I've used both analog and digital consoles in my life as a recording engineer. Ward Beck, Studer, Sony, SSL, Neve, Euphonix, Mackie, Tascam, Yamaha, PreSonus StudioLive, and others. I always loved the sound of a quiet analog channel. Lots of outboard equipment in the analog world. The one advantage of digital has been having the ability to have built in plugins on every channel and the fact that all the cabling can be reduced to a single digital cable for 16, 24, 32, or more channels. With consoles now capable of up to 24bit-192KHz channel path and recording it can be very easy to record and mix "in the box". But I worry that the synchronicity of having two or more people sitting at the console mixing individual sections of the overall mix in real time and capturing a magical moment may be lacking in most of the current digitalized mixing procedures. When an album was recorded and mixed in hours and days rather than months and years, with musicians in the same room playing in unison it seemed more liquid to my ears and more musical to my soul. Groove over perfection always satisfies my soul over perfection without a heart.
Neves are highly desirable apart from the other names mentioned a midas for live mixing we do is as privileged as I have been but it’s one hell of a journey.
You still have not tried my API Legay Plus with Vision Automation... 😉😉 But since the pandemic I do all the mix in Studio One... all in the Box... And I have to admit... Its sounds great.... Not sure I am going back to hardware...You know, the white pencil, the masking tape with marks on the TubeTech, the setup pictures, a failing tube in the compressor, failing OpAmp in the board, the dirty fader, the 6 versions 7 min passes for vox up and down 1dB, more of this less of that, and this intermittent bad patchcord buzz you did not catch at 11h36 at night... 😏😏 That was quite a life though...
@@robertl.6919 I remember tape editing and although it was often challenging I have to admit I was very good at it. One of the producers I worked with always did his own editing and one day he turned to me and handed me a box of tapes and asked me to edit them for him. It was a shock to me but he said "You are the only one I know who is pickier than me when it comes to editing". I wore that comment like a badge of honour and a few years later when we first received an early ProTools unit (ProDeck + ProEdit) in the studio I had the joy of teaching him how to edit digitally. His jaw virtually dropped to the floor when he saw what I could do digitally with four tracks things that could never be done with analog editing. This changed even more once eight, sixteen, twenty four and finally unlimited track counts were possible. I ended up becoming his preferred recording engineer and editor until his eventual retirement. I agree that editing is much easier in ProTools, Soundscape, and WaveLab as well as most of the other workstations now available to us as tools. And a portable hard drive weighs much less than a box of 2" analog tapes. We used to use a large remote semi-truck capable of recording up to 24 tracks and now I can do 32 tracks with a PreSonus StudioLive console in my basement. Or I can take the console into a quiet room in virtually any venue and run the digital snakes to the stage with a video feed and record and mix there. Technology has changed a great deal ranging from the necessity of massive consoles that cost $100,000 + to good quality portable digital gear that fully setup can cost under $20K. Not including microphones of course. But I still miss the syncronicity of mixing with others in a room and feeding off the ideas of others as the final mix progressed.
@@chriscutress1702 Yep... Tape editing... Ever done it with the 24 track 2" master ? With a 12 musician Jazz band playing in 5/4 , 9/8 and 7/4 ? I rarely sweat... but that was something... You mentioned SoundScape ? I was the last studio in Montreal in 2019 to use it as the main DAW ! How did you end up working with that DAW ? Pretty rare in our industry although it was the most advanced and reliable DAW on the market early 2000... I worked with it from 1998 till last year... I found that Studio One was the closest DAW to Soundscape I could find... Nice talking with you...! We old fart sound engineers are bound to disappear eventually...
