While everyone chases digital, Soundcraft is betting the other way with a brand-new range of analog consoles. The Signature Plus replaces the original Signature, keeps a fully analog signal path, and bolts on what the first generation lacked to earn a place in a modern studio or on a small stage: a built-in audio interface, proper effects and a surface designed for low-light gigs.
“Analog connected”: analog plus USB
The house term, “analog connected,” sums it up. Every model packs a 4×4 USB-C interface running at 192 kHz: two channels out to your computer, two back in. That is enough to capture a stereo mix plus two separate tracks, run playback, or drop a plug-in into the chain from front of house. This is not a digital desk in disguise — audio stays analog end to end, and USB is simply a bridge to a laptop or phone.
Ghost preamps, Sapphyre EQ, dbx and Lexicon
The sonic core leans on proven Soundcraft recipes. Ghost mic preamps — inherited from the big consoles — handle the front end, backed by the Sapphyre EQ. Each channel gets a one-knob dbx compressor with harmonic enhancement: you dial in compression with a single move instead of juggling four parameters mid-show. For effects, a hardware Lexicon processor is built in, with preset storage and a tap tempo function to lock a delay to the song. For a small live rig or a worship setup, that is a complete chain with no outboard rack.
Built for the field
Soundcraft clearly sweated the ergonomics. Buttons are color-coded and the knobs use a “squircle” shape (halfway between round and square) that is easy to find and grip in the dark. SSM (Simple Success Metering) gives clear references on inputs and outputs, a Pro Listen bus with “Talkback To” routing eases headphone monitoring, and you get four aux sends, including a handy “Mix to Auxes” mode for building monitor feeds. New to send routing? Our guide to aux sends on a mixing console covers the basics.
Four sizes, one feature set
The range comes in 12, 16, 22 and 32 channels, and crucially the feature set is identical across the board: you pick the channel count, not the tier of functions. The 12- and 16-channel models ship with rack ears. Pricing starts around $799 for the most compact model.
| Model | Channels | Rackable |
|---|---|---|
| Signature Plus 12 | 12 | Yes (ears included) |
| Signature Plus 16 | 16 | Yes (ears included) |
| Signature Plus 22 | 22 | No |
| Signature Plus 32 | 32 | No |
A software bundle is included to get you recording. And if you want to stay with Soundcraft but go fully digital with multitrack capture, the brand also offers options such as the Soundcraft Ui24R, which we covered in a full pro guide. To patch a Signature Plus into a bigger stage, see our piece on patch and stageboxes in live sound.
My take
This move is cannier than it looks. An analog desk with USB, Lexicon and dbx on board is exactly what small venues, worship spaces and home studios keep asking for: a direct sound, zero latency, no menus to dig through, yet the option to record or stream without a second rack. The one-knob compressor and the Lexicon tap tempo show Soundcraft thought about the people mixing alone, live, with no system engineer. The open question is how the Ghost preamps sound on these entry-level models — that is where they will stand or fall against a same-price digital desk. At $799, the pitch is tempting.
