Gearslutz.com - View Single Post - Neve / SSL / API console summing vs. summing box summing

Shaman · 28th January 2006

This is something I´m spending some thoughts on at the moment.

If you mix let´s say on a vintage Neve console with 1073 / 1084 modules, you are actually sending all your signals through the single line channels with their transformers on EVERY channel to the summing section.

If you stem out your mix to a summing box like the d2b / mixdream / folcrom etc. you actually reduce the console sound to its summing section without having any preamp / line circuit technology on every channel.

While most summing boxes are NOT using transformers on every channel (except the new Neve with 2 on the buss only) I´m asking myself - are these mates on every channel the mystery behind a "big console sound"

So my question to all who have used BOTH, big consoles AND summing boxes is:

* What about using for example 32 channels of 1073/1084/wunder/api preamp modules in line setting into a summing box ? Would this lead me to the sound of their classic console counterparts or not ?

It´s a tempting thought to use 2x wunder pafour as a "neve console section with transformers" in the first 8 channels of my mixdream.

Please excuse the naive quuestions - they come from someone who never had that much experience with big Neve/SSL consoles...

28th January 2006	#1
Shaman Lives for gear Joined: Aug 2003 Posts: 2,694 Thread Starter	Big console line ch. circuit vs. summing box line ch. circuit This is something I´m spending some thoughts on at the moment. If you mix let´s say on a vintage Neve console with 1073 / 1084 modules, you are actually sending all your signals through the single line channels with their transformers on EVERY channel to the summing section. If you stem out your mix to a summing box like the d2b / mixdream / folcrom etc. you actually reduce the console sound to its summing section without having any preamp / line circuit technology on every channel. While most summing boxes are NOT using transformers on every channel (except the new Neve with 2 on the buss only) I´m asking myself - are these mates on every channel the mystery behind a "big console sound" So my question to all who have used BOTH, big consoles AND summing boxes is: * What about using for example 32 channels of 1073/1084/wunder/api preamp modules in line setting into a summing box ? Would this lead me to the sound of their classic console counterparts or not ? It´s a tempting thought to use 2x wunder pafour as a "neve console section with transformers" in the first 8 channels of my mixdream. Please excuse the naive quuestions - they come from someone who never had that much experience with big Neve/SSL consoles...