Codename Baby9K-- A great idea for mobile & location recording

[samw@SSL]

Originally Posted by stevetgn

Hi Sam,
Not seen you on GS before are you new at SSL?

Regards

Steve

No I have been here a while.

And I like to keep an eye on the 'slutz

Best wishes,

Sam
Solid State Logic

[Remoteness]

I trust jindrich will not mind the fact that I copied this thread to the Remote Possibilities forum.

This forward thinking modular device should also be addressed here for all us Remotesters and live sound Road Dogs & Cats.

Having SSL X-Rack and Tonelux today and the possibility of this product in the future makes me feel good about what we do and how we get to do it!

Very strong -- Keep up the excellent concept and mindset coming!

[Remoteness]

Originally Posted by DontLetMeDrown

I really wouldn't want to sit in front of that all day. If your going to spend that much cash, why not go the extra mile and get a sexy console? I always wonder on these threads where people say "I'd buy that right now" how many of them would really plunk down the cash?

Considering the type of work I do 87 percent of the time, I totally would dig this setup.

This looks very dreaming to me, just like the Tonelux system does today.

More power to this concept.

[cortisol]

I think SSL should definately go ahead with this. You would definately get a load of business from the slutz. It truely offers value and hits the target of how lots of people are working these days. You won't be sorry SSL.

Peace,
cortisol

[PhilE]

Originally Posted by jindrich

but would you pay TWICE as much, that is, $30k for the Tonelux instead of $15k for the SSL, as still get less features, no TotalRecall and a brand that is not recongized worldwide, just because one looks slightly more like a console than the other?
.

No- I'd pay a lot more and get an SSL not a rack laid out as a mini one.
Thats not belittling the product- it's just not what I would want- as I said before I think others would... I'm just a console kind of guy. If I ever change my mind it will be a move towards an ICON or similar, but thats not the way I want to go yet.

My post was purely to let you know that it won't tempt guys like me away from our large format consoles- I'm sure that this is not really aimed at console owners anyway- for me the x-rack is just right as it is sitting in an aux rack and popping up on the patch.

[jindrich]

A little more of the endless flexibility of the system:

The diagram below shows how the "Baby9K" could offer a true AUTOMATED, fully featured Superanalogue mixing environment (not just simple summing) to any of the current 2,000+ ICON users




Current summers offer a VERY basic and simple solution that's not enough to anyone. ALL of the tipical mixer functions are required in a TRUE all ANALOG mixing scenario, where DAW tracks are sent (and stay analog after that) D/A to analog for outboard processing, and just AFTER THAT aux sends and fader moves should be implemented. Enter the Baby9K: mixing is controlled with the ICON, but all audio happens in Superanalogue land.


Workflow is very straightforward. 32-48 DAW tracks are sent thru D/As to the "Baby9K" inputs. From here outboard can be inserted in at will, and 1st cue, 5 fx auxes and controllable direct outs are used to send the processed tracks to reverb and FX units (and its outputs returned to the Baby9K). The mix is completed with further pans, mutes, bus routings, etc. Being all analog, parallel compressing can be applied throughout without any latency problems.
The entire mix happens in Superanalogue land. One single SSL Snapshot saves the entire analog setup for later recalls (aux and pans levels, routings, inserts, switches...etc).


Now comes the big deal. A black box SSL DCA unit is used to continually control and automate the levels (and mutes and solos) of each analog channel/track of the Baby9K. But here it's the ICON with its faders who's controlling and automating those levels, instead of the optional Moving Faders Unit for the Baby9K.

What an extraordinary way to add automated Superanalogue mixing to ICONs, at an extremely affordable price. Of course SSL would rather sell Dualities to those people, but they already decided on ICONs for whatever reason.


It goes without saying that this setup works as well in a tracking scenario, where all Preamps and Outboard are patched in to the Baby9K and signals sent (direct outs or busses) to via A/D conveters to PTHD to record. Headphone mixes can done in analog too.


