Tube tech ssa 2B vs dangerous 2bus

[Stéphane]

Hi
Happy New year!
Is there any samples or A/B around here?
on the vintage king audio site (hear the gear), there are dangerous waves (great job regarding to the direct to disk) but no tube tech.
Do you guys have heard both side to side?
Thanks.
Steph

[Cheaper]

I've been looking for a summing amp for some time now, considering these 3

Tube Tech SSA2B
Shadow Hills Equinox
SSL Xrack

The Dangerous has a very flat and clean sound and doesn't add that much to the sound from what i've read. Only a wider image and some depth.
SSA2B is all tube so the signal path has more "mojo". It adds color but not too much like a Fat Bustard or a Chandler device.
Equinox is closer to the SSA2B in terms of sound i guess, it has more inputs, monitoring and 2 mic pres.
The Xrack is closer to the Dangerous rack i think, clean and flat sound, it's based on SSL 9K series and not 4K series. So it may not be the "SSL sound" like you've heard from a classic 4K console.

So it depends on what you're looking for.

[Ribbonmicguy]

I've used the SSA-2A fo 3 years and the Dangerous 2Bus for 3 years.

2 different units.

SSA-2A sounds very tubey, it's got that 'slow' slew rate sound associated with tube amp, which is good for a few type of genre, but not ALL. Especially not with songs with fast tempo.

2Bus is definitely a modern sounding amp. It is far more versatile than tubetech as a summing box, and the build quality is top notch. It's got a sound (not clean/transparent) but i would say, tons of headroom, and sounds like a well maintained clean console sound.

[ToddP]

Originally Posted by Stéphane

Hi
Happy New year!
Is there any samples or A/B around here?
on the vintage king audio site (hear the gear), there are dangerous waves (great job regarding to the direct to disk) but no tube tech.
Do you guys have heard both side to side?
Thanks.
Steph

There are files on the Tube-Tech site (and copied on our site). Not an a/b with the Dangerous box, but with in-the-box mix.

www.tube-tech.com

[Cheaper]

SSA-2A sounds very tubey, it's got that 'slow' slew rate sound associated with tube amp, which is good for a few type of genre, but not ALL. Especially not with songs with fast tempo.

what do you mean "slow" ?

The SSA2A will do its best on more "relaxed" and peaceful stuff ?
Jacob Hansen uses it and most of the time he works on metal and rock songs with fast transients and incredible density, it doesn't seem to be annoying

[Stéphane]

Thanks!

[SCHROEDER]

I've just got my ssl xrack 16ch 4 eq... the tube tech was half of the price but i guess ssl+a nice tube 2bus compressor can heat the hell out of the ssl.. btw i'm on the converter thing now... so for now.. my summing mixer is off until a good choice of converters is made... this guy that sold me the ssl told me he used the tube tech for drums and bass then to ssl... i've heard a sample of it and it was good.. but it was the master not only the mix.. so.. (he just bought an 80 channel ssl..) i think he still got it on sale for 3500usd.. he's in mexico city.. cheers!

[jordanvoth]

I was about to post this exact thread. The files on tubetechs page sound amazing and are easy to distinguish from the itb mixes, wondering the Dangerous holds its own against it.

[Ribbonmicguy]

Originally Posted by Cheaper

what do you mean "slow" ?

The SSA2A will do its best on more "relaxed" and peaceful stuff ?
Jacob Hansen uses it and most of the time he works on metal and rock songs with fast transients and incredible density, it doesn't seem to be annoying

slow meaning it doesn't have the transient response for a hard hitting kick. Won't be my choice for Hip hop or hard rock.

[jordanvoth]

Originally Posted by SCHROEDER

I've just got my ssl xrack 16ch 4 eq... the tube tech was half of the price but i guess ssl+a nice tube 2bus compressor can heat the hell out of the ssl.. btw i'm on the converter thing now... so for now.. my summing mixer is off until a good choice of converters is made... this guy that sold me the ssl told me he used the tube tech for drums and bass then to ssl... i've heard a sample of it and it was good.. but it was the master not only the mix.. so.. (he just bought an 80 channel ssl..) i think he still got it on sale for 3500usd.. he's in mexico city.. cheers!

80 channel SSL what? You sure you're not missing a zero in that price?

[SCHROEDER]

Originally Posted by jordanvoth

80 channel SSL what? You sure you're not missing a zero in that price?

