How I scored THIS studio console for $1200 - Allen and Heath GS-R24

[@joesalyers]

This console development has a cool backstory, it was built with the input from the Gearspace (known as gear-slutz back then) hence the GS in the name. Allen and Heath worked with the forum to build this desk as a modern take on a studio console in a DAW environment. The DAW control was a big part of its design. PLUS I'm sure you know there is an analog DB25 input and output module for a 24x24 input/output to go to a audio interface like an Antelope audio Orion or Lynx or a presonus quantum 4848 and they also had a ADAT module. The ADAT module would be handy if you work at 48K. But congrats on the desk. I love having a desk in my studio for tracking, I wish mine was as compact as the R24 but sadly its not I have a 48 channel Soundcraft MH-2 which is a monster mixer but I love its unique EQ. There is just something nice about having a desk on hand to quickly get a session up and running.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh awesome thanks for that extra bit of info, I had no idea the GS was because of that, what a funny nod to the community! I have the original analogue card design, the one with the custom 32 in/out connectors. I couldn't get one with the second iteration with the actual db25 ins and outs. That would have been nice. The desk actually came with the firewire card and I was lucky enough to at least find this analogue for sale separately. Your console looks like a beast. Eyeballing one now, damn i'd need a stepladder to reach the pre's i think haha!

[@joesalyers]

@@diyrecordingstudio I would hold on to the FireWire card and pick up a FireWire to Thunderbolt adapter from Apple before those end up being discontinued. If your interface died you could always just use the adapter until you could get a new interface. The adapter will work with both Mac and Windows. It would give you some redundancy and a backup just in case your interface stopped working. My bass player still uses a FireWire mixer/interface I gave him from Midas the F32 with the new Apple M2 Mac mini and all it needed was the thunderbolt to FireWire adapter because he’s a bass player who only changes strings once per decade. So when the band moved to a digital console he wanted our old live mixer to do some recording. So his wife bought him a Mac mini for his birthday and a single adapter got him up and running. He has an entire studio of stuff he didn’t buy, but he’s reliable so we keep him around 😂. I also have the Quantum 4848 and it’s a really good interface when working with a console too bad they discontinued it. Cheers!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it’s sad they discontinued the 4848 for sure. It must have been way underpriced at what they were selling it. What a bargain. I do have the FireWire adapter so I might just do that! Thanks for the tip

[@ryancrawford9894]

There might have been some input from the community, but as far as I’m aware the GS prefix is inherited from the old GS3/GS3000 series boards. The S stands for “studio”, vs the “live” boards with the GL prefix.

[@joesalyers]

@@ryancrawford9894 Go checkout the old product age at Allen & Heath its clear why the prefix is GS, it was a nod to the forum they say so.

[@JakeJacobMusic]

I've been using my Allen and Heath GS-R24M with meterbridge & firewire card for over 10 years now and I love it. I don't use as many features as I used too, but it's a fantastic desk and I've always felt lucky to have bought one new back in the day. I love the features, the layout, the sound and (IMHO) the price was VERY good for such a great desk. And after recording 100's of tracks for clients on it I hope to get around to recording a new album for myself on it this year after a 12 year break lol.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh Impressive to hear you still find it useful after all this time. It's an excellent little console for sure. Are you using it with any extra outboard gear as well? Got any hints, tips or tricks? I'm currently trying to figure out a way to get sonarworks working as I'm tracking or mixing through the console. Seems a bit tricky routing wise.

[@anthonyalexander7246]

How can I hook up a new macs to this board

[@obangamuzik]

Man that was a steal!! I’ve been looking at this console for years

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahah yeah it was pretty lucky to come across it for so cheap. It’s an awesome piece of gear. Lots of options. The motorised faders make it a no brainer too. There are some online for sale at the moment. Where are you located?

