Analog Summing Is Not The Answer - RecordingRevolution.com 

I think analog summing can make a good mix BETTER, but not a bad mix good.

It's also possible your mix doesn't sound bad, but you think it does.

I don’t have time to read all 292 comments at this point but I think you forgot one specific point on this. A lot of people who are mixing in the box don’t have high-quality Mic pre’s or consoles to run through. I Purchased an analog summing box to get a type of sound. So it wasn’t to make my mix sound like a better mix it was to bring characteristics to in that I felt would make it a better sounding mix. Some of the guys you mentioned are probably running through Boutique analog pres or consoles so they’re printing that nice audio analog signal in the box before they start mixing obviously. Just my two cents

I do use a summing mixer. I love my Neve 8816. It's also great that it handles my monitoring and foldback mix needs. I'm a great believer that it's possible to do awesome mixes in the box, but I just find that my best mixes have been done with a hybrid approach. I don't swear it's the sound of the gear, it may just be that I'm having more fun when I'm playing with knobs and faders.

Thank you Graham. I appreciate you taking the time to teach us.

I am a dangerous 2bus+ owner and I’m not mad at what you are saying. I will say that mixing with analog gear seems to add something that I only slightly get from plugins. A lot of my music is created from very sterile sources so adding outboard gear sounds bigger quicker with less plugin. I could go on about what my opinion is but like you said it’s all subjective. I mix out the box and still a fan 😏👍🏾

All those top mixing engineers you mentioned , yes they all have massive hits on the radio from 100 percent ITB mixing.. BUT !!! those mixes did not go straight to release. They went thru some lovely expensive pieces of analog equipment in mastering, and that is not to be overlooked, a lot of magic happens when audio passes thru analog at any stage, that computers/plugins just cant replicate.

Agreed. Analog summing isn’t for everyone However, there is one serious benefit to it: You can push up your group busses/Aux Out faders to higher levels and allow the analog circuits/transformers to take the heat and round out the transients so there is less work in the DAW for such tasks. Also, if you have a compressor post-summing, it’s a nice way to “break out”, Sum your stems and then hit an SSL clone (or whatever) and then monitor that return in your DAW. It’s great! I love mine; it has a convenience factor 😎 . Having said that, nothing is more important that getting it right @ the source. The source should be the focus point. A good mic, a solid preamp and a great performance go further than the argument of “ITB vs Summing”. Just fwiw, Analog summing is an option not a way of life. Some tracks don’t call for summing. Good video, Graham!

Hey my man- been watching your videos for a while now , and I have to say I’m a big fan of your ‘central concept’ that you always return to ...that it’s all about what and how you mix and not some hidden secret or magic piece of gear that makes the difference. It’s YOU ! Thanks for making things clear , plain, simple & encouraging 🖖🏾

I wonder how it would feel, Graham, if Neve, SSL and/or Dangerous posted a video suggesting not to download 6 Steps to a Radio - Ready Song because the writer has limited credentials and "anything free can't be good"? My point is (and I'm a huge fan and love your work) that the advice to not buy gear because it's unnecessary is the wrong angle for you to be taking, I believe. I would find this video more credible with the awesome explanation on analog summing with the caveat that it is unlikely to improve on a bad mix. I totally agree that there are no quick fixes but I WILL say that there's a handful of purchases I've made that were game changers for me; hybrid summing was one of them. After years of mixing ITB and on consoles (including digital ones) my mixes gained strength with this process. They were not functionally better; they just gained a heartiness that clients noticed. I met Andrew Scheps at NAMM in 2019 while working the Dynaudio booth. The new Core products start at over $5k for a pair. Should I have mentioned that he doesn't need high end studio monitors to get a great mix? I think that statement could be true for all of the reasons you suggested in this video. Apparently Mr. Scheps was still intrigued, and that's all I'm trying to point out. If buyers want high end monitors, we should encourage it. They are unlikely to be disappointed. What I'm trying to say is that dismissing a process thinking that you're helping others might not be the right path. Explaining a process and letting the world decide has more credo. Much respect. Still love you!

