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Originally Posted by ulysses  A summing device doesn't have faders or knobs. If it did, it would be called a mixer. |
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Originally Posted by ulysses But we're talking about two different things here. You seem to be talking about the separate issue of whether the fader should be before or after the compressor. A lot of people lose sleep over this, but I really think it's a non-issue. I mean, the reason you're doing all those little fader moves are presumably to correct for variances in the loudness of the recorded track. And the reason you're using a compressor is primarily to correct for variances in the loudness of the recorded track. |
Well, personally I find I need the "summer mixer" to provide (1) level faders/knobs and (2) panning.
I tried it the other way for some time, and found this works much better for my setup.
I ride the faders during mixdown for various reasons, most often to change the feel of the song at different points.
Making significant changes in the DAW pre-outboard processing can definitely create problems with your processing setup.
And, if you want to ride the faders in real time during the mixdown, doing so with DAW faders on a screen is a major pain, to say the least.
I probably use compressors as much for the tone/sound as for level control.
It just boils down to what works the best for each of us during mixdown.
Your approach to mixdown is obviously different than mine.
Anyone considering a "summer mixer" should be aware of the different techniques and find what works best for him/her.
Just one view, FWIW.