What's you favorite console to mix on?

[Weezyanna]

Anyone?

[natpub]

Big SSL 9k's because my production style leans toward complexity and track density, and a large format 9 gives me max control and clarity in a way that keeps my eyes out of my ears, if that makes any sense. If I dont get enough control from the console, my eyes start drifting back to the DAW screen, and that is a fail. Other bigs are fine too, but the 9 is just born to it.

Sent from my MB855 using Gearslutz App

[T_R_S]

Analog Neve 88R
Digital Avid Icon

[Steve G]

Of its a big complicated mix, then a Neve 88R or a VR. If it a smaller less involved mix, then and old Neve or API is always fun.

Steve G

[Jeff Hayat]

This:



Gives me those lush, creamy mids, nice warm low end, and crisp, sizzling hi end.

[kosmokrator]

Many recalls:
AWS900/948

less recalls:
Duality.

[AllAboutTone]

Well I am not sure it would be my favorite because I have not had my hands on so many out there, I am loving my 1981 Harrison MR3.

[imixrecords]

my highest charting mixes were done on a Neve 5100 Series. But the workflow of a 9K is tough to beat.

Recently I've been on a Sony MXP3000 that came out of BMG NY and I've made some clients very happy on this desk. The room is killer as well, which helps.

[Camera]

An API with GML automation.

[fnninns]

My favorite today is my MCI JH-538C because it is mine and I have replaced every electrolytic cap in it and I have fully restored it.
I know every inch of the console.
It is also at my home studio, so it is mighty convenient.
No payments, either.

My next favorite and also my favorite SOUNDING console was the Sphere Eclipse I used between '77 and 2000. I sold it in 2001.
I loved to track through it, but it was somewhat limited for mixing.
I do have to say that I probably made more money using that console between '95 and '99 than any console I have ever used.
That means a lot!

Next would be the Neve 8058 mkII I used for about a year.
It was great console and sounded A LOT like the Sphere, but the EQ on the Neve (I forget the module model) only had the single middle freq. range.
That was limiting in certain situations.
It was easy to use and get good results on.

Lower on my personal preference pecking order was the Soundtracs CM4400 I used between '86 and '93.
I did a ton of work on it and made a fair income from it.
Even today the work I did on it stands up better than work I did on much more expensive consoles.
Of course, I sat behind it daily for close to six years.

Below the Soundtracs would be the Neve 8128 I used daily between '93 and '95.
It had it's good points, but it was a B I T C H too service and keep running.
The NECAM II moving fader automation was great when it worked.
Simple to use, but hard to keep in calibration and the S100 computer parts were made of unobtainium.
The real weak point on that console was the latch point bussing system.
All multitrack busses had to pass through that weird circuit regardless of if you used the busses or the direct out.
It really pinched the sound.

Next was the SSL 5052 I used daily in 2000.
It was surgical, it had automation, it had total recall, it had gates and compressors on each channel, but I don't like the mixes I did on it as much as less expensive consoles I used.
It looked cool, it was in big room, but in the end it didn't really sound that great.
Because it had the TV mix master section it was also a bit of a PITA to use.
Yeah, it was a coveted SSL, but it didn't sound that special.

If I had a favorite over-all studio console it would have had to be the UA 16x3, all tube console I had back in '75 through '77.
A lot of that is nostalgia and hindsight because it was one that "got away."
It was mighty special and although I was not that far along in my production skills back then, everything I still have that was tracked through it sure sounds good.
I even have some 1" 8-track masters from it and they still sound good.

I have used many other consoles over the years and some have been in some mighty nice rooms, but since I didn't sit behind them for years at a time I can't really comment like I can with the consoles I used daily.
I also toss out the coolness factor pretty quickly and judge by investment versus results.
In that comparison criteria my MCI JH-538C wins out.

I also do a lot of corporate AV mixing and live event mixing.
That is a whole different ball of wax because of logistics.
My favorite live console is a Yamaha M7CL, but the DigiCo SD7 I used for about six months was cool.
It was a mighty complicated beast, but in a VERY demanding mixing situation it came through. It sure made you think hard!
Of course, I do a ton of smaler rooms where I only want the easiest to set up and use console is best.
In that case I want to see a Midas Venice or a Yamaha LS9-32.

