Hey Paul, another fun thread started and the 2-bus is a favourite for me.

I'm still sorting out my new my so I can't contribute to anything substantial or useful for you but I'm looking forward to others on this thread for sure!

Those API 550b's look pretty cool. I'd love to have a pair of them. The maxxbcl isn't something mentioned around here, not sure why. It looks pretty cool. Is it on the same lines as the MaxxBass? I haven't used Waves stuff for 10 years. Tried the MaxxBass back then but didn't like what it did too much. But it was a plug-in.

I'd love to have the Vari Mu, its on my list one day.

Your 2-bus sounds quite coloured. Why are you going more that direction than not? I'd love to hear some of your acoustic tracks some time. I love acoustic music! I bet you are getting a really fat sound?

I use the SPL (Sound Performance Labs) Passeq where you would put the Massive Passive. I'm big on combining Dangerous Music ( Dangerous Master) & SPL gear,( MixDream) for OTB summing. I have a ton of ways to sound design around the 2-bus and a lot of years figuring it all out.

What is your final step after the 2-bus? Do you do one more step at 44.1 to master or is that your master there? I print the 2-bus on a separate DAW track and bounce it to 44.1. From there I master it, which I'm experimenting with both ITB and OTB methods right now.
What DAW are you using or printing to for mastering?
Do you use your outboard gear as inserts in your DAW or are you mixing OTB too?

[quote=audiokid, post: 381410]
The maxxbcl isn't something mentioned around here, not sure why. It looks pretty cool. Is it on the same lines as the MaxxBass? I haven't used Waves stuff for 10 years. Tried the MaxxBass back then but didn't like what it did too much. But it was a plug-in.

The waves maxxbcl is 3 separate units but they go in line and can't be used on 3 separate sources. The ren comp which is good in tracking but I find it narrows the stereo image on 2-bus. The maxxbcl psychoacoustic section which I haven't used for 5 years except when I destroyed a couple of mixes with it when I first got it. About a week ago it hit the bybass switch on the maxxbcl section toggling it on at some point early in a mix. I didn't know that I had hit it. I mixed into it. After I was done my assistant looked at me and said wow you nailed the low end in this mix a couple minutes later I saw the switch was on. I toggled it off and I would have had to rework the whole mix to fix it so I left it. Since then I've been leaving it on. I'm unsure if I'll keep using it. The L2 limiter section is just plain awesome. It leaves a foot print but one I appreciate.

I'd love to have the Vari Mu, its on my list one day.

This is one piece of gear I feel like I can't live without. I could sell everything else and I would keep this.

Your 2-bus sounds quite coloured. Why are you going more that direction than not? I'd love to hear some of your acoustic tracks some time. I love acoustic music! I bet you are getting a really fat sound?

I realized that the more color a piece of gear has the more I tend to love it. I tend to shy away from gear that smears the sonic image too much though. I found some "warm" gear is does not give a tight enough image for me. Manley pre's tend to be like this for me. That is one concern I have about the massive passive as well.

I use the SPL (Sound Performance Labs) Passeq where you would put the Massive Passive. I'm big on combining Dangerous Music ( Dangerous Master) & SPL gear,( MixDream) for OTB summing. I have a ton of ways to sound design around the 2-bus and a lot of years figuring it all out.

That eq looks phenomenal. Is SPL stuff clean? I've never used their stuff. I know that can be tough to describe. People say SSL stuff is clean but other then their pre's that is not how I've heard it at all.

What is your final step after the 2-bus? Do you do one more step at 44.1 to master or is that your master there? I print the 2-bus on a separate DAW track and bounce it to 44.1. From there I master it, which I'm experimenting with both ITB and OTB methods right now.
What DAW are you using or printing to for mastering?
Do you use your outboard gear as inserts in your DAW or are you mixing OTB too?

I mix hybrid. I use 16 outs into my console where I have some parallel channels set up f/x set up. The 2-bus from my console goes to the 2-bus input on my focusrite 2802 (rebranded audient 2802). The 2802 gives me 8 channels of analog automation which I take from the direct outs on channels in my console. This is awesome to reduce noise floor from compressors and analog gear. My channels 1-8 in the 2802 are set up as follows. 1&2 have O.Hs and toms, 3 K/SN, 4 Bass, 5&6 ry git, 7 solo, 8 ld vox. Things like backing vox, F/X percussion, strings etc. get automated in my DAW.

I use old school recall sheets and print a new track in logic for my mix. My Manley, soon to be 550b's and waves maxxbcl are on the insert on the mains in the 2802. My daw mix get printed from the digital outs on the maxxbcl. I monitor through the 2802.

For most stuff I mix in 24/48. If I am mastering I leave it at those specs until the final bounce. Sometimes I don't need to master a folk or acoustic type mix. It is loud enough and balanced off the 2-bus so I will rendered a copy off of my printed track at 16/44.1

I am really interested in hearing more about SPL stuff.

Very cool Paul, I'm going to ponder over your rig a bunch. I love hearing about other hybrid rigs! I'd like to have a forum just for us.