Hi, I meant he just bought a 8000 G+ series.. so he sold me the x rack w/summing and 4 eq modules and he's still selling the tube tech SSA2B for 3500usd man.. cheers

[u b k]

Originally Posted by Ribbonmicguy

SSA-2A sounds very tubey, it's got that 'slow' slew rate sound associated with tube amp, which is good for a few type of genre, but not ALL.

I'm still earning my stripes in the area of design, but I know that there is absolutely nothing inherently slow about tubes or tube designs. You can start to introduce potential issues, slew limiting being one, if you start working with negative feedback loops, but that's not an issue with tubes.

Transistors have a slower rise time, as I understand the concept, than tubes. And, sticking my neck out farther: slew rate is not an indicator of transient response.

My experience is that any kind of 'slowness' to be found in any piece of gear has more to do with gainstaging and how hard any transformers in the circuit are being hit.


Gregory Scott - ubk

[Cheaper]

Now maybe that's the point : for proper transient response and dynamic transparency, tube devices like summing amps have to be fed with moderate levels. Can anyone confirm that ?

[Tom H]

I mix with a Dangerous summer in to a Tube-Tech compressor; it is a very satisfying combo. Both amps sound very open and detailed to me, clean but enhancing in some ways. Both also have more than enough headroom so there is no need for moderation as long as your being reasonable with levels, not any different from other high quality gear IMO.

While my opinion is based on different pieces of gear from these manufacterers I can't imagine going wrong with either the SSA2B or the 2bus.

[dBMusic]

Here's my 2 cent:
As much as I love most Tube Tech design, I personally particularly disliked their summing box.
I thought it was too slow, too creamy, too vintage.
The great thing about my Tube Tech gear is, I patch it onto the channel I want to fatten up, make slower. Wouldnt want that cream on each an every signal for sure and definietly not in summings stage.
So this one is not for me,
The Shadow Hill I have heard good things about.
Havent heard the actual unit. Design is to fancy for my taste.
So didnt dig in.
I do own the SSL X-Rack stuff + an SSL X-desk and its OKish, if a bit plastic like all the newer SMB stuff from SSL.
The X-Rack stuff definetely lacks the raw power to deal with BD + SN before its been treated and done with.
Therefore I'm currently I'm doing the drums in a separate API 8200, bringing the finished drums into two channels of the X-Rack. Kinda works. Still not great but better than say an AWS 900.
Gonna get rid of all this stuff coming spring and change over to Tonelux.
Its the best summing I HAVE heard - no the slightest of doubts.
Inward connection seems to be OK too, very fat.
Its Tonelux for me and thats that.

But then - one should always go with their own taste.

[Stéphane]

I'm looking for samples of Tube tech SSA 2B vs dangerous 2bus on the same track.
Thanks

[Richard Chycki]

Originally Posted by Stéphane

I'm looking for samples of Tube tech SSA 2B vs dangerous 2bus on the same track.
Thanks

+1 please ... equinox vs ssa-2b too if any one is so inclined.

Many, many thanks in advance

R

[tapehiss]

I have checked out the Tube-Tech summing mixer, but there are other tube summing boxes out there worth mentioning: InnerTube SumThang, T.C. Fat Bustard, Hand Crafted Labs, and Manley.

I wish I could try them all........ They all have appealing features!

[J Bo Tube-Tech]

Being a sound engineer and having worked on numerous consoles throughout the last more then 25 years, I can promise everybody, that the SSA2B is not slow sounding. To my ears it has a pretty fast response and on top of that the best low end response you can get. I guess that's why it's being used by so many dance mixers too. Our friend Jacob Hansen is using it for Hard and Metal rock and his kick drums doesn't come out sounding slow at all.

The SSA2B has become my own personal favorite mixing engine for the last four years.
Best
Jesper Bo

[Stéphane]

Thanks Jesper
How do you monitor the Tube tech in your DAW to hear what you're mixing throught the SSA 2B?

[erikdrink]

Originally Posted by Stéphane

Thanks Jesper
How do you monitor the Tube tech in your DAW to hear what you're mixing throught the SSA 2B?

I know it's an old thread but I also wonder about that?!

[Valden]

Originally Posted by Stéphane

Thanks Jesper
How do you monitor the Tube tech in your DAW to hear what you're mixing throught the SSA 2B?

I recently asked this question of Apogee, wrt to using the SSA 2B with a Symphony IO. The simple answer was:

Create a stereo track in the DAW to record the "summed mix" to. Set its inputs to the 2 analog inputs of the converter you're sending the Tube Tech outputs to. Set the output for this track to a spare pair of the converter's analog outputs. These will be the monitor outputs.

Are there any other opinions on the Tube Tech SSA 2B out there?