Speck LiLo console - any users here?

[airmate]

Originally Posted by Fidgit

may i ask something which may be quite obvious for lilo owners here?

the lilo has 4 aux sends, right? one of its greatest befits is its flexibility. so my question is: could i somehow (how?) manage to use the flexibility to get like 8 sends or so? i simply fail to see how, but maybe i just don't recognise an obvious solution.
tnx.

Afaik, there would be no solution. It simply has 4 sends.

[Fidgit]

ok, i see, thank you.

[666666]

Originally Posted by Fidgit

the lilo has 4 aux sends, right? one of its greatest befits is its flexibility. so my question is: could i somehow (how?) manage to use the flexibility to get like 8 sends or so?....

Well, remember, the LiLo also has two bus group outs in addition to the four sends, these bus group outs could be used as two additional mono sends if you are not already using them for something else. So you'd have six sends coming out of the LiLo.

If you need even more sends, you can always just pick up an Allen & Heath WZ3 12M monitor mixer, then connect cables from each of the LiLo channel's direct outs to the Heath inputs, you'll instantly have TWELVE more sends on all 16 channels of your LiLo. If you have a 24 or more channel LiLo, you can link two WZ3 12M mixers together for 32 channels of additional sends.

ALLEN & HEATH WZ3 12M

Or, if you don't want to buy any additional items and need more than 6 sends, remember that you can always just use the LiLo direct outs straight into any given effects unit, the direct outs effectively serve as dedicated sends. For instance, if you have a snare reverb that you will be using for the snare drum ONLY, you can take the direct out of the snare track and send it straight to your snare reverb unit, etc... this sort of strategy, when possible, can free up your send channels. I know often I have some tracks that call for a dedicated effect, so in some cases I may have four effects being fed by my four LiLo send channels and another four effects being fed by direct outs, a total of eight "sends" effectively being used.

But I really like the WZ3 12M idea... 12 extra sends plus the 4 LiLo sends, a total of 16 controllable sends. The Heath mixers aren't cheap, but you get what you pay for. And if you want an all-in-one analog console (a good one) that comes with over 12 channels of built-in sends, that will cost you a small fortune. A lot of fairly big, expensive consoles don't even come with more than 8 sends. So, in sum, a LiLo plus a WZ3 12M is still a VERY inexpensive way of achieving an incredible degree of control, flexibility AND excellent sonics!

Having said all this, recently I had to do a mix with someone in a different location, the situation had serious limitations, we only had TWO available sends and only two effects units... a reverb and a delay (thankfully they were excellent units)... and we made it work just fine. On a few tracks, we recorded an effect to tape in advance so we had a few dedicated effects on tape... then we just ran with the reverb and delay only, in real-time (with just two sends) and it worked fine. I love having a ton of sends, but in many cases, with a little strategy and a little trickery, you can get by with a minimal amount of sends. Especially if you can use a few of the direct outs as dedicated sends, you may find that four built-in send channels will be just fine.

[666666]

Originally Posted by airmate

Ok, the eagle has landed - finally!........

Airmate!!!!

Thanks for the report and the pics! Nice!!!

Keep us posted!!!

[airmate]

Originally Posted by 666666

Airmate!!!!

Thanks for the report and the pics! Nice!!!

Keep us posted!!!

I WILL!

Probably the console will be here in late September. Can't wait...

[airmate]

Btw, 666666, what happenend with your new room? Any progress?

[Fidgit]

oh, you're right, thank you.
the WZ3 is tempting, thanks for the input!


[QUOTE=666666;6865388]Well, remember, the LiLo also has two bus group outs in addition to the four sends, these bus group outs could be used as two additional mono sends if you are not already using them for something else. So you'd have six sends coming out of the LiLo.

If you need even more sends, [...] [QUOTE]

[666666]

Originally Posted by Fidgit

oh, you're right, thank you.
the WZ3 is tempting, thanks for the input!

Originally Posted by airmate

Btw, 666666, what happenend with your new room? Any progress?

My new room is still in the works. In recent times I've been very busy doing audio work with other people in other rooms and remote locations, so my room project hasn't progressed too much. It's a bit of a catch-22, it would be super handy to have the room ready to use now for audio projects, but yet I'm too busy doing audio projects to finish the room. Last year I hired some top-notch carpenters to help move the project along and we made a lot of progress, but I've spent just about all I can spend on hired guns at this point.

I just got a message from a friend (producer) that will be in town here next month and specifically wants to record a local artist in my "new" room, even though the room isn't finished. He's been in the room before and likes the room itself. So I plan to vacuum up all the sawdust and drag my computer in there so we can record some tracks. Perhaps I'll snap some photos during that session. Won't have the LiLo in there yet though.