I submit that mixing really starts at the songwriting stage, progresses through arrangement, pre-production and tracking. If you start by making these things good first the mix tends to come together pretty easily, even with less than stellar gear. Conversely, if you have lackluster songs, awkward arrangements, sloppy performances, poorly recorded tracks, not committing to takes, etc., etc., and just overall not taking the time to create excellence at every step of the way, my experience has been that mixing can become a huge chore, and even the best gear in the world probably won't help you at that point. Good video Graham.

I’ve seen first hand that Dave Pensado is a hybrid mixer and does use a summing mixer. He does his mixing in the box but everything runs through the board.

I’ve been subscribed to your channel for quite some time now. And would like to let you know I appreciate the effort you put into teaching us all we need to know here on the platform. You’ve helped my music career tremendously! Keep it coming 🙏🏽💪🏽

I happen to get good results both ways so I agree with you totally. I am in no way within a hundred miles of your league but I have done some albums with independent artists and half of those were done either in the box or with analogue summing through an analogue console, making use of the analogue EQs. I thank you for being here for us amateur and semi-pro engineers. I learned so much from your channel since 2014.

I think it really depends on how you record and mix. A lot of artists and engineers run their tracks through analog gear and it sounds three-dimensional before it's even mixed. Summing would likely make these mixes better but not summing in analog wouldn't break them either. Also worth thinking about: if you make music that doesn't require analog warmth and depth to begin with, of course it would sound fine without it.

I can cope with this. Totally mixing in the box. Just stock plugins. No fancy stuff. Keep up the good work!

I used to track inside the box. I think the sound that you’re going for can also be a reason why maybe some don’t like their sound. I am not running my tracks into a summing box but that’s because of the analog sound. I dig it.

Thank you for your direct explanation of the signal path and io needs involved in analog summing. I watched about 20 “tutorials” that did not include this basic information. Very helpful. I’ll be heading your way first thing from here on out.

Don't forget to talk about how they recording with the best analog gear for the ones mixing in the box.

Good stuff. I mix completely in the box but used to use an SSL4k. I've had people tell me my "in the box" mixes had to be analog because they sounded so good. It's all you man.

Thank you for taking the time to explain what analog summing is and how it isn't the most important investment people could be making at the time. Hope you are healthy, keep spreading knowledge and keeping accountability for the necessity of practice for good results

Thank you, as always, for a thoughtful and practical video with down-to-earth, useful advice. I have been mixing since the '80's and am a professional musician with a home studio I use for my own singer/songwriter recordings and pro work for others as well. I have a Dangerous D-Box and find it extremely helpful - as a monitor controller. Frankly, you can have the analog summing section of this box if you can figure out how to get it out of there without wrecking the unit! I spent two decades recording to tape and the last two recording in the box and I have made lousy mixes and good ones on both setups. To my ears, the sonic difference between ITB (handled with proper gain staging) and analog summing amounts to less than half of a percent. There is 'something' about the quality of that sound, but getting the EQ right or using the right mic placement on a recording will get you a lot more than analog summing will ever add. To me, it's like arguing over whether table salt or Brittany sea salt makes a dish taste better! - My two cents :-)

Hi Graham and thank you for what you do and share with us. I couldn't agree more that it's the person mixing as opposed to the gear. I mostly mix ITB these days however I still look back to the Tascam Portastudio 4-track days in rememberence of doing the best one can with what one has. Those days helped to realize that anything can be accomplished using creativity and will. My old 4 track mixes sounded good but when I moved to digital it was like starting over again. I did have a few years in the "gear obsession" trying to place the blame of my crappy mixes on my limitations in gear, however as soon as I realized it was me and not the gear my mixes improved 1000%. A big part of that improvement was because of the info you share on your channel. Still learning and getting better and having fun along the journey. Thank you again for all that you do!

7:34 Good on you brutha! Been a fan of you and your music for more than a minute. Always positive content and usable advice!

