This sounds fantastic!!! I think the thing that I like about going through outboard gear vs. software is you can actually hear what you're doing in real time. I know that with some software it can be very touchy and may be on a slight delay when making adjustments but when you're using external equipment you can make the most subtle but effective changes without destroying the mix. I've never seen a mixing console with onboard patch bay. Everything sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks for doing analog mixing videos! It's nearly impossible to find any videos online. I only mix analog and its a bit frustrating to look for tips/inspiration online and only find DAW videos. Its strange that nobody is curious about recording/mixing music before 1998. Sure analog involves more gear and work but its way more fun. It also adds a human element to a song that lacks from modern stiff/perfected computer based recording. I've always said... if I go blind, I'll still be able to mix music, unlike DAW users. Make music with your ears, not your eyes. Great channel, thanks!
I completely agree with you. I'm new to the game of mixing and recording and everything is in the box and chasing the next plugins. I'm trying to do a hybrid setup because I instantly noticed the difference.
Just bought the MOTU 24Ai and 24Ao back in the fall. I use them along with an old Mackie 24 channel 8 buss console. Also just recently got my first 500 series chassis and units. I am slowly getting some high quality outboard processors in addition I am working on building my own gear including a tube compressor.
Love those meter bridges! Nice song too! I love the console workflow. My Yamaha RM800 isn’t as flexible as a lot of other recording consoles, but the sound separation, clarity, and punch it brings to my recordings makes the real estate it takes up in my studio worth it. I do miss inserts on all tracks/groups, but that’s nothing my patchbay won’t fix! Cool video and very informative. Beautiful equipment as well!
Great job, brother! Mothership/Vancouver/2500/B2 Bomber and a ton of other outboard over here - I'd love an old MCI console to bring it all home, as well! Or a Helios... ;)
I grew up on analog with a studio I owned from 1979 to 1989 . 2 inch running 30ips. This is the year I hope to build another studio and honestly I'm going analog with in the box capabilities. But after 30 years I plan on recutting my chops on a hybrid console and outboard gear first. Still deciding on if I add a freshly rebuilt MARA MCI 24 track. Then working into in the box. Thanks for the inspiration. I've been out too long. Time to get busy again. 😎👍
I’m really glad to hear you’re getting it rolling again. And it sound like you’re going to have a similar set up like me. That’s the way I like to run sessions too. Having both analog and digital is the way I like to do it. Steve
awesome video man. so... I'm new to the console world. I have a Midas 320 I'm using and for the life of me can't figure out what cabling I need for the insert/aux/ and stereo master chains. I have plenty of outboard gear - api 5500, neve 1073, Cl1b, purple mc77, successor , adding the api 2500 soon - about to purchase a few effects processors as well.... just suck at the cabling aspect. Can you do a vid showing you exact cabling process and what insert cables you use?
What a dream of a setup. I can comment about my rig and hope it gives you some thoughts. In my case I got two snakes: one just for mics, the other is a 36-channel, color-coded TRS (with the odd XLR) snake to hook up my interface's i/o to my desk. I use the berry mx3282 in a split fashion, the first half of the desk is for tracking, the latter I have interface and fx returns patched in. I send the group outs into interface inputs; aux sends to either distro amps or straight into my fx racks; CD reference player @ RCA/tape in and 2-track reel-to-reel on tape out; R2R out into stereo aux return, which I can send to a bus with the flick of a switch and print back into daw; last but not least, the SSL2 or R2R picking up the master out. My compressors, outboard EQs, enhancers etc, however, I made TS/TRS Y-cables separate from the snake; since the board's connections are easy to access I just move them around as needed (also bc proper insert snakes are pretty hard to come by in Brazil). I am currently (sort of) bypassing the need for a patchbay since I have inserts on channel strips, groups and the master buss. i used to have e.g. dbx 160 fixed on buss 1-2, exciters on buss 3-4... so i'd route things accordingly on the tracking sessions. but hbu, are you using patchbays or plugging things straight in? how is your console arranged, is it just for mixing, mastering or also tracking? do you intend on making more complex signal chains, other than one insert per channel...? if so... in the case of a DIY snake I have little idea how i'd tie things up, other than using a 'bay with pigtail/bolt-on terminals on the rear. If you had a 'bay with TRS on the rear, you could use the insert snake and tie your otb to the patchbay with shorter XLR to TRS. If you're doing a snake by yourself, of course, you can cherry-pick and mixmatch the plugs and brands as suitable.
