Soundcraft DIGITAL 328 BROCHURE

Up to 42 Inputs at Mixdown
8 Bus
16 Mic/Line & 5 Stereo Inputs
16 Digital Tape Returns on ADAT Optical

and TDIF formats
All Inputs have access to 3-Band

Parametric EQ, 4 Auxes, 2 Lexicon
Effects Sends and 2 Dynamic Processors

24 Bit or better throughout
Moving 100mm Faders
Snapshot and Dynamic Automation

capability
Undo/Redo, Copy & Paste functions
Solo-in-Place, AFL & PFL Solos
Machine Control
2 Consoles cascadable

42 input, 8-Bus Digital Console
with Lexicon effects

42 Input/8 Bus
Configuration

For a mixer with such a small
footprint, Digital 328 packs an
extraordinary number of inputs. 16
full spec. analogue mono mic/line
channels – each with its own
balanced XLR connector, dedicated
insert point and access to phantom
power – come as standard, along with
5 stereo inputs.

With the 16 digital tape returns on
328’s TDIF and ADAT optical

interfaces, there’s a maximum of 42
inputs. Every input is fully routable to

any of the 8 groups and has access to
the full complement of 328’s
parametric EQ, signal processing,
onboard effects and auxiliaries.

As easy to use
as your current
analogue
console

Although most digital mixers offer an
amazing array of functions, it can
often be a nightmare to access them.

In contrast we’ve designed Spirit 328
to operate like your old analogue
8-bus console and not like a computer
with faders, so that you can take it
out of its box and get started without
even opening the manual. Unlike
other digital mixers, there’s instant
access to any channel, group or
master feature with one button press,

and you can see that

feature’s status from

the front panel

without having to

rely on an LCD

display.

Access is so immediate you could
even use 328 as a live console.

The key to it all is Spirit 328’s
unique

“E-strip”, the lighter-

coloured bank of encoders
and switches that runs
across the centre of the
console. Simply select a
channel and the E-strip
immediately becomes a

“horizontal input channel”

with instant access to all that
channel’s EQ, aux sends, channel pan
and routing. Alternatively, press any
button in the rotaries section above
the E-strip and the encoders change
to become a channel pan, auxiliary
send, or Lexicon effects send for each
channel.

Select a fader bank to display mic/line
input faders, tape returns faders, or
group and master faders and that’s it;
no delving through level after level of
LCD menus to find the function you
want, no delays in making alterations
and no need to study complicated EQ
curves. With 328, everything you need
is immediately accessible from the
front panel of the console - giving you
the freedom to let your ears decide.

If you want the functionality of a
digital console but the usability of
your old analogue 8 bus, then Spirit
328 is for you.

All the Digit

al
I/Os you need as
standard

Most digital mixers don’t include
digital multitrack I/Os, which means
that to get digital recording and
mixdown you have to buy extra,
expensive I/O options. In contrast,
Digital 328 includes two Tascam

TDIF and two ADAT optical
interfaces as standard, allowing

you to record 16 tracks entirely in the
digital domain, straight out of the box.
As you would expect, we’ve also
included a pair of AES/EBU and
SP/DIF interfaces assignable to a
wide range of inputs and outputs,
including group and auxiliary outs. In
addition, a 3rd optical output may be
used as a digital FX Send or as 8
Digital Group Outs. All in all, there
are 28 Digital Outs on 328 plus
20 Digital Returns, providing
enough flexibility for the
most demanding
applications.

2 Onboard
L

exicon Effects

Units

Only 328 can offer the world’s
premier name in studio effects on
board - Lexicon. Two separate effects
units are included, offering a full
range of reverbs, choruses, delays,
and flanges, all with fully editable
program and parameter settings.

Onboard
Dynamics

Digital 328 includes two mono or
stereo signal processors which can

be assigned to any input, output or
groups of ins or outs. Each processor
provides a choice of compression,
limiting and gating, as well as
combinations of these effects.

.

...or a row of 16 Auxes or FX Sends for the 16 faders below the E-Strip...

...a horizontal input channel with full EQ, Aux and Pan facilities..

...or a set of rotary level controls for the Tape Returns.

328’s E-Strip may be configured as...

Spirit 328 represents a revolution in low

cost professional audio

, bringing all the
functionality and sonic excellence of digital mixing
to a brand new audience. With its unique

console-

based interface

, 328 finally bridges the gap

between analogue and digital mixers, retaining the

spontaneity and ease of use of an

analogue console yet providing all the advantages
of digital, such as instant TOTAL recall of all digital
parameters, moving fader automation and onboard
Lexicon effects.

