Mult Channels on SSL 4000 E

[Miramar_sessions]

Whats the best way to mult chanells on a SSL 4000 for parallel compression?

Which is the best path to create subgroups for drums, like, 1 group without processing and the other with processing.

We just put in order our console, and i need some advices!

Thanks!

João

[brewery]

i usually send the tracks to a group with the small fader. but this does mean that you have to put all small faders on eg your drum tracks to unity with 'from channel output' pressed to get (roughly) the same submix. another way is to float the channels, and then press the stereo bus in the routing as well as the group you want to send to. i sometimes wish there would be a button to just send the post vca fader signal to the routing matrix, bypassing the small fader but leaving everything else as it is...

[ms70]

use the small fader to route signal to the busses. Use "SUB GP" button on the input section of a channel to receive the signal from the corresponding bus.

[rockitrecordings]

Work on this desk all the time, love it.

FLOAT all your drums channels to four channels somewhere else(either patch them or SUB GROUP them) say 25-26 and 27-28.

The first two can be your untouched mix, the second two can be your parallel compressed group.

[Miramar_sessions]

thanks for all replys.

One more...

can i do the floats while im tracking, in recording mode with VCAs to monitor?

Or should i only do this stuff when i'm mixing?

I do this kind of things a lot internaly on protools HD while im tracking in order to make the musicians feel more xcited about the sound while they are recording or listening on the control room during tracking.

But i dont know if there are a way to do it on the desk while tracking as the small faders are in use as the main input faders and the VCAs as monitor faders.

[rockitrecordings]

heres a great secret of the SSL E, the E doesn't have Solo Isolate on channels(with exception of stereo channels but most consoles don't have many of those)

If you do the above FLOAT option and choose your outputs 25-26 and 27-28, but instead of pressing the SUBGROUP ins on those channels, patch them into 25-26 & 27-28 insert returns(make sure you push the insert button on these channels)

This essentially makes these Solo Isolated, youre welcome

[rockitrecordings]

Are you recording the drums? If you're not recording the drums I don't think you'll run into any problems doing the VCA to monitors deal(especially in Triangle mode(Record/Mix/VCA to Monitors)

As I think about it you could still do it if you were recording drums, using the direct outs on each channel. However pressing either FLOAT and/or DIRECT might disable your other mults, I'm not quite sure.

[Miramar_sessions]

hey thanks for that trick!

Actually i'm recording a band live at the studio, including drums. I'm using all the 24 buses as my multitrack sends. So i'm not able to use them to create subgroups, as i'm using them all. I probably could do this if i was not using the desk as an inline console, but instead, just running the mikes through external preamps, and then, just use the desk to receive and mix.

[Avening]

When you send signal from the small fader, you can send signal in a few different ways. "Input" will send the signal pre-fader, "Output" will send the signal post-fader, and if you press both at the same time, it will send the signal post fader and post EQ. You can then assign the channels to the bussing matrix, and pick them up using SUB GP", or by physically patching out of "Group Outputs" in the patch bay, and patching directly into a set of channels of your choice. All depends on what the board looks like at the time, and what's open for you to use.

You can also set up a true "back bus" by using the F/B pan pot IN, and assigning the channels to the rear mix buss, but I'd only ever use that if I had no channels left. IIRC there's a dead patch involved, and I can't remember for the life of me how it went. Oh well!

[betamatt]

Originally Posted by Avening

When you send signal from the small fader, you can send signal in a few different ways. "Input" will send the signal pre-fader, "Output" will send the signal post-fader, and if you press both at the same time, it will send the signal post fader and post EQ.

Actually this isn't correct:

"Output" means the output of the large fader goes to the small fader.
"Input" means the channel input goes directly to the small fader, bypassing the large fader AND all EQ, Dynamics, Inserts, etc.
Both buttons together means the PRE-fader channel output goes to the small fader, WITH all EQ, Dynamics, Inserts, etc. processing.

[paulmoak]

I do this while tracking on my 4000. Float each channel of drums and send them to 2 stereo pairs of busses. One effected and one clean. The use vca's to control the level of your blend. I also run the desk in pyramid mode. This allows you to use some channels to monitor with compression and eq on desk, and some channels track thru comp and eq to tape. It works awesome.

[Miramar_sessions]

I'm not shure what its the pyramid mode and how to do it, but i do process somethings to tape, and others just to monitor with the channel in or mon on the EQs and Dinamics.
Can you explain me with more detail the pyramid stuff?

[Avening]

Originally Posted by betamatt

Actually this isn't correct:

"Output" means the output of the large fader goes to the small fader.
"Input" means the channel input goes directly to the small fader, bypassing the large fader AND all EQ, Dynamics, Inserts, etc.
Both buttons together means the PRE-fader channel output goes to the small fader, WITH all EQ, Dynamics, Inserts, etc. processing.

My bad. Didn't catch my mistake on the last line there ... should have read: if you press both at the same time, it will send the signal pre fader and post EQ.

Thanks for catching that.

Everything else in my description stands.