When solid state (silicon based vs tube) was first commercially adopted, it was harsh and grainy (mind you it was still analog). Then it got good and is now coveted. Likewise, PCM digital came out and was harsh and grainy but now is amazing with higher resolution and modeling. However, it is the electron flow (+heat) that is the mojo and culprit in this whole debate. Most people can't perceive it but even at high resolution, when you take the volume down to sub-whisper (inaudible) levels, that weird digital artifact of not being able to hear infinite decay (continuously variable signal) is still present. That infinite decay is also integral to getting infinite, inaudible and natural feedback characteristics (i.e. frequency nodes get locked into even harmonics more easily through-air and resonate continuously). Even with super high end digital processing, my guitar signal will not resonate right and needs that "breath". It sounds great but the more I want it to react acoustically and feedback in those inaudible realms, the digital won't let it. Digital can model it but it will be an approximation of the original electron flow. Think of summing as getting a tan from the sun vs a tan from an electric light. The tan is not appreciated until one sees an orange face.

Good call outs and like someone said the Pro Engineers are “usually” mixing audio files tracked with superb gear an awesome front end!

Thank you for this calm and objective view on the subject Graham. I’m still mixing ITB but am using real/analogue sources like hardware synths and fx, guitar amps, and a very few choice analogue comps and EQ that I either track through or later process OTB through and back in. I think of it as ‘Hybrid-lite’ I utterly agree with you 100% about not blaming your gear and about looking to improve your skills as a mixer (and arranger and tracker too) first. Some of the best ever studio purchases I made were subscriptions/fees for online or offline mixing tutorial courses. You can hear the shift in quality of my work after that far more than you can after a major gear purchase. And I still have so much to learn. It sure is a journey! :-)

I mix in the box with headphones, but then again my mixes are not playing on the radio. Yet.

So true!!! I've been doing this since the 70's - all analog, and there has always been those who think they are "just one magical piece of gear away" from sounding great. Of course, you didn't mention - diplomatically - that it is partially the fault of the marketing done by gear and software manufacturers who are trying to sell product...

"A craftsman never blames his tools." -old saying that applies in a multitude of endeavors.... 😏👍 Yet, craftsmen tend to have good tools, right?

I’ve ended up thousands and thousands in debt because every time I thought my mix sucked I’d go out and buy a new piece of gear. Finally after realizing that my mixes weren’t improving in proportion to the amount I was spending i finally put the breaks on and focused only on mixing...Lo and behold a couple years later I’ve realized I didn’t need half the gear I bought if my focus had been properly directed...Though I’ll never trade my 1073 LOL

I’m 100% with ur thinking 🤔 I mix full in the box and I love my mixes and people and clients too...👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I do love the smooth tone and the 5-7 dB headroom advantages on my Dangerous analog summing hardware.

My experience tells me that both of approaches are fine. I have Dangerous Music Bus LT (which is very good I think). Sometimes mixing through summing box helps creating right vibe that I want from my mix but sometimes it ruins it all - makes too muddy. I also recommend hybrid approach, when only few busses or tracks go through a summing equipment and all the rest remains digital.

Thanks for the videos bro. As an artist who's now starting to record himself, these videos are great.

Producer/engineer for 20+ years. Was working on client mixes recently and could not figure out why the tracks were not coming together. The source material was quite old and lacked consistency and character. Using NLS for summing absolutely was the answer at multiple stages (summing drum stems, summed busses). It was almost magic. Glued everything together, shaved off the roughness in the low and high end and overall saturated the mix to a move consistent and pleasent listening experience. Part of the magic seems to be in the differential stereo processing. Was quite explicit when toggling between dual mono (default, analog style) and stereo link.

The best thing you can do is get it right at the source! ITB or OTB doesn't matter if it sounds good, it is good! Good stuff, Graham!

What about when you drive the channels?

I agree with you on this. I prefer to use plugins as I mix completely in the box. I actually believe it sounds better & it's the best of both worlds. It's just different from analog but it's not better. 💯

Excellent commentary on analog vs digital summing. It all boils down to a tool is a tool = a means to an end. While honing my mixing skills I realized that whether I summed digitally or through analog gear it always comes down to the best tools you always have available, your brain and your ears. If you can just put aside any preconceived notions of which method is the “best” and always searching for a magic bullet or saying it’s the lack thereof that is the reason your mixes sound bad, then you can get out of your way mentally and just relax and listen, and mix mix mix until your mixes shine!

