Anyone here mixing analog?

[puremusic]

Yes, it´s the EQ I´m thinking of in the first place when mixing. If thera are good filters in the console it saves power and hopefully sounds better.
I tend just to automate volume so yes, this could be a good workflow.
Now, hope the ATB sound so good that ít´s worth it.

Another thing that I´ve been thinking of:

What about track to tape -> to PT
or
track to PT -> to tape -> back to PT

in order to get the "tape" sound? Is it worth the fuzz? Anybody?

[innesireinar]

Hey puremusic.
I am mixing in the box nowadays, because it is just far more convenient. But it is good to know the old way, and if it's just to know how easy it has become.

But mixing analog does not necessarily mean to miss automation. It has to do with how you set up your mixing console in connection with your outputs. You can still automate in Pro Tools and use "just" the eq of the mixing desk.


Timothy

The problem is when you want to compress a signal post eq. If you use the console eq and then an outboard compressor you cannot automate the level in PT because as soon as you move the fader in PT you would to change the threshold on the compressors. This is not comfortable.

[jeremyroberts]

there must be a reason for you to mix outside the box

haven't done that in years

not saying that I don't use outboard (i do) but summing is in protools. But the way you asked the question...

Yes, in the olden days, we used to use analog mixers. We'd do recall sheets to remember what we did. We would use grease pencils and/or colored tape to mark settings on the mixer and the gear. How stone-age was that? How did anyone make good records without instant recall or <gasp> automation?

[Oli P]

Yes, it´s the EQ I´m thinking of in the first place when mixing. If thera are good filters in the console it saves power and hopefully sounds better.
I tend just to automate volume so yes, this could be a good workflow.
Now, hope the ATB sound so good that ít´s worth it.

Another thing that I´ve been thinking of:

What about track to tape -> to PT
or
track to PT -> to tape -> back to PT

in order to get the "tape" sound? Is it worth the fuzz? Anybody?

If saving power is your concern(I do assume you mean DSP power), then you won't afford any mixer or tape machine that will make anything worthwhile anyway.
A bigger computer would give you far more sound for the kroner.

Tape will only benefit before PT or any conversion, or as 2 track medium if you sum in analog domain.

But if you have some specific console standing around, and a tape machine...then ask us about that particular model

[puremusic]

jeremyroberts, for some reason I got the impression that you mix outside completely,my mistake.
Oli.P,yes, you are right of course, power is cheap, so that is not a good reason.
Go to tape first, that´s understood.

I´m just trying to figure out wich way to go sound and quality wise. A mix of the analog and digital
world I guess.
I heard a demo a while ago, recorded on tape, from -94 and was blown away by the sound.
Very smooth and nice sounding. I´m not an very experinced guy in the studio world but there was
something different from what I think is common today. I don´t say better but different.

Trying to implement gear that give me the oportunity to choose differnt sounds is exciting
for me. At least now when I don´t own any
There must be a reason why good analog gear cost a fortune.Thousands of "money" to get one (1!) channel.

But I have accepted fact about that and if I need it I´m gonna buy it. It´s easy to spend money
when you don´t have any

Thank´s for all replays here guys, I read it all with interest. I don´t even own a Mac
but it seem to be more traffic here.

Peter

[mikeoxbig]

Use a digital camera. In the old days they sometimes used a polaroid.

Hi!
I´m thinking of how to manage to mix through a console without any automation in the board.
I´m used to mix in the box and have total recall all the time.
As I understand you have to do the mix one song at a time. Then going to the next....

How do I solve it if I will be able to do some adjustmens later.
Get an automation console......

Anyway how do you guys work?

Peter

[innesireinar]

jeremyroberts, for some reason I got the impression that you mix outside completely,my mistake.
Oli.P,yes, you are right of course, power is cheap, so that is not a good reason.
Go to tape first, that´s understood.

I´m just trying to figure out wich way to go sound and quality wise. A mix of the analog and digital
world I guess.
I heard a demo a while ago, recorded on tape, from -94 and was blown away by the sound.
Very smooth and nice sounding. I´m not an very experinced guy in the studio world but there was
something different from what I think is common today. I don´t say better but different.

Trying to implement gear that give me the oportunity to choose differnt sounds is exciting
for me. At least now when I don´t own any
There must be a reason why good analog gear cost a fortune.Thousands of "money" to get one (1!) channel.

But I have accepted fact about that and if I need it I´m gonna buy it. It´s easy to spend money
when you don´t have any

Thank´s for all replays here guys, I read it all with interest. I don´t even own a Mac
but it seem to be more traffic here.

Peter

There could be many reasons why a demo of '94 sounds better (or more pleasant) than many today's prods. This doesn't mean that was caused by analog gears.
Analog gears cost many time more than digitals because of their circuits, components, potentiometers, faders etc. A Rolex cost many times more than a Quartz Swatch but this doesn't mean that the Rolex is more precise.

[Michael James]

Re: "Anyway how do you guys work?", I mix analog--with a lot of digital help. I'm convinced that you can capture the heart & soul of older analog recordings with good digital gear and good technique. Nice analog outboard gear is a sonic plus, but maintaining a multitrack tape deck and a console was a drag. So I prefer to use the best of both the analog and digital worlds: I use the DAW for recording, editing and automation, and I go with analog gear on inserts and for summing.

[Bryan Talbot]

Anyway how do you guys work?

At this time, I'm doing all automation, EQ and dynamics in the box and stemming out through a Speck LiLo, faders @ unity. I do use the LiLo as a console, not simply a summing unit, in which case I take notes.

I intend to acquire outboard EQ and dynamics ASAP. I apply an H8000 via AES/EBU.

[bryanbassett]

Ah the good ole days! We used to take Polaroids of the board and use a mini cassette recorder to "talk in" the channel settings. Then you could play back the cassette and reset.

A poor man's AMEK console...where that nice English voice would talk to you "a little more.. there it is" ..(was it Ruperrt Neve?)

I'm thinking about the ATB for tracking into PT as well as summing out for mix while using automation and plugins in the box.

BB