So did Busta use his XL9000K on his new album? How about Timbaland? Did he use his Neve VR on the Nelly Furtado track? And, finally. Did Wyclef use his XL9000K, or 9000J on the Shakira track?

A 777 Subject.

You obviously mean someone who knows what they are doing with a Neve or SSL can make a mix sound great , the desk does'nt actually mix on it's ownheh

Likewise the same person who knows how to do good mixes on an SSL will have a better shot a doing a great ITB mix, because he brings his ears with him , only thing that changes is the platform ! Most of the A list mix guys who choose to mix ITB these day's have a solid grounding in mixing on large format consoles , say it isn't so ?heh

It's a different world 14 years later.

Not so sure about that. Feels the same in terms how records are produced.

The biggest thing that's changed is the budgets are much much smaller.

I meant in terms of consoles vs ITB.

Production is the fun side of it for me these days. I'm more ITB and less hybrid than before (mixing). I'm summing ITB for now too. I still want tracking gear. I'd love to have something like an SSL X desk, but with faders for every channel for tracking.

Well 14 years is 14 years.

If you compare it to lets say 1992, then 2006 is a very stark difference to how records were made in 1992.

Producing is always where the adventurous creation has happened. It was nicer in the old days when multiple people were involved and not just one person trying to do everything. Its also why what you heard on the radio had a certain magic to it.

I feel the only reason to have a console these days is for tracking multiple people at once. Don't know if an X desk would be my choice these days, but i haven't had a real need to keep up to what's out there these days.

I don't really have a need for a desk. I think it's nostalgia making me want one. I still want a few more pieces of gear for tracking, but I can honestly get by without most of them too. The only issue there is I have to know that things won't sound like what I'm hearing in my head from just bringing the faders up. I can use mults/parallel comp and saturation in the mix, but the chains in my template would be a latency nightmare for tracking.

I still haven't found a way to eliminate hardware on 2 bus. My NTI EQ3 sounds better than the plugin on two bus for me. I'd like to see someone make a faithful Dramastic Obscidian plug so I won't have to order one to test for 2 bus jummp. Outside of wanting to try going back to HW bus comp, I don't "need" anything.

I get tempted to get a pair of 1073s at times, but I like the vocals I get using Amek CIBs for pre.

I noticed its for a lot of people.

I just had a conversation with one of my old clients going on and on about my old SSL and how me misses it. And then he asked me and I told him straight out no which caught him off guard and surprised him. When asked why? I told him straight out a console is great when its someone else that has to maintain it and pay the bills for it. Same goes for owning a sound motel with big speakers and all the outboard. But when its all on your shoulders, the nostalgia goes away fast.

But i guess that's for a lot of things.

The way i eliminated the need for analog gear on the 2 buss period, is years ago i stopped using it all together and just challenged myself to make mixes that don't rely on it. Its actually quite liberating working that way. Its actually possible and to me you can hear the front to back depth better. But that's me.

These days i basically kept a couple of mic pres,comps and Eq's for tracking and on the mixing side, whatever i use on a vocal or anything in the center(Lead vox,bass,kick,snare,sax,lead gtr) mixing wise ITB, i copied the same channels OTB. Also when needed some OTB rev/ effects to supplement some ITB reverbs.

So, if I'm understanding correctly(I don't think I am), you now use hardware on anything in the mix's center?
Have you moved to more outboard gear or less?