All In The Box ! Thank u for this video, cheers from Argentina!

This video explains clearly a very important concept. It is the person, not the tools that achieve results. Use the tools that help you in your workflow. This concept extends to many fields beyond mixing and music.

Jaquire King used to be in your "mixing in the box heroes" a while back but I guess he went back to outboard and console. wonder why...

Great advice Graham ... thanks for the video!

I take your point and agree with you 100%.. But!! Whats frustrating is the undertone of a bias towards being fully in the box here. And the lack of information about the truth of what analog summing and use of analog gear in general can do for your mixes as far as the beautiful saturation, harmonics, character, colour, warmth and the big thing for me is the depth and dimension you can get that you just cant get in the same way fully in the box. I saw this video a while back and went away thinking analog summing was snake oil, a myth even.. And I see a lot of people in the comments section taking on this same attitude. But then I heard a mix through a real tape machine and holly molly man what it did to the mix blew my mind ae. Yes its not the only way and THE thing that will make your mixes but the use of analog gear exists as an incredible beautiful sounding option out there for music creators, mixers and producers. And should not be encouraged to be down played or dismissed.

Hi, I work ITB, but apart the importance to be a good mixer man (I agree with you for ALL the line), I think it is very important the objective point of the math of summing many bit words. To not be too much boring in technical descriptions, it easy test that typical rock production has problem of summing wit more tha 12-16 tracks; there is a loss of the microdynamic component of the song, for example the sense of space is less because there is virtually an "overdamping" of the reverb cues, the low volume part, and so on... Three main factors responsable of this difference: 1) less significative bit truncation that happens for the mathematical laws of digital summing. => less headroom 2) less spacial imaging due the ITB panning law 3) the coloration of analog circuits that doesn't operate ONY a summing (gain saturation, trasformers influence,..) So my cheap strategies I use is : a) summing ITB via digital mixers included in the control sw of some audio card (foe example emu1820m, Motu, and so on) or using a physical digital mixer useful for other purpose too (Keyboards, live,..), this because these mixers have internal registry for accumulation and processing of the bits typically from 44 to 56 bit ! So no problems also with 32 tracks or more all at great volume, easy...They are TON cheaper of analogue summing box and MORE versatile. b) for the same reason it is important to not force the level of every track to maximum volume, taking in the account your precious tips of your book, in particular for gain staging, attenuation of the gain control of every channel, good arrangement to minimize unuseful overlap of instrument and enrergy,.. c) overcame issues due the panning law with a customized LCR pan strategy and widening with mono compatible spacial processing. d) using plugin simulating for the non linear behaviour of vintage consoles (Waves SNL, Slate,..) and the analougue saturation of tape decks. Sorry for the length of my post, what do You think about it ? Thanks much Have a Great Day ;-)

Totally agree 100% but........ let us keep it real by saying yes great mixers mix only in the box and get fantastic results but...... the mixes are usually recorded in a upper end studio using analog gear.

i am on the minimalist side in music creation, but I love to have new HW always :-)

Perfectly put. Thanks!

I just started audacity and it mixes and renders for me????

I'll just say again what engineers told me many years ago in one way or another - "It ain't the gear, it's what you do with it," or another variation - "It ain't the gear, it's the ear." Now, in the age of plugin mania, I see so many conversations, arguments sometimes, about the "best" plugins, or the "best" DAW, or even now, the tired old Mac vs PC argument. When someone like Andrew Scheps mixes entirely "in the box," his "box" being a laptop (!), I think we can conclude that the digital "domain" does everything he needs it to, and that "it ain't the gear, it's the ear."

Personally I prefer to analog sum stems through my SSL to achieve my final mix, however I also work completely ITB if the project requires it.

Is it bad that I bounce my 2 mono guitar tracks to stereo and import them back in as a stereo track? Been doing it for years and thought it was good. I find it easier to eq and keep the levels the same by just adjusting everything on the same stereo track.