Consoles have different I/O for connections. Mine are much different than yours on the Midas’s which by the way I love those Midas consoles. A lot if the venues I played in Chicago had Midas boards and they always sound great! Your mic inputs should be standard XLR, I think your line input and send & returns are 1/4 inch balanced. So you need to decide if your going to use a patch-bay. Which I recommend highly if you’ll be using a lot of outboard.
@@RiotHomeRecording ok yeah I figured as much. I really appreciate what you're doing for the community here and thanks for the reply bro. I'll look more into and get ready to invest!
Just bring everything into patchbays. Use normaled for things like buss outs to multitrack recorder (analog or digital interface), aux sends for cue or effects, also effect output to aux returns, and use half normal for inserts. Outboard gear should go to a patch at set to open or thru mode. Also remember- outputs on top, inputs on bottom. Hope this helps.
If that mixer could talk bro!!! Do I hear Nashville and the crazy clown show that happened with one of your mixing boards lmao. Steve u may or may not remember but I do🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for a great tutorial and your expertise. You’re a pro no doubt. I’ve recorded a lot this year and am really happy with the sounds I’ve been getting on my MS16 1” 16 track. But, I haven’t mixed down the songs yet mainly because l’m not sure I have enough outboards. I have 2 lexicons PCM70 and a Roland space echo and a 16 channel Mackie. What I wanted to ask iabout is the compression and the EQ: I have a pair of BAE 1084 pre’s with the EQ. Can I mix down about 10 tracks through only a pair of EQ pre,s and a one 1178 compressor? Or do I need 10 outboard modules (EQ/pre’s) and 10 compressors all for each track? I just don’t want to ruin the tracks while trying to enhance one when I’m limited on outboards. Or is it ok to just use both of my BAE EQ’s for an entire mix?
The MS16 is a great machine. I used to own the big brother Tascam machine ATR60-16. Basically the same machine except the ATR can record at either 15IPS or 30IPS and is all one console style unit...Sorry I sold my machine years ago...All the best for your mix... Phil NYC Area
Thanks Ej, You can mix down 10 tracks and have a stereo compressor and eq strapped across the mix. You don’t need to have a compressor on every channel. If you watch my mix videos. I usually have 3 compressors on the drums. One on the inside kick One on the snare top And one across the drum Buss. You have great gear, and the MS16 is going to put you ahead in terms of organic natural comps & eq on every track. That’s what tape does. Maybe pick up a pair of Dbx 160a for kick & snare. Steve
@@RiotHomeRecording I am sorry I sold (as mentioned in my last comment) my Tascam ATR60-16 machine. There's just something different about the sound. I still have ten 1-inch tapes here, including my Guitar Jazz Fusion CD raw tracks are on about 3 of those tapes. No way for me to access them now, assuming they have not deteriorated as they are from the early 1990s. I may buy a few of those DBX 160a models myself, based on what you're saying Steve...They seem like nice units. I do have a pair of the DBX166 models from the early 1990s...(And I do like those too)... Phil NYC Area
@@uptownphotography We all have gear we regret selling. The good thing is we can always buy it again or a different piece that might work better. I like dbx compression in general. I own 8 of them an use them for every mix. The 160a is a great compressor a standard in the audio world. Great on many many things. Kick, snare, Tom’s, bass, guitars, horns, vocals, piano, etc…
@@RiotHomeRecording Well said and agreed 100%. I am very lucky that did not sell some of my now considered vintage rack gear from the late 1980s and early 1990s. I still have my Eventide H3000, Lexicon PCM42, Yamaha Rev7 and SPX900, TC 1144 Bass preamp and Korg A3 units and a few other goodies. I really like your quality setup in your rack and you're inspiring some great ideas in my current hydrid studio rebuild. Thanks. Phil
Thanks for sharing are the Api2500+EQs inserted in parallel or all the drums are bused on console to stereo fader where the Gears are inserted? Trying to get my head where it's inserted in the chain?