[Camera]

Originally Posted by fnninns

My favorite today is my MCI JH-538C because it is mine and I have replaced every electrolytic cap in it and I have fully restored it.
I know every inch of the console.
It is also at my home studio, so it is mighty convenient.
No payments, either.

My next favorite and also my favorite SOUNDING console was the Sphere Eclipse I used between '77 and 2000. I sold it in 2001.
I loved to track through it, but it was somewhat limited for mixing.
I do have to say that I probably made more money using that console between '95 and '99 than any console I have ever used.
That means a lot!

Next would be the Neve 8058 mkII I used for about a year.
It was great console and sounded A LOT like the Sphere, but the EQ on the Neve (I forget the module model) only had the single middle freq. range.
That was limiting in certain situations.
It was easy to use and get good results on.

Lower on my personal preference pecking order was the Soundtracs CM4400 I used between '86 and '93.
I did a ton of work on it and made a fair income from it.
Even today the work I did on it stands up better than work I did on much more expensive consoles.
Of course, I sat behind it daily for close to six years.

Below the Soundtracs would be the Neve 8128 I used daily between '93 and '95.
It had it's good points, but it was a B I T C H too service and keep running.
The NECAM II moving fader automation was great when it worked.
Simple to use, but hard to keep in calibration and the S100 computer parts were made of unobtainium.
The real weak point on that console was the latch point bussing system.
All multitrack busses had to pass through that weird circuit regardless of if you used the busses or the direct out.
It really pinched the sound.

Below it was the SSL 5052 I used daily in 2000.
It was surgical, it had automation, it had total recall, it had gates and compressors on each channel, but I don't like the mixes I did on it as much as less expensive consoles I used.
It looked cool, it was in big room, but in the end it didn't really sound that great.
Because it had the TV mix master section it was also a bit of a PITA to use.
Yeah, it was a coveted SSL, but it didn't sound that special.

If I had a favorite over-all studio console it would have had to be the UA 16x3, all tube console I had back in '75 through '77.
A lot of that is nostalgia and hindsight because it was one that "got away."
It was mighty special and although I was not that far along in my production skills back then, everything I still have that was tracked through it sure sounds good.
I even have some 1" 8-track masters from it and they still sound good.

I have used many other consoles over the years and some have been in some mighty nice rooms, but since I didn't sit behind them for years at a time I can't really comment like I can with the consoles I used daily.
I also toss out the coolness factor pretty quickly and judge by investment versus results.
In that comparison criteria my MCI JH-538C wins out.

I also do a lot of corporate AV mixing and live event mixing.
That is a whole different ball of wax because of logistics.
My favorite live console is a Yamaha M7CL, but the DigiCo SD7 I used for about six months was cool.
Of course, I doa ton of smaler rooms where I only want the easiest to set up and use console is best.
In that case I want to see a Midas Venice or a Yamaha L9-32.

THIS is how to answer this question.

Problem is, 8 out of 10 members will never see a console here, so it's hard to answer.

[R-AP.SCI]

I understand that it is very likely (based entirely on presumption) that I will be alone in this, but for me it was the Sony Oxford.

I happened to love many things on that board. Eq, dynamics, routing...it just worked for me. Fortunately I also had the benefit of tracking just about 90% of the material I was mixing, so it wasn't too difficult to get the sound I was after in the first place.

Whenever I do have any chance to track or mix (which isn't very much at all these days) I now just use my own designs for the front end and then pretty much stay inside the box (yup, using an enormous amount of Sonnox). I can now actually see myself never using a console again and not really minding....(excluding my final statement in this post).

A close second for me was 4000G (self explanatory, I guess). However I wasn't as much of a fan of the eq, and the dynamics on the channels always tempted to me crush things (I remember an almost compulsive feeling to reach for those knobs and exercising real restraint)...clearly this doesn't include the uber-cool bus compressor, which I had no shame in flogging like a rented mule. It very well could have been the rooms I was in influencing the way I heard things, nonetheless the overall ergonomics and and usability are top notch as far as I'm concerned. Great desk.

.....now, a HELIOS!? I would walk a honey badger on a leash for the opportunity to record a tambourine on one.

[AllAboutTone]

Originally Posted by R-AP.SCI

I understand that it is very likely (based entirely on presumption) that I will be alone in this, but for me it was the Sony Oxford.