I love u Graham! But I think the reason many ask this question is because we like the analog sound (the warmth, the spacial depth, the punch, etc) that we've been used to listening to our whole life and would like those sonic characteristics.

In the box and in the box only, you are right you must get better on your own to achieve better quality, like playing an instrument you can't get better if you don't practice. Thanks for your commitment. Cheers Bruce A.

WORD! I learned a lot with Graham´s Mixing University course! I highly recommend doing a course like that!

Great debate !! Thank you 😊

Excellent presentation, thank you. Here's what I know. it's all you. Stop relying on the gear, endless plugins, outboard gear, this, that, the other thing, pink noise, emulators, blah blah blah. I threaded my first tape machine in 1961. Mono. One mic. I learned. And learned. I see what youngsters are doing today and constantly adding a new plugin to solve some mysterious 'problem'. Entire companies have sprung up catering to people who couldn't mix cake batter. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I couldn't afford most gear so I learned how to build gear myself, so yeah, I know how an optical compressor works, because I BUILT one. From scratch. Yes, it's ALL you. A new piece of gear won't save you, only experience will do that. Once again, excellent presentation, thank you.

this happen a lot when we talk about any musician/instruments too...

I used to think i needed equipment but i found myself needing to be best with what i had and my mixes with the krk rockit 5” sounded amazing now I’m buying equipment because i feel prepared to use high end equipment.

If you have a good ear, and really good technical experience, those two are really good combinations!

I mix "in the box" but tend to use a lot of analog emulation, including running a tape machine emulator on the mix buss...I'm also a fan of Waves NLS for "summing emulation"...

Never understood this till now. Is this related to using a dithering plugin? Would you still need to dither is you use a outboard summing rack?THank You!

I think it's more along the lines of what you get out any favorite piece of gear, not without it it sounds "bad". Some "warmth" some dimension that it adds that they are hearing and they mix knowing that they will get that. Far more subtle than something which would be considered a major problem solver.

great video!

I use a hybrid approach. I use a Cranborne 500R8 and the Cranborne 500ADAT which gives me 16 channels of summing and 16 500 series modules. I also have lots of analog pieces from Avalon, Universal Audio, Kush Audio, IGS, etc. I would say I use 70 percent analog and 30 percent plugins. That is just what I prefer. I like to run my signal a lil hotter and I like tubes. To each their own. It's all about enjoying the process :)

My father had a huge ass Tascam back in the 90s (when I was a child) now he drops the files to Logic and gets the results well done. As a producer who fell in love with analog sound I think it’s about personal taste, not results. You are real about this... Pensado and Lord Agle mix in the box because I guess they are eons ahead from us. To me you just mix your OWN songs they way you want and the rest do it how the client wants. Witty real video BTW.

i prefer Analog Summing + Analog EQ for the mastering process but i mix digitally .

How did you know I was looking at summing mixers??

Thanx much appreciated info.

I used to sum with alit of analogue gear now i mix primarily in the box wirh a few outboard pieces and i can recall much more quickly and mix on the go on my laptop as well and no one is the wiser! Granted it is fun to have and use analog gear but not too necessary these days!! Thanks for the channel!!

This is great advice. In the past, I noticed phase issues in multi-bus mixing. This really made a summing mixer desirable to me. Lately, I notice less phase problems. Plugins have also really gotten good in the last 3-4 years. Or...Did I just gain 3-4 years experience?

I have to agree Graham. Several years ago, I took 5 tracks to a facility here in Toronto which its main studios centre piece was a ‘70’s Neve console. (I forget the model). I had 15 to 20 stems per song to run through the console. I was very excited to see what results would Yield. To my surprise, I honestly could not hear a difference in depth, separation or colour. It was an expensive lesson. What I have learned over the years is that arrangement and attention to detail of sounds, timbre, is key to a good mix. Essentially production. I have been using Slate VCC and it does seem to impart more depth and colour in my mixes.