Quite simply,

Digital 328 handles like the most

advanced analogue 8 bus you’ve ever seen with the
added power of digital.

Comprehensive EQ

All of 328’s mic/line, tape return and
stereo inputs have access to 3 bands
of fully parametric EQ, designed by
British EQ guru and co-founder of
Soundcraft, Graham Blyth. A man
with over 5 million channels of his EQ
designs in the field, Graham has
brought 25 years of Soundcraft
analogue EQ circuit experience to
bear on Digital 328. If you want the
warm, musical sound of real British
analogue EQ, with proper low, mid
and high frequency bands (rather
than the low resolution 20Hz - 20kHz

bands found on some

Unp

aralleled

consoles), look no

further.

Sonic Spec

Rubbish in, Rubbish out! It doesn’t
matter whether the console is digital
or analogue – if you have poor mic
preamps, your sound will be
compromised. That’s why 328
includes Spirit’s acclaimed
UltraMic+™ padless preamps, giving
your input signals the cleanest,
quietest start of any digital mixer on
the market. With 66dB of gain

range and a massive +28dBU of
headroom, they offer an extremely

low noise floor and are virtually
transparent. Spirit 328 is 24-bit
throughout, with 56-bit internal
processing; your signal hits the digital
domain through state-of-the-art 24-bit
ADCs with 128 times oversampling,
guaranteeing that it maintains its
clarity, whilst 24-bit DACs on all main
outputs equal this sonic integrity
should you wish to return your signal
to the analogue world.

Moving F

utomation

A

All of Digital 328’s 100mm faders
[including the master] are motorised
to allow current channel, tape return,
group and aux master levels to be
viewed at a glance.

ader

All parameters
instantly
recallable

In addition to level automation, every
other digital parameter of 328 is
instantly recallable, allowing
snapshots of the entire console’s
status to be taken. Up to 100 of these

“scenes” may be stored internally

against
MIDI clock or
against MTC or SMPTE.
Alternatively, every console function
has been assigned its own MIDI
message allowing dynamic
automation via sequencer software.

and recalled either

manually,

Easy to edit ­direct from the
control surface

The majority of 328’s input and
routing parameters may be edited
from the control surface without
resorting to the console’s LCD.
Settings and levels may be copied
and pasted from one channel to
another with just two button presses
and, using 328s query mode, the
routing or assignment status of every
channel on the console may be viewed
instantly simply by selecting the
function (such as Group 1 or Phase
Reverse) you want to question. In
addition, with 328’s Undo/Redo
function located in the master
section, editing is entirely non-
destructive, allowing you to A/B test
new settings with previous ones.

Grows with your
needs

Two Digital 328s may be digitally
cascaded, giving you up to 84 inputs

at mixdown and 32-track digital
recording capability.

Full Metering &
Monitoring
Options

All of the Mic/line inputs, Tape return
inputs, Group and Master levels may
be monitored per bank via Digital
328’s 16 10-segment bargraph
meters. Additionally, 328’s onboard
dynamics processors may be
monitored using the console’s master
meters. Any input may be solo'd using
AFL, PFL or Solo-in-Place.

Timecode &
Machine Control

Digital 328 reads and writes MTC
and reads all SMPTE frame rates,
with a large display instantly
indicating current song position. Store
and locate points are accessible from
the console’s front panel, with 328’s
transport bar controlling a wide range
of devices including Tascam and
Alesis digital recorders.

Software

Upgradeable

328’s open architecture means

that any functional improvements

and software upgrades can be

made easily available off Spirit’s

website. 328 Mixer Maps for
popular sequencing software

packages are also available free

of charge.

Add-On

Module

Options

To meet the needs of a variety of
users, there are 3 module options:

8 Channel Analogue
I/O Interface

Connecting to the TDIF ports, 16
phono connectors provide 8 analogue
group or direct outs and 8 analogue
inputs for tape returns 17-32. Two
interfaces may be connected, allowing
16 track analogue recording or access
to 16 more sequenced keyboard or
sampler inputs.

AES/EBU interface

4 pairs of AES/EBU connectors allow
optional digital interfacing to hard
disk production systems such as Pro
Tools. A maximum of two interfaces
may be connected.

Mic Pre-Amp Interface

Each interface provides 8 XLR mic ins
with UltraMic+preamps. Connecting
two interfaces turns 328 into a 32 mic
input, 8 bus mixer for PA or theatre
applications.