@@robertl.6919 I worked at CBC Vancouver when the Soundscape was what was chosen for Radio Drama and Documentary usage. I was even given the direct contact info for Mr. Wright who was the inventor and software creator for the system. Whenever I had a problem or a suggestion I would send it to him and usually within a few days I would get a software update to solve the issue or improve upon the operation of the system. It would then show up a few weeks or months later as a full upgrade. I would also take the full upgrades and once I had tested them I would install on all the local machines in Vancouver based on what the editors were currently doing on their units. We had a about 13 machines in the plant at one time. Years later they switched to ProTools units to replace the Soundscape as well as an inhouse Dalet System for news and current affairs which slowly became the non-production studio standard with Drama continuing to work on ProTools and the music studios using (I think it was called) Paramix. I retired from the CBC in 2009 after 35 years when they continued with the final purge of the technical and recording engineer staff at the network. Now I use ProTools and WaveLab although I do have a PreSonus StudioLive 32-4-2 digital console feeding both via my Mac. I also have Studio One and Capture but haven't fully experimented with Studio One since I am used to working with ProTools. In my analog days I have edited virtually ever size of tape from cassette to 2 inch. 2 inch could be very challenging especially if you needed to edit at different locations on different tracks. You needed to use a magnetic reader to see the different track traces and it was rare since the tape couldn't be reused after you had done that. Generally the CBC wanted to be able to reuse multi-track tapes for future sessions once the final mix was finished for each project. Usually the 2 inch tape would sit on a shelf for three to six months before it would be erased and recycled. If there wasn't a call for a remix by then the automation data disk and the tape would be bulk erased and reused. Unless a producer hid the tape away in their office and replaced the inventory within their budget. Only a few 2" tapes were saved in this way however.
Consoles are still found in many studios because they sound great. If nothing else they are used for their preamps (and sometimes EQ and compression) while tracking with their direct outs or bus outs going to the A/D converters of the DAW. You can also bus out a mix back into the console on mix down. You do all your mixing, automation etc, in the box, but then send the stems out to the board so all the tracks run through the same analog signal path and are summed to 2track. Some people feel this "glues" the mix together. Mixing boards are also still used in the studio for playback. When you have multiple people in the control room, nothing beats having tracks and effects, up on the faders. The final mix might be done in the box but during the recording session, the console is still used because it's much easier for the band to be hands on and just hit the mute or solo button, push the faders up and down etc.. Much faster than having to click around on a screen. Obviously many studios have ditched big expensive consoles and get on just fine without them but people still seek them out because they do what they do so well. Also, something about listening back through the console is amazing. It's this thick, glued together sound. Nothing sounds like the 2bus off a great analog console.
@@drdelewded I love Paul. If I was trying to clean up my sound he's the first guy I would talk to. But making records is all about knowing how to embrace the dirt. Paul is the last guy I would hire to make a record haha. You want an audiophile recording? Put one earthworks mic on every instrument about 2 ft away going into a nice clean preamp or just put the band in a good room with a Neumann head and call it a day!
Thank goodness we can still get analogue amplifiers or from everything you have explained to us it’s simply not the same thanks for keeping us in the groove
This explanation is a little misleading. While pretty much all studios have moved to digital recording, almost every major recording studio still has an analog mixing console. They're essential for handling the large number of tracks you need for live tracking bands. On the mixing side you see more digital consoles or control interfaces, especially in film and tv. Many mixing engineers use a hybrid mixing technique which utilizes a combination of digital and analog processing which is often then combined via a summing mixer, a small rack-mountable box aimed to recreate the positive characteristics of an analog mixer.
Pretty much commercial studio will do. Quick multi tracking on analogy console and process to digital for further mixing. A lot of the time the analog console EQ, compression.....etc are not touch.
I grew up on a 24/16 analog console and a 2 inch 30ips 16 track. And yes I did my share of editing with a razor blade. You also needed to know how to adjust and bias each reel of tape.to get out 100% of what you put in. . At 30ips a 16 track sounded better than a 24 track.and you sure could push the Ampex 456 grandmaster tape.
I worked concerts in the 70's and 80s, this is like saying hello to a long lost friend. Considering the artist that have 'laid hands' on this device I feel the urge to worship it.