Love it🕊️

Love your videos Man. In this digital age with so much available plugins to invest on Mixing in the box can give you that analog sound. Saturation plugins like Black box H20 , Waves NLS , VCC Channel, Decapitator, Radiator, UAD Studer a800, waves j37, SPL twintube, Slate Digital VTM, Kramer Taper and others can give you a fanastic mix. Developing your Mixing techniques should be the priority and audio ear training.

In the box. When I found out Ken Andrews won the Paramore mix shoot out from working in the box, I decided to ditch all of the midgrade analog gear that was actually adding more unwanted sound than wanted sound. I streamlined my digi recording/mixing process. I use 1 ART MPAII on the way in to a Presounus Firewire Studio interface. I record and mix on Cubase 8 artist. I was a slate monthly subscription partner but I turned it off after 2 and 1/2 years. I now use some free plug ins and some Waves plugins. I really like the Omni Channel. So to summerize. Good song. Good performance. Good mics. Good personal gear. Good interface. Good mixing skills. Good final product. Please, if your new to the RR. Please, take the time to check out Grahams information on all of these phases of the making music process. Ive been here since the 30 days to a better mix season one aired. Thanks for the years man, it feels like i know you...lol Have a blessed week everyone!

You make a good point. And also I think from a standpoint of a limited budget it seems to make more sense to invest in plugins (and in the box tools). But it is still very interesting to try to capture the character of analog summing. What is the typical sound character of a console mix? Maybe a tight low end, some pleasent harmonic distortion and a little bit more grit in the upper mids? On the masterbus I tend to use a puic tec EQP 1A eq und boost the 5000k area a little (broad) exactly for that reason. Also for analog feel I think the kush Omega 451 A preamp emu (Vox, Guitars) and the IK Multimedia EQ 73 (drums & bass) is fantastic. And also the Studio One console shaper does a very good job (crosstalk).

I can get a certain feeling about better sounding when it comes directly from the outputs of a mixer then to the interface. Maybe because dynamic range from analog mixers are quite good and yeah, I'm talking about ''better dynamic range'' from the perspective of output dBu and mixing /room space without clipping. Obviously there are interfaces with such great pre's that you don't need more. That's what I think, and YES, you get better and better the more you mix and work, work, work and listen!!!

In the box for me - there's plenty of nice analog emulation out there, the trick is to leave a bit of noise in your recordings if you want it to glue nicer and sound more vintage. Reason most music is so sterile is due to the amount of edits and correcting of mistakes, not in the summing methods - think how the outro to Dire Straights - Sultans of Swing would sound if recorded today. They got everything as best as they could at source, nowadays we can make it inhumanly perfect - so we do... Almost as a hobby in itself. Heck, even vast majority of youtubers are broadcasting a fake 'perfected' version of themselves - it's epidemic levels.

Best advice right here . You sir get 5 stars from me on this vedio.

Well put!

I am a rap artist who has chosen to pick up the skill of audio engineering. After watching several videos on the art, I understand it is a craft that requires time and practice to get good at. Through research, I've become aware of what an analog summing mixer can do for you. This video further clarified what I was already figuring. It's not a magic machine to a good mix. Do I still plan to get an analog summing mixer? Yes because I really dig the difference in sound it can produce versus in the box. However, my priority is learning how to mix in the box first. After I drop my next EP, I'm going hard in the paint with pro tools.

After reading a lot of comments I think some viewers are confusing the context in which you use the terminology "in the box" vs "analog summing". I think it's fair to clarify that the "in the box" mixing engineers are also using a boat load of quality analog gear. The ITB mixers just happen to not use "actual analog summing" as part of their process.

I was thinking of getting a summing box but now I have second thoughts....thanks

Well presented. On a slight aside, I think the analog domain was good for one thing - it forced you to make decisions on sub mixes and printing effects. Even now, I try to do that. If something is working, I record it or sub mix or whatever and move on.