Yes I am running the api 2500 in parallel, I have it returning back to a pair of faders on channels 11 & 12. These channels are hard panned left & right. I then mix in/blend as much of the drums going through the api 2500 with the other drums tracks as I want. And even ride the faders for certain parts of the song during the final print. Having inserts sends & returns on a mixer is extremely important. I should of gone over this in the video. I meant to explain the channel inserts and bussing but totally forgot. I’ll do a short separate video on inserts & bussing. Thank you Steve
@@RiotHomeRecording aaaaaaaaaaaah makes sense now, a video on the inserts/bussing would be great, so in effect you have no actual Drum Bus compressor inserted directly on the drums, just the API's blended in Parallel.
Very interesting. The result is great. Some fine equipment. I got a question. When you sculpture the basic mix on your console, are you already EQ-Ing functionally? Or do you additional moves when the outboard is patched back into the console? And does this console have build in channel compressors you use for functional first layering? Thank you a lot in advance :)
The console does not have compressors built in. For tracking I don’t really use eq that much. For mixing it just depends on if I feel it’s needed. I’m usually doing more lo&hi passing then eq’ing. Thank you Steve
Awesome as always! i have to admit it went from sounding meh in the beginning to something you would hear on the radio when you were done
Thanks Ean, a little bit of compression and eq can go a long way.
This sounds fantastic!!! I think the thing that I like about going through outboard gear vs. software is you can actually hear what you're doing in real time. I know that with some software it can be very touchy and may be on a slight delay when making adjustments but when you're using external equipment you can make the most subtle but effective changes without destroying the mix. I've never seen a mixing console with onboard patch bay. Everything sounds amazing. Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks Paul, I appreciate you! And agree that analog sounds more forgiving.
Thanks for doing analog mixing videos! It's nearly impossible to find any videos online. I only mix analog and its a bit frustrating to look for tips/inspiration online and only find DAW videos. Its strange that nobody is curious about recording/mixing music before 1998. Sure analog involves more gear and work but its way more fun. It also adds a human element to a song that lacks from modern stiff/perfected computer based recording. I've always said... if I go blind, I'll still be able to mix music, unlike DAW users. Make music with your ears, not your eyes.
Great channel, thanks!
I completely agree with you. I'm new to the game of mixing and recording and everything is in the box and chasing the next plugins. I'm trying to do a hybrid setup because I instantly noticed the difference.
Just bought the MOTU 24Ai and 24Ao back in the fall. I use them along with an old Mackie 24 channel 8 buss console. Also just recently got my first 500 series chassis and units. I am slowly getting some high quality outboard processors in addition I am working on building my own gear including a tube compressor.
Love those meter bridges! Nice song too!
I love the console workflow. My Yamaha RM800 isn’t as flexible as a lot of other recording consoles, but the sound separation, clarity, and punch it brings to my recordings makes the real estate it takes up in my studio worth it. I do miss inserts on all tracks/groups, but that’s nothing my patchbay won’t fix!
Cool video and very informative. Beautiful equipment as well!
Thanks Hunter!
Man that API stuff sounds incredible on drums. Spanks but also gives a little. Love your videos.
I agree with you it sure does.
Great job, brother! Mothership/Vancouver/2500/B2 Bomber and a ton of other outboard over here - I'd love an old MCI console to bring it all home, as well! Or a Helios... ;)
Helios! I’d love one too!!!!
Very nice video. Luv all the detailed steps. I’m huge fan of api and just discovered how good their api 525 compressor is on vocals.
I grew up on analog with a studio I owned from 1979 to 1989 . 2 inch running 30ips. This is the year I hope to build another studio and honestly I'm going analog with in the box capabilities. But after 30 years I plan on recutting my chops on a hybrid console and outboard gear first. Still deciding on if I add a freshly rebuilt MARA MCI 24 track. Then working into in the box. Thanks for the inspiration. I've been out too long. Time to get busy again. 😎👍
I’m really glad to hear you’re getting it rolling again. And it sound like you’re going to have a similar set up like me. That’s the way I like to run sessions too. Having both analog and digital is the way I like to do it.
Steve
Those little api devils are crazy on drums bro bro
Yes they are!
WOW what a great drum mix..
Thanks Sal!
Great video!! Keep on posting!!
Thank you Caffenia!!!