Still love and use my little old 24channel 8 bus analog desk alongside a digital system. Hands on control, crazy amounts of headroom, colourful eq and very performative then off to AD converters per channel. Inputs can then be flipped on the console 25-48 and the recorded digital audio can then be routed back through the board for more analog processing, from there I could multitrack again or record a master. It’s not the purest or cleanest approach but it has so much more cohesion and character, for electronic music that adds a lot. Some engineers still swear by analog consoles live too!
Yes sir! I too have two A&H boards married together giving me 48+ tracks of input and 18 channels for digital interface to computer DAW. I really wish more audio engineer types would follow along with Paul in his adventures. He's definitely one of us!
I love that you point out that the cohesion, or "glue" you get from analog signal chains really adds to electronic music. I sometimes find that electronic music really benefits from elements that "color" the sounds whether it be vintage recording equipment, vinyl playback, tube amps, horn speakers, etc..
@@marcgabor9690 100%! I’ve even bounced some elements to cassette for ultimate character, subtle saturation, the way the bandwidth is affected and an extra element of movement created by the transport.
@@marcgabor9690 Yes! Coloring the sound in a good way, a musical path of slight distortion, compression or saturation when you know what you are after you can use those inclusions towards the richness of creativity. A little goes a long way too!
When Paul's son Scott gave me a tour, he pointed at that board and told me it was Neil Young's mixing board. I was like "OMG, can I touch it?!?" (I got to touch it :)) I was telling the story at work, and my boss asks "Who is Neil Young?" Fine people at PS Audio, not only did they give me the full tour, I got to spend some time with the IRS V's.
Thank you, Paul for bring us along on this journey with you. It's going to be amazing watching you bring your vision to reality. I was wondering, how much maintenance does that beautiful analog board require? Do the tactile sliders and knobs need frequent cleaning?
I used one from 1979 to 1989. Occasionally you could pull up the channels and clean the faders of crumbs and things but it was easy. The tape machines were more maintenance because you adjusted and biased every tape reel to get 100% accurate out what you put in. I ran mine plus 6 at zero. And the Ampex 456 tape handled it well. Also you got 15 minutes per reel.
Because there are physical wipers in the knobs and contacts on the switches, you can basically work out any accumulated dust by manipulating the control back and forth. Eventually you will need to pull the channel and give it a proper cleaning. When I was at Electric Lady Studios they would just have the interns work through every switch on the Neve 8078 console, which were a little prone to collecting dust and sounding scratchy. I worked for years on an SSL 4000 G and whenever I ran into a scratchy knob or switch I'd just mute the channel, work it a bit, and then jump right back in.
Right away I noticed a definite softness of high frequencies in this video compared to the usual PS Audio sound characteristics, and that did not change.
I have an American Audio dx5r 1999 rotary analog mixer my question is will this work well with a digital system with a rane SL2 or SL1 and Serato some people tell me it will work but will not sound good can you give me your professional opinion thank you
I wonder if Paul assisted Giorgio in the production of "The Chase" , thats a goodin! Whatever happened to that little box on the back of the recording marked DDD, AAD, ADD? The whole crux with DSD was that it never swept through the industry like CD with EVERY major studio clamoring to re-release their ENTIRE catalog on the format. Theres still chance it can become "standard" should someone program a codec/encapsulation algorithm allowing lossless streaming in DSD w/o need for major bandwidth.
I think the little box on the back would have entirely different connotations today, like Digital Domain Disorder Analog Audio Disorder Attention Deficit Disorder Digital Signal Disorder In that Order. But seriously I think the masses just lost interest in where the music came from. "It came from the store" syndrome took over.
Have a vaguely related question… can you use regular WD-40 to service the sliders and potentiometers? I’m asking, because I accidentally sprayed regular WD-40 onto the potentiometers of an old amplifier that I have… it was a mistake, I meant to reach for the De-Oxit, and I was in mid conversation when I realized that I grabbed/used the wrong thing… so I’m wondering if I destroyed anything. Thx
wd 40 will leave a residue. Get some contact cleaner now. Read the directions too. Big box stores like Home Depot and maybe Best Buy should have it. Turn your board off and maybe unplug the power.