[@JesusArmasOficial]

I’d love to see if it’s possible to get one of these today. It’s amazing to see how in great condition it is! Congrats on that purchase mate!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks! They’re a great console for sure. They go for sale on fb marketplace sometimes facebook.com/share/Nn3jezXsEMCZpvZF/?mibextid=K35XfP That’s the group. Keep an eye out.

[@stephenwilko]

Glad we could bless you with it. It was a $10k desk new, it served us for over 10yrs and needed TLC. The production guys wanted to do everything in the box (which I thought was sad as a recording engineer in a previous life) BTW We're a NFP community radio station, not affiliated with any church.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah cheers Stephen. It’s an amazing console. My bad, nfp, but a Christian radio station?

[@franklee7543]

Got any more? lol

[@stephenwilko]

@@franklee7543 Sorry, no.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahahaha good try tho!

[@tamthetamtam]

I got the little brother, the ZEDR16, 3 months ago. It's smaller but it's everything I've ever needed !

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Very cool. I’ve seen that console, I believe that console was what made them make this one. Very cool piece of gear man!

[@MichaelDaniels241]

I freaking love this Board!!!!!!!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it’s very cool. How are you using it in your studio?

[@anthonyalexander7246]

Will this work with the new macs mini

[@torroidal7545]

Another fan of A&H here. :) I have a GS3000/32, a GL2200/24 and a GL2200/16. Been looking for a GS-R24 but still too expensive in Sweden...

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I love the old gl consoles. You could take those consoles and use the direct outs and inputs with an interface setup like mine and turn them into a centrepiece of a studio still, if you wanted to. The gs r24 just has a few extra studio focused options. Besides that it is a very similar console.

[@omardickson8598]

Great post and Absolute bargain. I bought mine for £4000 with a specially built desk in 2017. just had it repaired and serviced via Audio-technica for £1000 (parts and labour)

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Nice man! Yeah im loving using it in the studio for sure! Thanks for the comment!

[@ExileMixes]

Love analog too. I have a smaller scale setup with a Soundcraft board. Awesome setup you have there ❤

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks! It’s nice to have that’s for sure. What sound craft desk are you running?

[@ExileMixes]

@@diyrecordingstudio I have the Signature 22 MTK. It has a built-in multi-track 22x24 USB interface. It's an affordable way to enjoy analog summing and mixing.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Man what a cool desk. I didn’t even know about this one. Thanks for sharing.

[@RIPDavidBear]

Hey mate, I'd love to get one of these consoles myself (keeping an eye out on Marketplace and eBay fingers crossed!) - I'm just wondering how you're mainly using yours? Mostly as front end for tracking or do you send channels back through the console for a hybrid mixing approach?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh good luck. They’re a great board if you find one. Hope you do. I use it for extra preamps and eq when tracking. I also use the motorised faders a lot in mixing and automation. I’m still working on my whole hybrid mixing setup. It’s always evolving.

[@kennyzee3221]

As much as I love watching videos with consoles, I have no desire to get one as I’m all for portability these days so a modular digital mixer or 2 channel audio interface are my go to gear. I still have my original audio interface and Adat in my main studio but it’s all patched into the box haha. Still the lust of the eyes for these gorgeous things still hits me haha. Ps $1200 Australia dollars is a steal!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah I get it. A desk makes things much more cumbersome and complicated especially with the extra io and Cabling. Looks cool 😎 though hahaha.

[@demodeiowa]

i remember drooling over this little console years ago when it was worth about $5k i believe

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Haha! Yes it is very drool worthy. Even at $5k it's a bargain. You didnt end up snapping one up?

[@demodeiowa]

@@diyrecordingstudio sadly i didn't. i went with the controller hybrid route. it is a pretty neat board tho. would love to give it a test drive sometime

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I rocked the hybrid and controller setup for years too. Nothing wrong with that. Where are you located? If you’re in Australia you could drop by the studio 👍

[@demodeiowa]

@@diyrecordingstudio oh nice. haha i wish i could drop by, but i'm located in New York

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Haha, bummer. Well. if you're ever in Australia....

[@vazdaqui8513]

I have one of this broken now for 5 years.. i love this console but cant find anyone who repair it Here in brazil 😢💔 Do you have the service manuals for it?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

I have the manuals. Saved them luckily before they took them all down recently. I saw your post on the fb page. That’s a great resource there. If you need anything email me at [e-mail]

[@cryptonios]

i envy you, i have the r16, nothing has come since then to outperform this desks even with the firewire

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it was a very lucky purchase when i found it for sure. The r16 is very cool too, how do you find it?

[@cryptonios]

@@diyrecordingstudio it is great and so logical equipment, it lucks busses but there is a workaround, current products are not even close in the console/interface domain

[@nizman1000]

I actually find the eq pretty good.. It took me quite a long time to get used to sound and shape the eqs, especially because i went from a roland vs 2480 that had a very digital kind of sizzling sound.. I tried a couple of midpriced 500 series outboard pres with on on board eq that were different but not necessarily better so i returned them to my loca shop.. Since then i have only used the A&H.. I like the idea of keeping a cohesive sound.. Of course it's not a Neve, API or Harrison but it certainly gets the job done.. I've produced a fair few albums on it and sold loads of cds.. No complaints about production quality- maybe a couple about the tracks 👀😁

[@brunopradomusic]

Hi. Someone is selling one in my region for a very good price. But, I don't have money to expand my RME UFX. However, this particular one has the ADAT card. Do you know if I can send the audio to and receive audio back just using the ADATS? If yes, I could use the gsr without having to invest to expand my RME. Any input would be really valuable. Thanks mate

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yes you can totally do it that way, you can only get the channels you have available in ADAT so 2 channels of adat io would mean 16 channels of adat plus the interface in and outs (physical ones) so you might just get to all the channels. Either way you can make it work almost 100%

[@conradmaceo]

So why didn’t you use the console as an interface? Instead of getting the Quantum 4848?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Great question. You can totally do that, I have the card. 2 reasons, Firewire wont work with my Mac. The ADAT has limitations in in AD-DA conversion. Ok, 3 reasons. I have lots of other hardware and it fits into the workflow and patching better in this configuration with everything going to my patchbays!

[@ladanzza]

Is the same thing that I felt when I got my midas Legend 3000 of 32 channels for 2400 bucks in prestine conditions

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh, Very Cool! Great console you got there. $2400 is a steal.

[@l1fef0rm]

I just scored a pristine A&H GL2400 32 with an RPS11 for $450! As much as I love the console, getting it with the RPS at that price is unreal. I am really considering flipping it for something more modern, just because the RPS11 is so rare and very expensive. On the other hand, I now have a completely silent GL2400, what to do?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Dude such a steal. Get an interface and use it? I dont know, did you buy it for studio purposes? I'd find a way to use that sucker haha!

[@anthonyalexander7246]

Will new macs work with this board?

[@lukasstandl4424]

Amazing console! I am going to buy one. There is an RME USB mini interface just adat in and out for under 500$. Perfect match I guess. How do you get the flying faders to work with the DAw? How are they connected? Love your videos!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks! The motorised faders only come with the GS-R24M version, the M being motorised, so be careful and make sure you get the right one. The faders just work via a midi interface. super easy. If you use protools, there's an extra piece of software called BOME you need as well. But yeah, great console!

[@anthonyalexander7246]

Will it work with the new macs firewire

[@IzaakClifford]

The Andrew Masters line cut deeper than I expected it too. Also what a steal, almost all in one at that point.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahahaha yeah we’re all guilty of that one.

[@Lofyne]

Nice find! Do all the faders and pots work fine? No issues with it?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

It all works perfectly which is pretty lucky. A couple of pots are starting to get scratchy but nothing some cleaning won’t fix when I’m ready to service it.

[@ryancrawford9894]

You can use the FW card ADAT IO with an RME Digiface USB or MOTU LP32. I think your 4848 converters are a bit more modern, but if someone already has the FW card this can be a great way to move to a newer computer without dumping $1000+ into new conversion (or if you want to save on cabling 😉)

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah 100% right there. IMine came with the Firewire card, and I found someone selling the analogue card and bought it just in case. Youre right though the cabling and patchbays get expensive very quickly. haha!

[@ryancrawford9894]

@@diyrecordingstudio a never ending spaghetti nightmare 😅

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Oh 100%😂

[@BobK115]

I remember when these boards came out. I think they discontinued them because they had a lot of reported issues and support wasn't very good. Similar story of the Toft consoles.

[@natcoziay]

Great video! Question....I know the DAW section of this console is firewire. Is your computer and interface firewire or were you able to use thunderbolt adapters to make the console function with today's thunderbolt connections?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hey great question. I have a firewire card AND and analogue I/O card for this console. I use the analog one which has like db25 cables that go out the back and into my patchbay which then connects to the I/O in my my 48 channel I/O interface. The firewire card does not work with current gen chipsets. you need an older computer to run it that way or an RME digiface ADAT interface. The firewire card also has adat. you can use it that way instead.

[@natcoziay]

@@diyrecordingstudio Oh OK I see. I am more interested in using it as an analog board anyway. Though, being able to automatically recall a session would be great using the firewire connection. It's a good thing they made this board hybrid. I have an Allen and Heath GL2400 and it has been solid, I just wish it had a meter bridge. Thank you for your response and for the video. Because of your video, I am thinking about this console as an option. Thank you!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

It a problem. Make sure you get the GSR24m (the m is for motorised faders). Just so you know i use the analog card but it has midi i/o for the fader control. So you can use it like I do, but still have that functionality. It’s great

[@natcoziay]

@@diyrecordingstudio Thank you!

[@HalcyonGuitars]

I’d never heard of this console until this morning when one came up for sale and now I want one so bad it hurts. What could be better? Are there other consoles like it?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

It is really hard to find anything close to this console in the analog domain at this price point. Motorised faders, transport controls, it's also a fully inline console with the switchable routing. It's basically a much cheaper version of an SSL Duality. Not as good pres or EQ's but for the price, I can live with that. I can only think of much more expensive consoles. The Harrison 32 console just released is very similar. All close to $100,000 mark.

[@HalcyonGuitars]

Have you tried it as a DAW controller yet? Do you need to step back in time computer wise to connect it? Were you able to find drivers for it? Have you been able to connect the MIDI functions for controlling plugins? Do you know if it has a self diagnostic test like the StudioLive and FaderPort? I have quite a few questions, lol…

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Simple midi connection for the faders to work and simple mapping for the control section. Had it working in a couple of hours. It has multiple settings for midi including hui and Mackie standards. I have the analog in/out card so it connects direct to an interface for I/o via my patchbays. There is a FireWire card option but FireWire is no longer supported on Mac so you would have to use pc, or the ADAT functionality if you had that card installed or find an analog one like I did

[@HalcyonGuitars]

@@diyrecordingstudio Thank you. This looks like a very useful tool. Do you have any thoughts as to general build quality and durability? I don’t know much about this stuff, but they’re only ten years or so old at most, so a used one should…probably…be worth a gamble? I’m running windows Vista 64 bit from who know how long ago with an M-Audio FireWire 1814 presently…

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah look I think they’ll last. I use the Allen and heath live analog consoles. Built to last. Same design here on this console. You might get the odd scratchy potentiometer or something but that’s an easy clean and fix

[@HalcyonGuitars]

Just wondering if you’re still satisfied and using the console?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yes very much. I love it for lots of reasons. Extra preamps when I have bands in, motorised faders, zero latency monitoring. Looks cool. hahaha! theyre all valid.

