Which one of the following would you guys go for?
 
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/yamaha-mg206c-analogue-live-sound-mixer--40686
 
http://www.dv247.com/studio-equipment/mackie-1642-vlz3-series-compact-mixer--38503
 
I've already sold the Spirit Studio as I need to make the studio "baby friendly" and need the space
I've also dismantled both racks and intend to be brutal about what hardware is going to be present in the new, minimalist setup.
I still need a desk for routing keyboards/pod etc into the Saffire Pro, and no, I'm not interested in going digital at this stage.
 
Any thoughts people?
 
Thanks,
 
Jonesey
 

 
I'd opine that the sound of a Soundcraft GB2R 16 is a huge step up from either of those.
 

 
best regards,
mike

Thanks Mike.
 
Problem is, it's also double the price of the other 2.
 
 

Worth every penny.
 
If you can swing it of course.
 
Congrats on the baby arrival. :-)
 
best regards,
mike

Aye, there's the rub.  Money.  And baby. As per Mike, congradulations.  My kids stripped not one, but both screws off my Tascam 38 pinch rollers.  So baby friendly works both ways, and doesn't end until far too late.
 
I've used both makes of boards and both are good.  I'd be inclinded to go w/ the Mackie.  The effects on the Yamaha might be OK for live work, but I always hate paying for such on a studio board where I have better options.  I would think the mackie preamps would be a touch better if you plan on using them, tho the yamas suffice for live work.
 
And I definately check them out in person.  The ergonomics will be important if you plan to live w/ the board for a while (hopefully not for 18 years when the kids should move out!) and the "feel" is probably more of an issue between the two than quality.
 
best of luck,
 
@
 
 
Edit - addition.   the mackies can get kinda crowded if you have big fingers, so double check that

Definitely, congrats on the baby. When my kid was coming I lightened the load some too. All the best.

Thanks everyone for your input.
 
This isn't our baby, it's our grand daughter who is starting to stay with us more & more frequently.
 
The desk will never be used for live work, so Fx aren't an issue at all - as you say, I have far better options in Sonar.
 
 

I like the soundcraft and A&H boards. The soundcraft M-series looks very nice for what you want. But may be a couple of hundred over your budget. I get a lot of mileage out of a soundcraft notepad 124. Picked one up for under $100 a couple of years ago from MF and it is a quiet and solid smaller unit with GB30 pres.

I just bought a Yamaha mg8cx which must use a lot of the same components. Your choice is just bigger. I wrote a review if you care to see what I found. I like Yamaha stuff over all as it sounds good and seems to last the longest of all the gear I ever bought. I would also check out A& H stuff. The word is that Mackie is no longer the company it was and their stuff is declining in quality as a result, so approach with caution. 
 
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/reviews/843873-yamaha-mg82cx.html

Jonesey
I have a Yamaha MG16 which we use live and I also have a Mackie Onyx in the studio - The Mackie is by some distance the better product, but it should be as it was far more expensive.
I saw the comments re Mackie not being the company it used to be, but all I can say is that I have been exceptionally impressed both performance and reliability wise with the Mackie (we have reliability issues because of the temperature / humidity here). I've had this around 30 months now.
Hope this helps
Nigel