Automated Mixing

DigitalSmigital

DigitalSmigital

A slice of analog pie?
Digital mixing is a breeze with all the automation available on each ch, is there some way to automate in the analog world? I am running out of hands in the mixdown stage, I guess the best way is to get the original tracks down right the first time around, but riding the faders while recording my own performance is impossible, besides it looks funny using my nose on the fader while playing guitar. :eek:
 
I am running a decent sized board, 44 inputs at mixdown, and I get around automation by working with my friend and doing as much pre-production as possible, going in.

Spend the extra time to look at your levels, keep them decent; in essence, watch them! :) And, doing this, you will make your mixdown chores easier.

Use your compressor. It is your friend. Use it to tame wild vocal issue's going in and you won't need it as bad coming out. Cleaner non-clipping signals always are thanked latter when you need to push them in the mixdown.

Cheers! :)
 
Ahhh, friends, I've heard about those; but they didn't have any in stock at Guitar Center...

I have a couple of two ch compressors, Alesis 3630 and a Symetrix 528E.

Actually, while the Symetrix is a top quality voice processor, it's the 3630 that bears the brunt of my comp/limit/gate needs. It's taken almost a year and a half to understand the process, but finally my mixes are getting the signal strength and eq treatment they deserve. My first few production tries had levels down below 1 dB peak and maybe -10 RMS. Pitiful. You had to crank it up to even hear them, and I needed more dynamic range for the style music I write.

Still, managing faders and sends and wet/dry pots while mixing is a chore that the digirati (Verner's word) don't have to deal with...
 
May I call you Didge?

Analog mixing with full automation is a reality for those who fly where the jets do.

Flying fader and mute automation can be had on occasion for about 2 grand or there-abouts on the used market.

If your asking if the technology exists, it does.

If your asking for ways to simplify the task of engineering without getting your wallet into the mix, my previous post offers an idea or two on how to do just that.

As for working by yourself, I plan on putting a stop to that in January if you're still game? :cool: I am.

Cheers! :)
 
Absolutely cool

on both counts!

The Ghost of FM said:
May I call you Didge?


As for working by yourself, I plan on putting a stop to that in January if you're still game? :cool: I am.

Cheers! :)
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here is an idea I had a few months ago and posted at another site. If someone would actually produce one of these boxes I'd buy one for certain.

"Here it is, it's a plugin/interface combo. The interface is a set of digitally controlled attenuation circuts. These circuts are all analog and only use digital as a control over the "knob" The plugin part is a track tool that actually lets you draw envelopes to control the all-analog signal path.

8 of these in a box synced to my tape machine would be a dream come true. I could add audio to an 8 track reel machine and then go and edit my analog tracks as well!
On a 16 track machine it gives me dynamic control over 8 channels, make em cascade friendly and I coud do all 16.

Has someone already made this? Seems like it could be done in a reasonably priced rack with a USB connection. "

So basically the audio never goes through a soundcard or computer at all, you just route audio into the patchbox of op amp driven volume controllers. As long as you have your computer synched up to the tape machine it would be seamless. Even if not you could make a cue point and start the program manually and it would be effective enough to automate the track volumes/mutes.
 
Mackie used to have a system like this. It lived in your inserts and was hooked to a computer and did all the volume automation. There were other systems that did about the same thing, but they were not that popular. The market that they were trying to sell to didn't have the money to buy the system. It was something like $2000 for 24 channels and it was made to mate up to you $3000 Mackie 2408. If you had $5000 to spend, you would probably get a better board.
 
Farview said:
The market that they were trying to sell to didn't have the money to buy the system.
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Yeah, that's the shame of it all. The average Joe homereccer has enough expenses as it is. I figure if you don't enjoy the process of recording, you won't get any return on your investment.
 
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