Completely in the box here and I would not change that. Any sound I want I can have. I have the luxury of a few things: first of all, I use Studio One, which has this great invention called "MixFX". For those who don't know what that is, it's like putting the mixer character across your mix. And that does not mean some eq, a little saturation on every channel or on the mix bus, it means everything, from the character, to crosstalk, to hiss, to saturation. So it even matters what order your tracks are in. And you can have it per group if you put it on a bus. So putting it on the drum bus and setting it to SSL means your drum tracks sound like being mixed on an SSL, and with crosstalk enabled and set correctly it glues everything together. Ok, so far about that. Then I got the Black Box HG-2 plugin. That little thing can truly get your mix from flat to having depth and color! With these two I don't need anything outboard. But having a good controller does make a difference.

I’ve got a testimony for my recently birthed Memphis home studio. I have decent front end gear consisting mostly Neve and API strips into an Antelope into Cuba’s. I mixed my first record of covers ITB. I was extremely happy with my mixes although not perfect... but I was not particularly pleased with the comparative sound quality next to my favorite references such as Steely Dan, Police, Floyd, etc....However after adding the Neve Sum mixer along with API 5500 and finally the Neve MBP, my very next single was night and day sonically above the former. I’m not talking about the mix nor the performance. I’m talking about the sound quality. The drums as well as the other instruments had that “console” iron weight to the sound with gorgeous overtones as well separation in the sounds as if each had its own color..the sound was more 3 dimensionalized and felt as I was mixing in a holodeck!!...imaginatively speaking...lol My setup runs super fast so with no audible latency. I always have the mixer setup on the back end and monitor everything running through it ...even when tracking. For me, it’s the competitive and ear pleasing canvas that I’ve been searching for!!

Thanks man♥️

Thanks I needed to hear this

Nice stuff!

Thank you, Graham

I sum through a Midas analog console and I absolutely love the tone. All my prints are real time instead of exporting in my daw. I adopted this workflow because - and this may sound odd - but when I used to export in the daw the multitrack playback sounded different than when playing back the mix file. Not necessarily better or worse, just different. I can’t tell you why this is, nor can I recreate it, I don’t have the same rig anymore. That being said, no piece of gear or software or whatever is the gateway to a great recording. It’s always the person and how they use the gear, not the gear itself. But just like you may prefer the sound of let’s say a u47 over a 414, you may prefer the analog summing sound over digital summing. Or maybe not. It’s a personal taste issue.

Analog summing. I use a Black Lion Audio pm8. It really opens up my mixes.

Thanks Graham! I mix in the box.

Nice info 😊

I'm a fan. I come around every six or eight weeks, see what's new and then get busy doing what I'm supposed to be doing. Anyway I'm around enough to know that this small rant is part of your much larger position that you don't need a gazillion plugs or $160,000 in analogue gear to mix well. I agree. But you might well need a specific plug or chain of plugs in order to achieve a specific "sound". The confusion I think is between the word "better" and some phrase that describes or identifies some quality of sound that someone hears in their heart. I can give you a nice clean, warm, well spaced mix with about any rig you got. I can't make it sound like I want it to sound without some combination of plugs that are integral for getting the thing to sound the way I want to hear it.

I could not agree more. It is the mixer, not the format. Per your query at the end, I mix out of RADAR through an analog console. I do so because I both prefer the sound and the process... e.g. 6 hands on the faders making the moves, etc... That said, I have a good friend who works completely in the box and his mixes sound phenomenal.

I mix in the box. When I want to master then print a track I use a Eq hardware and peak limiter hardware. Then record the track onto a CD from the peak limiter hardware. Then put the CD into the iTunes which converts the track from the CD into 192 kg conversion which is the highest quality and ....wa la. ...a pro sounding track(s)

Totally right... I’ve been a producer living with my work for more than 10 years now, working with Sony Music, Universal, and some world famous artists. And the point is, I just did my best mixes (understand, the mixes that my clients earned the more money with) totally in the box. I own a world-class recording facility with plenty of analog gears and a 12 channels Neve sidecar I use for summing, and I had a 48 channels SSL Duality SE in my previous configuration, and yes, I demonstrated several times that ProTools summing kills some parts of the mixes. Even though, I earned more money with my in-the-box configuration than with my fully loaded hybrid recording studio, period. Which doesn’t mean that analog summing is not good, but that it doesn’t fundamentally do a good mix.

Miss ya Graham. Used to love seeing your videos!