64 channels on a ProControl

[Mini Me]

How do you get more than 32 channel on a ProControl? I understand you buy the main unit and add on 8 channel inputs for a max of 32. What do you do if one requires 48 or even more tracks to be displayed on the PC?

Thanks.

[George Cumbee]

Mini:

Hopefully you have studied the PC brochure or lit. There is a scroll button UP/DOWN (act left and right) on the right side that lets you scroll 8 channels at a time. ie: you can mix 64 (or more with more voices) channels on the main unit by scrolling. I currently do that. It is nice to have more for a larger console look, but I just finished an album with 40-50 tracks on most songs. Obviously you can't deal with more than a few faders at a time anyway. You watch the faders on the screen to see the big picture.

It is quiet easy. It has always been OK with me. I worked with a console for years with an 8 channel fader box that scrolled.

I will probably add more fader packs as I can afford them, but it is not necessary to mix large projects.

As you can see in the Digi feature about the Ricky Martin project, that was apparently done on a 16 fader PC system.

Hope that explains you question.

Digi will probably shoot me for not promoting more faders. I think everyone would naturally have more if $$$$ were no object. We put a lot of money into other aspects of out PT room, so we had to wait for more faders.

George Cumbee, Pres.
Audio Creations, Inc.
Classic Recording, Franklin, TN
www.classicrecording.com

[Mini Me]

George:

Thanks for the info. Do you think say the Protools system (5.0, 888/24 and PC) might have better sound quality than the new Mackie HDR24/96 with the D8B?

Thanks again...

[George Cumbee]

My vote would be for the PT rig, however it is a difficult comparison. The Mackie stuff is more conventional. It will sound great, but be limited to 24 tracks assuming you just have one deck. Mackie is adding some plug-in type features to the DR8, but in NO way will it approach what you can do on a PT setup with a Pro-Control. Doing the PT/PC route is expensive. I just spent 60K and already had some things I needed. That was to outfit a room for PT mixing/od/editing/mastering etc.

Good luck

George
Classic Recording
www.classicrecording.com

[Mini Me]

George,

Again, you're information is appreciated. I imagine after purchasing 60K toward the Protools system, you favor it very much. I was told that the system, when using it to fully track and mix sounds a little thin, do you have the same problem with it?

Thanks.

[Mini Me]

George,

Again, you're information is appreciated. I imagine after purchasing 60K toward the Protools system, you favor it very much. I was told that the system, when using it to fully track and mix sounds a little thin, do you have the same problem with it?

Thanks.

[George Cumbee]

We do not, as yet, fully track to it. It is in a seperate room mainly for mixing, editing etc. We are in the process of building out that room into a CR and Booth for Vocal OD's etc. I do keyboard orchestration direct to it for a client who records vocals & piano at another studio in IN and then sends to us. Doing direct in that way sounds no different to me that it did when when recorded on an analog console to 8mm or ADAT. I am not as sure if it sounds as good as projects we did years ago on 2" analog. I listen to some of those sessions now and still marvel at how good they sound.

I just mixed a large project for a new Atlanta based artist. It was 40-50 tracks on most songs. It is anything but thin. IN fact I am going back in and reducing the low end on a couple of songs that are just too heavy. I feel that it is just like anything else, you have to use your ears and do your levels, eq, verb etc to make it sound like what you want to hear.

I don't claim to be a golden ears engineer, but I know what I like and compared to other major label projects, I think we hit pretty close, considering our budget.

George
Classic Recording, Franklin, TN
www.classicrecording.com

[Mini Me]

George,

Are you using 888/24 or the Apogee AD8000? What would you recommend?

As far as preamps are concerned, I use a couple of Avalon 737sp but considering other units as well. What would you suggest?

Thanks.

[theazone]

Forget scrolling through your tracks, it's much more efficient to make use of the memory location ... without the 'time' location.
You just 'show' the tracks of a certain category (ie. Drums & bass, Dialogue, Foley or what have you) then hit enter the memory location menu pops up then engage/disengage the "time settings" and engage the 'show track' with any other 'option' available (ie. zoom, track hight etc.)
When you want to see a paticular 'category' just hit the corresponding memory location number then '.' and your set up is immediatly available to be worked on.
We doe audio post so my set up is pretty slick:
memory 1: volatile 'time code location'
memory 2: Dialogue (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 3: Ambiance (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 4: Foley (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 5: SF/x and music (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 6: Dialogue and music (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 7: All subs and reverbs

Hope this helps
ciao
rg ;^D

------------------

[theazone]

Forget scrolling through your tracks, it's much more efficient to make use of the memory location ... without the 'time' location.
You just 'show' the tracks of a certain category (ie. Drums & bass, Dialogue, Foley or what have you) then hit enter the memory location menu pops up then engage/disengage the "time settings" and engage the 'show track' with any other 'option' available (ie. zoom, track hight etc.)
When you want to see a paticular 'category' just hit the corresponding memory location number then '.' and your set up is immediatly available to be worked on.
We do audio post so my set up is pretty slick:
memory 1: volatile 'time code location'
memory 2: Dialogue (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 3: Ambiance (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 4: Foley (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 5: SF/x and music (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 6: Dialogue and music (w. it's sub and reverbs)
memory 7: All subs and reverbs

Hope this helps
ciao
rg ;^D