[Benmrx]

I feel that if you're trying to use healthy stack of outboard gear, that an analog summing device of some kind can really help out. If nothing else than to keep conversions down.

If I want to put an outboard eq/comp on the kick, then put a comp across the drum buss, then use a final 2buss compressor, I've done 3 round trip A/D/A conversions just for the mix process.

I've come to this conclusion (at least for now), for the way I like to work:

Use H/W inserts in PT for single tracks (kick, snare, bass, lead vocal, etc.), and use outboard + summing on groups (drum buss, guitars, vocals, etc.).

This means a couple key things:

-No post processing automation on your busses. I don't mind this so much, as I tend to mostly automate individual elements of a mix, and not so much on the groups. Plus, concerning mults + parallel processing, I'm usually only using mute automation.

-2 conversion loops on your most important tracks (kick, snare, etc.), if you're printing your stereo mix back to digital. Maybe use a different brand of converter for your H/W inserts vs. your buss/summing outs. Might help?

Right now I'm doing all my summing on a Neotek, but since I'm really only using it for faders and pan, I might as well try and get something better.

This is the system I'm kicking around in my head:

API 8200A: For Drum Buss, Drum Squash buss, kick and snare mults
Innertube Sumthang: St. EFX, Elop mult, EQ mult + Vox Mult
Neve 8816: Main summing unit + master section



This way, I could have mute automation on all the outboard summed "mults" + full automation on all my individual tracks. I could also send the St. out from the API to a main drum buss compressor before going into the 8816. Both the API and the Innertube unit would just be patched into ch. 1-4 on the Neve, which would give me 12 more channels to bring out the rythm instruments, vocals, bass, etc.

Although I'm real curious to see what new summing/routing boxes might be available in the next 2 years.......plus I change my mind on my mixing approach ALOT....so....everything is subject to change!