ITB, automated OTB or a mix of the two? Now it's YOUR choice.



So the Baby9K serves not only as a tracking mixer for location work, or as a tracking/mixing device for ANY DAW user, or to expand inputs to an AWS900 or any other mixer, but also brings true analogue mixer's features and functionalities to ICONs . All in Superanalogue and resetable fashion.

[jindrich]

Hi you all

I just found out my original thread has been duplicated here.

YES, this thing was ALSO designed with REMOTE LOCATION in mind. For such uses, options like moving faders might not be needed, but all those other ones would come in very handy:

-modularity, build as you need
-direct outs, selectable pre/post (with own rotary when it's pre fader) per channel
-switchable balanced inserts
-st cue and aux sends
-full metering and 8 mono+2 stereo (12 total) bussing
-full monitoring, foldback and talkback
-Snapshot recall of ALL settings
-SSL's clean Superanalogue path

etc

the system wouldn't be cheap (as in mackie cheap), but we're talking about an analogue, long lasting SSL product.

glad you liked it.

[solidstate]

Man, you're really putting some hard work into this!! Are you a designer or something??

Anyway i'm holding my x-rack purchase for this very reason.. It ain't got buss/sends and flying faders(oh yeah, and 2 BIG, VU on the master buss too:-) Personally i don't have a PTHD system, so the icon integration is not so important to me. But maybe it's important to others..

I'd love to own a baby 9k or a modular aws 900+ (ie i don't need mic pres and daw controller but i'd like to have dyn and eqs on every channel)

So Sam @ ssl, have you folks ever thought about making a small format modular console?

Now that neve genesys is almost out, ssl should tihink about something more competive!

[samw@SSL]

Originally Posted by solidstate

So Sam @ ssl, have you folks ever thought about making a small format modular console?

Hello,

Well we have a history of producing a modular console with the SL 5000 series, I suppose the 5300M would be about the size that this thread is talking about.

As you can see I'm still monitoring this thread with interest

Sam
Solid State Logic

[jindrich]

Sam,

As you must know for all the info we sent Jim back in january, there's no need to build anything new from scratch, like in a new 5000 series or so.

What's shown above as an "ICON partner", as well as everything else on this thread, can be implemented just with the current XRACK, plus some of the "M2" and "M4" modules and the "Master Unit".

Surely having to adapt the whole concept to the existing XRACK made the implementation a true cabling mess on the back panels. A slightly modified, backwards compatible XRACK chassis would ease that mess (and make it even more flexible), but in the end a well designed patchbay would work as well with the existing XRACK without any problem.

[Tommylicious]

I like the idea of the SSL type routing matrix. It would be nice to use with some different summing mixers for example, saves you some patching and would be a good workflow thing. It's one of those things i really miss in nowadays summing mixers...

I'm not sure if anything like that already exists beside the Tonelux-routingmodules. (wich look nice and handy too btw!)

[Tibbon]

I'm confused, engineers have taken 10 years of research to make this, and all you have is a mock up?

[jindrich]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

I'm confused, engineers have taken 10 years of research to make this, and all you have is a mock up?

This is some of the work of a pool of european professionals, not a proper firm, formed originally more than a decade ago, back then when the Yamaha 02R was first introduced into the market showing hints of the revolution in features and prices in the audio industry tools that was about to come.

Some people get together for barbecues, other more geeky folks would rather sometimes sit to discuss about algorythms, capacitors and signal paths around german beer. This has always been an open developing group, much like those on Linux etc.

As you may guess, there's been dozens and dozens of projects thru the years and an innumerable amount of drawings, plans, circuit boards, unfinished software apps, crazy ideas like mixing microphones with optical detectors, etc etc.


The Baby9K (of which the SSL here is just an adaptation) is one of those projects that got quite finished and would be ready to implement. The 3D renderings are just the tip of the iceberg. There's LOTSA stuff behind that.

[rawdigits]