Excellent video, as always....
Phil
NYC Area
Thank you Phil!
Another great video dude! Putting more time into the edit pays off!
Thanks Ripper! I’m still getting to know the video editing software.
Amazing, so inspiring
Thanks Marcin! Recording and Mixing is fun.
Really loved this video.
Thanks PMP!
@@RiotHomeRecording anytime brother!
Everytime I see this console I'm reminded why I do my best to avoid software....
awesome video man. so... I'm new to the console world. I have a Midas 320 I'm using and for the life of me can't figure out what cabling I need for the insert/aux/ and stereo master chains. I have plenty of outboard gear - api 5500, neve 1073, Cl1b, purple mc77, successor , adding the api 2500 soon - about to purchase a few effects processors as well.... just suck at the cabling aspect. Can you do a vid showing you exact cabling process and what insert cables you use?
What a dream of a setup. I can comment about my rig and hope it gives you some thoughts.
In my case I got two snakes: one just for mics, the other is a 36-channel, color-coded TRS (with the odd XLR) snake to hook up my interface's i/o to my desk. I use the berry mx3282 in a split fashion, the first half of the desk is for tracking, the latter I have interface and fx returns patched in. I send the group outs into interface inputs; aux sends to either distro amps or straight into my fx racks; CD reference player @ RCA/tape in and 2-track reel-to-reel on tape out; R2R out into stereo aux return, which I can send to a bus with the flick of a switch and print back into daw; last but not least, the SSL2 or R2R picking up the master out.
My compressors, outboard EQs, enhancers etc, however, I made TS/TRS Y-cables separate from the snake; since the board's connections are easy to access I just move them around as needed (also bc proper insert snakes are pretty hard to come by in Brazil). I am currently (sort of) bypassing the need for a patchbay since I have inserts on channel strips, groups and the master buss. i used to have e.g. dbx 160 fixed on buss 1-2, exciters on buss 3-4... so i'd route things accordingly on the tracking sessions.
but hbu, are you using patchbays or plugging things straight in? how is your console arranged, is it just for mixing, mastering or also tracking? do you intend on making more complex signal chains, other than one insert per channel...?
if so... in the case of a DIY snake I have little idea how i'd tie things up, other than using a 'bay with pigtail/bolt-on terminals on the rear. If you had a 'bay with TRS on the rear, you could use the insert snake and tie your otb to the patchbay with shorter XLR to TRS. If you're doing a snake by yourself, of course, you can cherry-pick and mixmatch the plugs and brands as suitable.
Consoles have different I/O for connections. Mine are much different than yours on the Midas’s which by the way I love those Midas consoles. A lot if the venues I played in Chicago had Midas boards and they always sound great! Your mic inputs should be standard XLR, I think your line input and send & returns are 1/4 inch balanced. So you need to decide if your going to use a patch-bay. Which I recommend highly if you’ll be using a lot of outboard.
@@RiotHomeRecording ok yeah I figured as much. I really appreciate what you're doing for the community here and thanks for the reply bro. I'll look more into and get ready to invest!
Just bring everything into patchbays. Use normaled for things like buss outs to multitrack recorder (analog or digital interface), aux sends for cue or effects, also effect output to aux returns, and use half normal for inserts. Outboard gear should go to a patch at set to open or thru mode. Also remember- outputs on top, inputs on bottom. Hope this helps.
@@craigbrown7929 thank you so much man. sincerely.
If that mixer could talk bro!!! Do I hear Nashville and the crazy clown show that happened with one of your mixing boards lmao. Steve u may or may not remember but I do🤣🤣🤣
That was my other console this one from Santa Monica California.
I figure one day I'll get a big mixing board. Then I'll get all the hot chicks.
That’s what I thought! But still only have the mixer
🍁🖤🍁
Thank you!
Thanks for a great tutorial and your expertise. You’re a pro no doubt.
I’ve recorded a lot this year and am really happy with the sounds I’ve been getting on my MS16 1” 16 track. But, I haven’t mixed down the songs yet mainly because l’m not sure I have enough outboards. I have 2 lexicons PCM70 and a Roland space echo and a 16 channel Mackie. What I wanted to ask iabout is the compression and the EQ: I have a pair of BAE 1084 pre’s with the EQ.
