Compare results from Mixing in Protools vs. Analog

[Rickson Gracie]

Ok these are the same song. Both recorded with a TASCAM TSR8 and an M308 Mixer. Blue Robbie mic pre used on most of it.

One is mixed directly to a CDR and one is all the TSR8 tracks recorded into a Digi002R PT LE system and mixed there.

I just hooked up the DigiRack to the system last night and so far i think the results are pretty good.

Recording onto the TSR8 made me appreciate trying to get the best performance but I must admit I missed editing and mixing visiually along with my ears

Let me know what you think of the results.

http://www.soundclick.com/wheresthelove

 

[analogkid]

Both sound pretty good man! I would say that it seems like the protools mix seems a bit cleaner, but hard to tell with mp3. Also seems like there is a much clearer separation between the opening guitar and the vocals on the Protools mix. What does everyone else think?


AK

 

[WhiteStrat]

I think it's proof of something we already know--a good song is more important than any link in the gear chain. And this is a good song. They both sound great.

(I know...it's still quite fun to play with and talk about the gear! )

 

[famous beagle]

I prefer the one straight to CDR. It sounds a little more present to me.

But, as others have said, both sound great, and it's a good song.

 

[trancedental]

Would be even better if the comparision mixdowns included another done to a stereo 2 track reel to reel from both sources, the TRS-8 Mixer & TRS-8 & Digi 002R.

That would give us four mixes to choose from!!!!!!!!!

A lot of the "classic" analog sound is mixdown to R2R as well as tracking on analog multitrackers.

BTW Has anyone here tried mixing digital multitrack recordings down to analog 2 track recorders? What were your impressions?

 

[cjacek]

Has anyone here tried mixing digital multitrack recordings down to analog 2 track recorders? What were your impressions?

It sounds as a digital recording mixed down to tape. Some might disagree but I think this way of recoding / mixing down, adds nothing of substance.

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[cjacek]

Rickson Gracie, it's hard to say which mix is better. The pro-tools versions seems to 'sit' better together tho..

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[Beck]

BTW Has anyone here tried mixing digital multitrack recordings down to analog 2 track recorders? What were your impressions?

Better than nothing, but catching the wave with tape first gives best results. The problem is that tape is very clean at 15 ips and above unless you’re really pushing levels.

I have several commercial CDs that are hard to listen to, so I’ve copied them to half-track at 7.5 ips and then burned them back to CD. It makes a difference… takes the edge off. At 7.5 ips you get more of a tape effect.

 

[Rickson Gracie]

thanks for the replies -

whats interesting is that instead of using the outboard RNC compressors i am using WAV plugins. i guess im just familiar with them - it was much easier for me to adjust things and i think i got a better result.

what is also great is theres so much less wear and tear on the TSR8. When i was mixing with that I would hit rewind a million times a session.

I am also tracking with dbx off so i can really push the signals into the red to get more tape saturation. noise has not been a problem so far.

i would really like to get a 1/4 inch 2 track in the future for mastering back to tape but then i would have to bounce that to CDR so i dont know if it would be worth it.

 

[famous beagle]

It sounds as a digital recording mixed down to tape. Some might disagree but I think this way of recoding / mixing down, adds nothing of substance.

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That's what I thought. I've heard a lot of people doing suggesting that to get that "analog warmth," but I was always thinking it seemed more like baking a whole cake with fat-free margarine or something and then just spreading a very thin layer of real butter on top before serving it.

 

[trancedental]

Rickson Gracie , Have you tried mixing from PTLE out throught the digital s/pdif connectors into the digital inputs of your CD recorder using the CD's D/A outputs for monitoring your mix?

You probably have better D/A converters on many stand alone CD recorders compared to using a pair of single outputs from the Digi 002R?

 

[leddy]

That's what I thought. I've heard a lot of people doing suggesting that to get that "analog warmth," but I was always thinking it seemed more like baking a whole cake with fat-free margarine or something and then just spreading a very thin layer of real butter on top before serving it.

I've recently started mixing down to tape (I still track in digital). Now, I would be tracking to tape if I was in a studio, but I record on location - which means I have to choose between lugging around an open-reel deck or a couple of pounds of Japanese electronics.

It's not perfect, but it's a crap-load better than staying ITB. Sure, with plugs and stuff I might be able to get it to sound the same ITB, but it's easier with tape. Everything sits better. The highs no longer irritate me, the bass does not have to be rolled off or compressed as much, etc.

Tracking to tape would be better, but cut guys like me some slack. I really don't see how I could track to tape unless I used casettes. I used to do that, but I remember the wow & flutter getting on my nerves.

 

[famous beagle]

I really don't see how I could track to tape unless I used casettes.

Amazingly, lugging around reel to reels was exactly what people used to have to do in order to record on location!

We used to have to get out of our chair to change the TV channel too!

 

[Rickson Gracie]

Rickson Gracie , Have you tried mixing from PTLE out throught the digital s/pdif connectors into the digital inputs of your CD recorder using the CD's D/A outputs for monitoring your mix?

You probably have better D/A converters on many stand alone CD recorders compared to using a pair of single outputs from the Digi 002R?

ive been just burning the wav that i bounced from PT to a cd with windows media player.

wouldnt that be the best way?

 

[leddy]

Amazingly, lugging around reel to reels was exactly what people used to have to do in order to record on location!

We used to have to get out of our chair to change the TV channel too!

Well in addition, I record my own gigs mostly. I can't really stop a set every 20 minutes to change a reel...

Now if I could get my hands on a cool little Nagra or something, then I'd give it a go.

 

[trancedental]

ive been just burning the wav that i bounced from PT to a cd with windows media player.

wouldnt that be the best way?

That way you're still monitoring your mix with the Digi 002R D/A converters, I would send the Digi 002R signal out by the s/pdif digital outputs to the stand alone CD recorder if you have one?

As I mentioned before most recent stand alone CD recorders most probably have better A/D D/A converters than a 8 channel i/o audio interface, especially machines built for stereo mixdown recording, the better the converters, the better you can hear exactly what's happening in your mix.

 

[ofajen]

It sounds as a digital recording mixed down to tape. Some might disagree but I think this way of recoding / mixing down, adds nothing of substance.

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If nothing else, it's likely to reduce the crest factor on the final mix, assuming that you haven't so squashed the individual tracks that they already have a lesser crest factor than that of a typical analog mix.

Cheers,

Otto

 

[Good Friend]

analog sound

The best way to get analog sound is to record everything digitally then put a picture of a reel to reel in the background of your myspace band pics. Everyone will say "love that analog sound!", but really youll have done it all digitally. Which is great cause you not only saved a fortune, but you humiliated the noncreative world of gear-heads and dudes bent on believing paper thin legends over reality. Its almost like an act of true punk.

This works btw

 

[famous beagle]

The best way to get analog sound is to record everything digitally then put a picture of a reel to reel in the background of your myspace band pics. Everyone will say "love that analog sound!", but really youll have done it all digitally. Which is great cause you not only saved a fortune, but you humiliated the noncreative world of gear-heads and dudes bent on believing paper thin legends over reality. Its almost like an act of true punk.

This works btw

You're probably right about this, but the sound isn't the only reason that a lot of people like to record with analogue. There's much more to the end result than just the end result.

 

[Dr ZEE]

The best way to get analog sound is to record everything digitally then put a picture of a reel to reel in the background of your myspace band pics.

Don't you worry. The day is coming when it will be the only way.

Good Guys Only Win In Movies (gotta love those happy Barney-Style-Dancers )

OK, I'm outa'here, back to my fantasy, where good guys still have some balls: