Ce qu'il faut vérifier avant d'acheter une console numérique d'occasion

Start with the fader bank

Motorized faders are the most common failure point on a used console. Put the desk in a layer with all faders accessible and move every fader from bottom to top three times in fader calibration mode. Listen for a dry or grinding motor and watch for a fader that lags. Then recall a scene with every fader at a different position and check that all of them land together.

A single sticky fader is a cheap repair; five are a sign of a hard life.

Touchscreen and encoders

Touch the screen along every edge and in the centre. Dead zones near the edges are common on desks that have been in clubs. Turn every rotary encoder through its full range and feel for detents that are inconsistent or gritty.

Every input, not a sample

Plug a signal into every local input and confirm it on the meter. Then route it to a physical output and confirm on a tester. It takes twenty minutes and catches the dead channel the seller never noticed.

Cards, ports and firmware

If the console has a Dante or expansion card, bring a laptop and confirm the card enumerates and passes audio. Check the firmware version against the manufacturer's current release; a console that has never been updated may need a recovery procedure before it will accept a modern show file.

Power and thermal

Run the console for at least an hour with the screen at full brightness. Feel the rear panel and listen for fan noise. A fan that is loud at idle will be louder under a festival tent.

What documentation to ask for

Ask for the serial number, service history and a photo of the internal battery area if the desk is old enough to have one. A console with a dead backup battery will lose settings between shows — an inexpensive fix that sellers often hide.

Price the accessories

Dust cover, power supply, flight case and licence transfers all add up. A console at a low price without a case is often more expensive than a slightly higher price with one.