Can I mix down about 10 tracks through only a pair of EQ pre,s and a one 1178 compressor? Or do I need 10 outboard modules (EQ/pre’s) and 10 compressors all for each track? I just don’t want to ruin the tracks while trying to enhance one when I’m limited on outboards. Or is it ok to just use both of my BAE EQ’s for an entire mix?
The MS16 is a great machine. I used to own the big brother Tascam machine ATR60-16. Basically the same machine except the ATR can record at either 15IPS or 30IPS and is all one console style unit...Sorry I sold my machine years ago...All the best for your mix...
Phil
NYC Area
Thanks Ej,
You can mix down 10 tracks and have a stereo compressor and eq strapped across the mix. You don’t need to have a compressor on every channel. If you watch my mix videos. I usually have 3 compressors on the drums.
One on the inside kick
One on the snare top
And one across the drum Buss.
You have great gear, and the MS16 is going to put you ahead in terms of organic natural comps & eq on every track. That’s what tape does.
Maybe pick up a pair of Dbx 160a for kick & snare.
Steve
@@RiotHomeRecording I am sorry I sold (as mentioned in my last comment) my Tascam ATR60-16 machine. There's just something different about the sound. I still have ten 1-inch tapes here, including my Guitar Jazz Fusion CD raw tracks are on about 3 of those tapes. No way for me to access them now, assuming they have not deteriorated as they are from the early 1990s. I may buy a few of those DBX 160a models myself, based on what you're saying Steve...They seem like nice units. I do have a pair of the DBX166 models from the early 1990s...(And I do like those too)...
Phil
NYC Area
@@uptownphotography
We all have gear we regret selling. The good thing is we can always buy it again or a different piece that might work better. I like dbx compression in general. I own 8 of them an use them for every mix. The 160a is a great compressor a standard in the audio world. Great on many many things.
Kick, snare, Tom’s, bass, guitars, horns, vocals, piano, etc…
@@RiotHomeRecording Well said and agreed 100%.
I am very lucky that did not sell some of my now considered vintage rack gear from the late 1980s and early 1990s. I still have my Eventide H3000, Lexicon PCM42, Yamaha Rev7 and SPX900, TC 1144 Bass preamp and Korg A3 units and a few other goodies.
I really like your quality setup in your rack and you're inspiring some great ideas in my current hydrid studio rebuild. Thanks.
Phil
Thanks for sharing are the Api2500+EQs inserted in parallel or all the drums are bused on console to stereo fader where the Gears are inserted? Trying to get my head where it's inserted in the chain?
Yes I am running the api 2500 in parallel, I have it returning back to a pair of faders on channels 11 & 12. These channels are hard panned left & right.
I then mix in/blend as much of the drums going through the api 2500 with the other drums tracks as I want. And even ride the faders for certain parts of the song during the final print.
Having inserts sends & returns on a mixer is extremely important. I should of gone over this in the video. I meant to explain the channel inserts and bussing but totally forgot. I’ll do a short separate video on inserts & bussing.
Thank you
Steve
@@RiotHomeRecording aaaaaaaaaaaah makes sense now, a video on the inserts/bussing would be great, so in effect you have no actual Drum Bus compressor inserted directly on the drums, just the API's blended in Parallel.
Very interesting. The result is great. Some fine equipment.
I got a question. When you sculpture the basic mix on your console, are you already EQ-Ing functionally? Or do you additional moves when the outboard is patched back into the console? And does this console have build in channel compressors you use for functional first layering? Thank you a lot in advance :)
The console does not have compressors built in. For tracking I don’t really use eq that much. For mixing it just depends on if I feel it’s needed. I’m usually doing more lo&hi passing then eq’ing.
Thank you
Steve
Is this how 90s eurodance songs were arranged?
This song is sooo good. Who is this?
It’s a 20 year old young lady I Produced from Wisconsin. I go over it in a previous video.
Thank you
Steve
@@RiotHomeRecording great indie rock! They certainly like The Pixies and Siouxie :)
@@nichttuntun3364 thank you
@@RiotHomeRecording you're welcome
Does anyone know of where to look for a used console?
You got to just keep an eye out they pop up.
@@RiotHomeRecording I will definitely be on the lookout for one.