I happened to love many things on that board. Eq, dynamics, routing...it just worked for me. Fortunately I also had the benefit of tracking just about 90% of the material I was mixing, so it wasn't too difficult to get the sound I was after in the first place.

Whenever I do have any chance to track or mix (which isn't very much at all these days) I now just use my own designs for the front end and then pretty much stay inside the box (yup, using an enormous amount of Sonnox). I can now actually see myself never using a console again and not really minding....(excluding my final statement in this post).

A close second for me was 4000G (self explanatory, I guess). However I wasn't as much of a fan of the eq, and the dynamics on the channels always tempted to me crush things (I remember an almost compulsive feeling to reach for those knobs and exercising real restraint)...clearly this doesn't include the uber-cool bus compressor, which I had no shame in flogging like a rented mule. It very well could have been the rooms I was in influencing the way I heard things, nonetheless the overall ergonomics and and usability are top notch as far as I'm concerned. Great desk.

.....now, a HELIOS!? I would walk a honey badger on a leash for the opportunity to record a tambourine on one.

Now that is a statement.

[Telefunk]

Harrison 24c for "the sound" and flexibility. Most underrated aspect of those 32/24 series consoles was the "Status Mode" switching, mostly because people didn't bother to understand it. What it does is that it makes the console practically a modular one. Makes mixing film score stems a breeze. No wonder Harrisons became later the industry standard for film sound stages. And for acoustic and jazz...wow.

D&R Octagon for orchestral sessions! That's transparent.

Cadac series J sounds incredibly good for R'nB etc. FAT!

...there's too many to mention.

[Bob Ross]

For mixing, I'm more interested in workflow than sound -- the presumption being that the sound is neutral enough to be usable, of course -- and for my workflow I still prefer old split desks with a separate monitor section. I'd rather mix manually on an old Trident 65 or Soundcraft 2400 than almost any of the current inline desks

...almost.

[Skip Burrows]

4k g+ it's very good for mixing. Recall automation, routing, sound. It's got it all!! Imvho.

[mowmow]

I like SSL 4000 E series EQ with G series computer because I can get the job done quickly. However I like the result I get from NEVE VR series.

[ddageek]

one that works, spent way to much time with cool consoles with problems!

[nlc201]

Originally Posted by ddageek

one that works, spent way to much time with cool consoles with problems!

Agreed. Nothing kills a mix groove faster than a whole host of technical issues on poorly maintained or really problematic boards. My favorite thing about large format consoles is that I don't own one and thus have a choice of which one I want to work on by picking the studio (assuming client has the budget). I leave the maintenance to the owner! God bless 'em!

FWIW: SSL4000G and ITB (cause it works)

[ArnauTS]

For me it's the Wunderbar, not mixed in a 4k but i'm sure i will like that desk too.

[countrymetalguy]

I agree with Telefunk. For tone it's hard to beat a 24 series Harrison. The pres have great tone and the EQ is very musical. Routing is a bit to get your head around at first, but once you do it's awesome if your intergrading old and new gear together. I like how I can use the "ping" mode and route from my apogee converters to my tape machine with the flip of a switch.... Oh and did I mention the sound...????

[12ax7]

Originally Posted by fnninns

My next favorite and also my favorite SOUNDING console was the Sphere Eclipse I used between '77 and 2000. I sold it in 2001.
I loved to track through it, but it was somewhat limited for mixing.

I LOVES me a Sphere.

Had occasion to track a few things with an Eclipse 'C' back in '79 & '80.

...An absolute JOY for tracking (and more than a couple of the rough mixes I did on it ended up better than what came down at the "official" mix time).

I took to it like a fish to water for tracking, and it was one of the few consoles that I just kinda forgot about while I was using it. I was just thinking about the MUSIC!

The mic pres were awesome in that desk. (Beefy as hell without feeling "colored".)

I agree that there were some limiting factors to it as a mixing console, but in a way, it might just have been ahead of its time. (In today's world, for that use it would almost be considered a balls-out hyper-featured summing mixer!)

Did yours have the 9-band graphic EQ's? Damn if those wouldn't be sweet to use today, because although they had no automation, all the settings were in steps (and therefore recallable).

The one I used also had the Alison automation for the faders (although I never used it).

Thanks for reminding me of that gem!

.