[@nizman1000]

Great desk - i got mine in 2011 and still love it - only problem for me is that I dont have a band anymore so cant justify keeping such a relativelyl arge desk. I only record my duo and occasionally other musicians. I actually think it has its own, fairly lush unique signature -something happens when the whole mix goes through it. I have had and still have various interfaces but I struggle to get that roundedness soundwise from them. The other thing I love about this desk is the quality of the sound it send to the headphones - it‘s the perfect sound for me and everyone who I have recorded in my cellar says the same about the headphone mix. I might end up selling it for reason stated above:-( Btw, I had a minor ‘argument‘with you about your video on the SSL Big six - I thought you werea bit dismissive about the desk itself and the people like me who were(only temporarily in my case), drooling over it :-) I was thinking about it as a replacemet for the GSR24....needless to say I didnt get it.. There‘s almost nothing out there on a smaller scale (12 channels max) that can compete with the Aand H. It was probably underpriced at the time although I think I paid around 8500 euros. The audient asp4816 was about 5G more but I didnt like the eq on them and the extra couple of grand needed for converters. I know the occasional zedr16 goes up for grabs but it is too much for my needs and the whole driver and OS theme is getting harder to configure, especially for some old git like me. What do you think about the valve channels - I only have a drawmer stereo buss compressor which I like loads but sometimes I only use the onboard valves for my end mix - and sometimes use them to warm up my old Neumann Tlm193.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah its an excellent desk and at the price then and now, you can't beat it. I use a lot of outboard gear, so in mixing and tracking it is useful to have some extra pres and eq's sometimes. I mostly like it for the motorised faders and like yourself zero latency monitoring is nice! I remember, my biggest gripe with the ssl console was that it has the pres, but without the full eq set, it's not really an ssl console. I think the SiX channels in 500 series make wayyyy more sense though. Very cool. I honestly haven't even gotten to using the valve channels on the A&H yet. I have a bunch of other outboard i run mixes though but I'm keen to hear how they sound for sure. Might have to give em a go! Thanks for dropping a comment

[@nizman1000]

.. You're welcome! I would love to hear samples of what you've done through the desk.. Maybe you have something available somewhere?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

The track in this session, particularly at the end of the vid was recorded and mixed through it Why you REALLY NEED to Try This FREE VCA Compressor Plugin kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4mxYXtrj898pdk

[@andyracksthecams]

I have 2. They are great. So you are not using the Firewire interface? Still using Firewire with W10 and Cubase 13. Works perfectly. Don't tell me you are using a MAC 😮

[@diyrecordingstudio]

You have 2 of these!? Awesome stuff. No I don’t use the fw interface, I have the analogue one installed. Yes I use a Mac Studio. It’s excellent. Super quiet and efficient in a one room studio situation. A pc with fans is too noisy.

[@andyracksthecams]

@@diyrecordingstudio just being cheeky about Apple. I tried Apple for a short while but gave up when I couldn't mod a PC I'd purchased. Great video. They are great desks and I don't understand people giving up on them. As far as fan noise is concerned, i think it is a must to have a separate control room! If you record drums it is impossible without isolation.

[@fjn667]

That could be the deal of your life mate. Insane price😊😊

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahaha yeah tell me about it. Very lucky. Do you have a console too?

[@fjn667]

@@diyrecordingstudio No, but i've been eyeballing the allen & heath gsr24m my self. A fantastic console that was so ahead of it's time no one seems to understand it. But i have not even been close to the amazing deal you made. Big congratulations and i hope you continue to make videos when you are using the console

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Cheers mate. I’ll have some console specific videos very soon

[@vazdaqui8513]

would you sell the analog card ?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Unfortunately not I’m sorry. I use the analog card currently, going to my interface. It’s the best way to get the most out of the console. Do you have one of these desks?