Also, there is a tentative plan to do a big mix in that room towards the end of this year which would of course include the LiLo, if the room itself is not totally finished I'll have to set up in there anyway. So later in the year you may be seeing some pics of the room, with LiLo temporarily installed, but with unpainted walls, plywood floor, etc. Next year I hope to just take a little "vacation" from audio work and go totally hog wild on the construction aspect and just FINISH the room once and for all.

I probably need a good solid month to do all trim work, painting, install hardwood flooring, add all electrical / lighting fixtures, add the hot water baseboard heater elements, etc (at least the air conditioner is already in and working)... sounds like a lot of work left to do, but it's not that bad if one simply has the TIME to work on it. I don't feel too bad because this room started out as a bare shell originally, just a frame with outer sheathing and NOTHING else, and in bad condition, so much has already been completed (rebuilt and leveled subflooring, rebuilt frame to increase ceiling height, straightened bowed walls, insulated the entire frame, added several layers of walling and ceiling materials, added two dedicated electrical circuits, added a ductless-split AC unit, added new "soundproofed" windows and heavy-duty door, added paneling / planking to walls and ceiling areas and much more... it's come a very long way since day 1.

But my advise to anyone building a new room: try your best to plan it out really well before you start and make sure you have the time and the funds to complete it in one shot BEFORE you get busy with other projects. Because if you get only half way through and then get busy with other things, it could be years before it ever gets finished and it can be super frustrating.

Will keep you guys posted! And please do the same! I'm loving this thread!

[666666]

Here's a rough initial lay-out plan I came up with for the room. Subject to change. Nothing too crazy.

[airmate]

Originally Posted by 666666

Here's a rough initial lay-out plan I came up with for the room. Subject to change. Nothing too crazy.

I bet it looks awesome in room once everything is finished! I especially like the "wrap-around" concept...

Your solution for the additional auxes seems to be very smart. At this time I could get by with the four analog sends - as I have units such as the Quantec, which are connected via AES only. So I feed them directly from the DAW.
But I would have no other use for the direct outs, so I am starting to loom around for a small-footprint solution that provides perhaps another 4 analog auxes per channel. That would certainly be enough for me.

Probably I will buy an X-Sum as a sub mixer for the aux returns, because it sounds so good and is only one rack unit. I could use my Mackie for that purpose as well, but maybe I would like to save one the space it occupies for that purpose.

Btw, I am using the two sub groups for the drum buss, with a 2500 and a pair of Electrodyne 511 hard-wired in the signal path. And I feed them back to the LiLo via the stereo aux return 1.

It is so interesting to have a look at all the different ways to use the routing options...

[airmate]

Quick update: I am ready to order the 24 channel desk...

I will report back as soon as I have set up the new system. I will get a new set of converters and a new Mac Pro too. Hopefully I can show pictures of the new room in considerably less than two months!

[airmate]

Ok guys, some months later, and this story has finally come to a good end.
Today my 24 channel LiLo arrived...

Right now I am mixing the first track on it and I am already deeply impressed by the punch and clarity I get out of the desk.

I will post pictures soon, at the moment I am too busy to grab my camera...

[666666]

Congrats!!!!!

Looking forward to your pics and review!

[airmate]

Thanks, 666666!

One word review: AWESOME.
More tomorrow...

[dubrichie]

I've been thinking about the LiLo for quite some time now, along with several other consoles.

I am hoping to be in a position to buy an anlogue console late next year and the LiLo will definitely be on my short list to test-drive before I make the final decision.

Looking forward to your pictures and more in-depth thoughts and experiences with your LiLo!

[airmate]

Well, what can I say: I knew what to expect, but having this at my daily disposal now really blows me away...

I LOVE the clarity of the LiLo, it really sounds as good as other people have mentioned - and then some.

I would describe it as super transparent, 3D, great contours especially in (but not limited to!) the bass, the spacial details are truly outstanding. You can really "see through" a mix, and the mix buss gets never "choked", everything remains stiff and firm and solid even with hotter levels in dense arrangements - yet it sounds never harsh, with a nice smoothness to the sound.
Mind you, I am speaking about the transformerless version.

It took me a long time to make this decision, but it is a great feeling to know that I chose the right console for my needs and tastes.

Thanks again to everyone who has supported me and who has provided extraordinarily valuable information in this thread! Hello 666666!

Here's two pictures.

I have started a new thread with more pictures of my room here:

******//www.gearslutz.com/board/high-...-included.html


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