Destroyed? Probably not. I've used wd-40 many times in the past to clean pots and switches and it works perfectly fine if you don't have something more specifically suited for that job. I've never had any issues with using wd-40, although I would say that using a more specialized product intended for that job would be better, like de-oxit, but if you use that you also have to follow it up with a "tuner lube" spray too because just de-oxit alone can dry out pots and sliders, making them harder to turn or move. WD-40 kind of does the lubrication also, however, the main problem with it is if you are using it in an extremely dusty or smoky environment then the oily residue it leaves can attract even more dirt and grime over time. WD is also highly flammable so it's not really safe to use on anything high voltage or where the switch produces arcing or anything like that or else it could potentially cause a fire. If I were you, I would just reclean the pot or slider that you "accidentally" sprayed WD-40 into with another, more specialized contact cleaning product, and then be sure to follow that up with a good contact lube. No worries about "destroying" the pot with WD though.
Thank you gentlemen, again, I would never normally use “WD-40” on anything electronics, but I was just engrossed in such a conversation with my friend, that by the time I got to the last potentiometer, I actually started to ‘look’ what I was doing, and noticed it was WD…. It was a dumb mistake… after calling myself a few colorful choice names, I immediately grabbed the DeOxit, and did every pot over with it… don’t know what I was trying to accomplish, but the ‘damage’ was already done… we’ll see… OK thanks again 👍🏻 P.S.; and then A few hours after making this original comment, I stumbled across this video…. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VbpXP4romzE.html
Your right, your wrong, when i learned recording in Heeze near Eindhoven. they had nice ssl 9000 tables, you use the send and return of the console to record the signal before the eq and dynamics and other effects. With the return you send it true the console and then you end up with the stereo mix. If you can sync 32 dsd recorders you can mix that signal analog in that mixer
Once upon a time ages ago back in the late 70s Georgio Moroder made some music that made me purchase several vinyl albums with electro disco by Donna Summer and others. Surely an audiophile recording made today can sound better, but for much of modern popular music, I am not sure there is much progress.
Musicland studio's as used by ELO 74_81 , Queen 86 , real shame it had to close due to expansion of the underground system ( rumble being picked up in studio s).
@0:56 "...they don't typically use analog boards, because this is older technology" I suspect that that it a secondary reason. I suspect that the primary reason is that digital mixers are easier to use, and can probably perform functions that are beyond the capabilities of that analog mixing board. But that analog mixing board is probably better suited to create a better sounding final product, if the studio is willing to put in the time and effort, if they deem sound quality to be their top priority (you'd think it would be their top priority -- but I doubt it). I am looking forward to this series.
I can't find any reference to this board having ever been used in the Rolling Stones Mobile. The truck is less than eight feet wide, so it's hard to see how it would fit! To the best of my knowledge, the truck has always had the custom built Helios desk it had from the start, and still has today as a museum piece.
If you don't know whether it was 2" or 4" tape you worked with at Music land, you must not have actually done anything in the studio... as there is no 4" tape.
When you mentioned the rolling Stones I was like meh, then Neil Young and I was like maybe octave records will produce some great stuff. I still think tape kicks butt.
@@noahfogarty You do not know what sound quality is! have you compared with other youtube videos? I watched another video and the sound was brighter and clearer and the sound volume was a little louder. Same with several other videos and commercials
@@noahfogarty @Noah Fogarty You do not know what sound quality is! have you compared with other youtube videos? I watched another video and the sound was brighter and clearer and the sound volume was a little louder. Same with several other videos and commercials
@@noahfogarty A certain sound quality must be expected What happens when the advertisement comes? Audio Volume gets too high and you get hurt in Øra. A certain sound quality must be expected What happens when the advertisement comes? Audio Volume gets too high and you get hurt in ear. Many people now today don't care if it's poor sound quality. The quality requirement of many people is far below ground!