[@vazdaqui8513]

@@diyrecordingstudio yeah but i cant repair mine... i have 2 digital cards, but they wont work ):

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Bummer, try the facebook groups? The digital cards work if you have a RME digiface!

[@vazdaqui8513]

@@diyrecordingstudio yeah i know, its my console that is not working with the card, i have the adat-usb thing

[@MartinMartin-yi9to]

CORRECTION : We really don't all want an analog console. Unless you record 30-40 mics (sources) or more at the same time a DAW will be just fine and also outperform a lower quality "analog board" like an A&H GS serie. Let's just call it a moneypit.

[@mullethillsound]

Why don’t you build your own cables?

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Great question. By time I purchased all the connectors and multi core then spent the time soldering it was way cheaper and easier to buy them. I’ve built some of my cabling for particular gear before though. I have a whole video on it somewhere.

[@floridapunkarchivist]

Driving home with an Allen & Heath GL2200 24 track I found on Facebook marketplace for $100!!!!! Working condition….guess where it came from….a church gone digital of course. Everyone go around churches and find out what they got!!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

That is some great advice! Awesome score man. The preamps in those GL desks are really great for the price.

[@addradz]

Serendipitydo! I think this is a case of what you know not who. Only you could see the bargain.It’s a sign, I think you owe god a Christmas album

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Haha cheers man. Guess I’ll have to get started on that album 😆

[@uptownphotography]

Nice find for sure. I was looking for one of these a few years back and they were going from about $5K to $6,5K. I have since given up on finding one and now trying to find the A&H GS3000 (32 fader model....It comes in 24 fader models also) Is is basically the same console w/8 buss minus the moving faders. (It does have mute automation). I cannot not find one of those either unless it is really far away from my location in New Jersey. Best of luck w/your new killer board! All the best from the U.S. Phil NYC Area

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Thanks Phil. Don’t give up. They show up from time to time.

[@uptownphotography]

@@diyrecordingstudio Yes, I am always looking for one of the two A&H models. All the best. Phil

[@RANGDAP]

Let me knownif you know if anyone is selling. I would love to own one. Thanks 😊

[@diyrecordingstudio]

You should check out this facebook page facebook.com/groups/1249409271769505 They go for sale all the time! Good luck!

[@RANGDAP]

Congratulations and thank you!

[@ishizukahikaru643]

I think $80 for behringer patchbay is over priced. I think buying 1 used Bantam Patchbay will save you more money, save rack space 1U instead of 4U if your willing to put in the work of soldering. I use to have the same behringer patchbays when I was 14yrs old, then I swapped them for neutrik ones when I got a sweet deal. Then swapped up to Bantam from I high end brand and I only paid $50 for it.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Dude, where are you finding bantam patchbays for that cheap? Trust me if I could get them that cheap I would have opted for them. Here in Australia they are very much more expensive.

[@haryygeros7528]

Great desk, better than audients by a mile. But throw those behringer patchbays, they choke your sound, believe me i've been there

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it’s very nice to have. Out of interest, what is it that chokes the sound on the behringer patchbays?

[@123ATank]

If you ever want to sell it, just here to say yes lol

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahahah yeah they’re a nice bit of kit to have. If you keep an eye out on this fb page, they come up for sale sometimes. facebook.com/share/1ZfRFNyvCzxm6XYC/?mibextid=K35XfP

[@123ATank]

@@diyrecordingstudio Wow I didn't know of that group, thanks! Very helpful indeed.

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Not a problem. Best of luck!

[@jabulanifusion]

I envy you right now 😅

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Yeah it’s pretty nice to have. Are you looking for a console at the moment?

[@danielortizdecaracas]

You re the fuckin crazy lucky one congratulations

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Hahaha thank you.

[@cheintz44]

Kind of an unnecessary rip on Andrew bro!

[@diyrecordingstudio]

Dude, not ripping on him at all. I love his channel and his content. More ripping on my own and everyone else’s gear lust 😜