What would you do with it? I would consider using it myself but I have grown too used to having a board with built in effects.

You could contact me, and I would gladly either explain its use or sell me yours as a backup to mine.

Joseph 715-379-7475

[glebert]

Yeah, that guy got recycled a year or so ago. Thanks for the offer though.