Anaolog Mixer with Protools?

[micline]

Question?

As I read threw articles and such on the internet, exploring tips and mix tecniques, There always seems to be a picture of some dude in a studio surrounded by mountains of outboard gear, Compressors, EQ's Mic Pre's and the like,

I understand the need for all that gear, but I always seem to see a very large analog console in the studio as well...My question is, is there a need for an analog console like that when using protools, even if you had the full out HD3 system, I can understand have different mic pres's and EQ's but where does the analog board come in to the picture?

Just wondering

Thanks

[lemix]

micline,
Let me answer the question first.. is there a need for an analog console like that when using protools >> No, there isn't a "need"
Many users here probably mix with a mouse, ITB only. And than they are the control surfaces, where you can actually touch and move faders just as it has been customary for decades in analog studios.
Some older folks simply can not work efficiently any other way..or an analog mixing console is chosen for sonic/routing reasons, where the entire rack of outboard boxes are readily available at the patch bay.
Please don't forget though..mixers start at a couple of hundred dollars and extend to full consoles costing close to a million. Plugins trying to emulate the sonic characteristics of such beasts.

I use a mixing console with PT to..mix
happy tooling,

[micline]

Ok Wait,

I get the Control surface need, I have a Mackie control for MY PTLE system,

Now you say you mix with an analog console? how? I don't get it, once the tracks are recorded to PTLE, how do you use the big board to mix? its not connected to the PTLE system is it? or you just have your outboard gear routed threw the big board?

Lets say I go out and buy, just for kicks this is, a soundcraft ghost console,

what would I do with it once got it home?

here is the thing, I'm pretty much finished with my new studio, I have a few clients, nothing crazy yet, but everytime someone new walks in they Say "were is the console?"

peopel expect to see some huge board in the studio, and with good reason. So I do see large consoles in protools studios and I was wondering, how they are used in conjuction with Pro tools.

thanks

[lemix]

micline,
Sorry, you have a valid question. I forgot to mention that I mix on an HD Accel rig with 48 channels of DA conversion. These are normalled into the board's tape returns. Also, PT has a printed LTC track, that drives a VCA based automation system for the board only. This is in addition to the PT automation.
On my home setup (002R) there is no console, not even a control surface. It is just for editing/backups and transferring stuff around.


cheers,

[toekneebullard]

It's really all about how you think of ProTools. many old school analogue guys look at it as a new tape machine. They route signal through the board, into PT, and then back out tto the board. They'll mix on the board, and send the stereo mix back into protools and record that stereo track as their final mix. Well, that's one way to do it...

It's just a matter of taste. you can do it all in the box with PT, but some people like the older way. For instance, the SSL has a compressor on every channel. A lot of people like the way they sound, not only that, but you can have compression on every channel and not worry about any DSP usage.

That's the wonderful thing about recording. With all the different in puts and outputs and busses and sends in our world, you can record a million different ways. it steepens the learning curve, sure, but it also lets people work the way they want to, which frees them up to think more about what their recording, rather than how.

[JonnyGinese]

I have a digi002r and i use an analog board.. but only for tracking.. my board inputs are my pre-amps since its an old vintage board. I mix on my screen with my mouse.. but I'm going to get a command 8 when i get the funds.

[fredsparky]

I use a TASCAM 16- ch M2516 analog board. Here's how I use it with ProTools:

I go 8 channels out of an 8 track TACSAM tape machine into the board then send to the PT 001- that way I can EQ the sound and set general levels going into the 001- that is for old 8 channel recordings.

I also use the board as inputs for multi-mic situations for guit, drums and multi vox, etc. I can also add outboard gear on the way in.

It's also nice for routing and EQing songs from old cassetts, CD, VHS, records or any other outboard analog sources.

You can use it a lot of different ways and it also acts as a preamp, you can put a lot of Low Z mics in or mix any kind of live production to a PT session then bounce for a quick finish.

I hope that helps. It's a shame to waste old gear that works well and cost many more times the ProTools set up cost- and it looks good too!

Regards,

Mike