Digital desks

[picato]

Originally Posted by 303lovesit

I mean do people like myself really need a mixer when i do everything in SX and add all my reverbs and compression with plugs etc!!

Until now I've never thought about it, but my answer has to be NO. On the other hand like Hollowcell says, analogue desks have another character. I suppose it's more about personal taste than good quality. Because we all have sort of different views about what excelent sound, and a good mix is. "Dance music" is a fairly wide definition and "dance tracks" sounds very different.

[303lovesit]

Even the best analouge desks give off slight white noise but do you think not having a desk atall takes away a feeling of sound that only analouge desks can make!!


Also not having a desk surely means stuff like not being able to route mics and stuff or maybe later on not being able to route stuff to effects units!! though i am not plannin on getting outboard stuff at the moment im really starting to think about weather to get one or not!!!

[picato]

Originally Posted by 303lovesit

Even the best analouge desks give off slight white noise but do you think not having a desk atall takes away a feeling of sound that only analouge desks can make!!

The question is if you hear the difference in the end, and if other people does? Maybe you personally do because you have spend a lot of time on that particular mix, and know every little detail by heart. But the difference between a million selling hit and not isn't really about what mixing desk you've got... I mean, if you've got some commercial purposes with your music, this isn't the major point to put in most effort and concern.

[303lovesit]

So true man!!!

I always hear every bit of detail in my tracks but when im unhappy with it when i show other people it there likw wow!!!!!

an im like now man it soiunds shit!!

But I think im gonna order my delta 10/10 now and a nord and spare screen and 4 more planet wave cables!!

But thanks guys for intresing topic!!

Maybe one day i might get a desk again but really not needed now as all my processing is done with very expensive pluggins!!


Before I close this matter i have one more question!!

Can anyone actually tell the differnce between a really good pluggin compressor to an outboard compressor??? intrested to see if anyone can and if so what diffrences?

I usualy compress all my parts but when i send to master house i usualy leave the master uncompressed for them to do but with out a mixer i will not be able to do....

Anyone????

[Drammy]

In my opinion the only plug-in compressors that are any good when compared to the real thing are the Fairchild, LA2A and 1176 that all come with the UAD-1

Waves C-1 is good but not as good all-round as those above.

[Hollowcell]

Originally Posted by 303lovesit

I mean do people like myself really need a mixer when i do everything in SX and add all my reverbs and compression with plugs etc!!

I'm gunna answer this one too.

A lot depends on the sort of music you really want to make/record. I wouldn't want to mic up a drum kit running straight into the PC - actually most "real intruments" I'd rather keep on the analogue side of things for as long as possible. eg: using valve compressors and pre amps. It's all personal taste in the end though. I'm no pro and my music reflects that, but I know what makes me happy and in the end that's what it's all about.

Now days digital mixers are very good (but only if you seem to go top of the range). For the money that someone would commonly spend on a digital mixer for the home, I think a nice mutli-in sound card would be much better value - I mean why go through a digital mixing desk, when you are just going to mix digitaly in the computer anyway?

Like I said though, it's all about what makes you happy. Some people really like the clean sound keeping everything digital, and that's cool. Some people like the characture that comes from routing a signal through a bit of analogue gear before the final digital recording.

[Hollowcell]

Originally Posted by 303lovesit

Can anyone actually tell the differnce between a really good pluggin compressor to an outboard compressor??? intrested to see if anyone can and if so what diffrences?

Nice outboard compressors give the sound a slight colour, but plug-in compressors seem to be very clean and colourless - same can go for EQs too (although sometimes this is usefull). Have a listen to a nice hard bassline run though an outboard valve compressor in comparison to a plug-in - quite different.

I do use plug-in compression a lot of the time now days, as I don't have access to a good outboard compressor here in Japan (or enough money to buy something )- I must say with the newer level of compressor plug-ins I miss good outboard compression much less than I used to.

[303lovesit]

Thanks for that hollowcell!!

I think ive definetly done the right thing sending the o1X back!! I meant fair enough digital quality but why pay all that money for the automised and moterised fader and other stupid things on the desk when u can just do it with a few clicks of the mouse!!!

Just getting lazyer and lazyer on producing in my eyes!! plus I really do love having wires scatted everywhere putts a bit of hecticness back in the mix

I mean at that ?1100 for the o1x id rather spend that cash on some new synth like a nord 2 get a decent soundcard and another monitor screen for the SX mixer!!

No going back now im gonna ring GAK up today and let them know!!

Now its just a matter of choosing right soundcard

Taxi!!!!!

[303lovesit]

Sorry not heard of a UAD-1 what is this Martyn? [/quote]

[Tomer=Trance]

mackie dsp effect card