Sure, I'll rave about SPL thumb

SPL stuff is so underrated in North America its hard to believe. I got interested in them around 2004 when I noticed a company that makes excellent mastering gear, take a clever direction towards hybrid. They are designing all the right pieces for hybrid DAW studios. I follow companies that make high quality mastering gear as well as recording gear, like Manley as you know, and Dangerous Music whom is a leader in hybrid summing as well.
Dangerous Music and SPL gear is the core of my studio.

SPL gear is very well made, extremely quiet and silky smooth sounding. Their support is the best and their direction is cutting edge.

The [="http://spl.info/hardware/monitor-controller/monitor-talkback-controller/kurzbeschreibung.html"]2381 [/]="http://spl.info/har…"]2381 [/]Monitor Talkback Control is another piece I just love, but this piece is extremely transparent, and for good reason.
The Passeq, when I die I'm going to have one leg removed so the Passeq will fit in my coffin. It has 60 volt rails, huge headroom and is very clean but silky smooth. Its very clever and accurate.
The MixDream is so awesome, its changed my life. Until I got that, I've regretted selling my G16 for Pro Tools. I wasted thousands on that rig. I leave it in the closet just to say I have PT. I made my money back on it so I can't complain. It just wasn't fun making it. My digital editing knowledge goes back to the early 80's so PT was an obvious step for me. I made thousand $ playing the Alberta/ BC A Circuit back then using all the latest digital stuff in a very big sounding two piece techno duo called, Jet.

I have a love hate thing for digital audio. Hybrid is the best of both worlds.

Back to SPL :)
My rig is so quiet I can barely tell its on with headphones cranked. The sound I have is stellar and its all built around the MixDream and Dangerous Master. Without going on and on... What can I say... I'm an SPL freak.

I have 8 SPL Premium mic-pre's with Lundahl coming in Jan. I'm told they are to die for. They are clean, huge headroom and silky.
These are going to be my acoustic music reference gems.

Premium Mic-Pre High quality triple stage design with Lundahl input transformers and discrete high voltage transistors. Check the [[url=http://="http://spl.info/fil…"]manual[/]="http://spl.info/fil…"]manual[/] for details.

I'm certain I will not be disappointed.

Various things find their way onto my 2-bus at times. But I always sum mixes OTB, and have Ward beck amps followed by an ART Pro VLA on there as a constant, even if other things change at times. Works well for me.

Those Ward Becks are supposed to be cool. What do you like about them?

The WBS M450B summing amps I have just seem to produce a nice character. Not overly coloured, but subtle. I also like their preamps. I have M470A which has a nice and kind of mid-range presence that is great for voice or guitar etc. I would love to try their EQ's as well..meant to be nice.

audiokid, post: 381430 wrote: SPL stuff is so underrated in North America its hard to believe.

Agreed. Don't want to hijack the thread, so I'll just say that I own the Kultube, TD4 and Vitalizer Mk2-T and find them indispensable.

SPL Kultube

Right on, and welcome back member 8862! (y)

I have the Kultube also and I'm just starting to play with it. Its a great box! I love the tube on bass! i'm just starting to experiment with it on the 2-bus.
Is yours stock or with the Lundahl tranny? I've read some think it adds so much more to their Kukltube but I've also read this is not a necessary add-on for compressors. SPL offers this as an option but also confirms it serves little benefit if any over the stock unit. Lundahls are right on for preamps. Mine is stock. Whats yours and what are your thoughts on that?

I have a RackPack 8 filled with SPL Premium MicPre's (Lundahls in those) coming this week. I'm soooo excited!

Thanks, I mostly lurk and lately I'm a refugee from gs - don't understand that site anymore! My Kultube is stock, haven't tried the Lundahl's but I prefer cleaner sound for compression anyway as most of my work is acoustic (bluegrass/folk/gospel) or voice for radio. As for using it on mix bus, I'll never forget my first day with the Kultube; we had worked all day on a mix, went home very happy with it, next day the Kultube arrived so we said why not, and put it across the mix. I can honestly say that was the one time in the studio where I went What is that? It just opened up the mix like I hadn't heard before and I can't really explain it except to say it everything sounded bigger and more open. . . from a compressor! I've since added other tools including the Unicomp which is amazing, but the Kultube is still a favorite.

HMMMMM? What's on my 2-bus? Well on the left, I have the 30 foot, 25,000 pound, Mercedes-Benz 1117 with the Neve. On the right, I have the 16,000 pound, 30 foot, Fleetwood Southwind RV, with the analog/digital, hybrid flight pack and the digital mixer. And the combination of those two, make all of my mixes sound good. Or did I misinterpret something here?

Orban 418 A/stereo strap 1176's
Mx. Remy Ann David

tmacomber, post: 383267 wrote: Thanks, I mostly lurk and lately I'm a refugee from gs - don't understand that site anymore! My Kultube is stock, haven't tried the Lundahl's but I prefer cleaner sound for compression anyway as most of my work is acoustic (bluegrass/folk/gospel) or voice for radio. As for using it on mix bus, I'll never forget my first day with the Kultube; we had worked all day on a mix, went home very happy with it, next day the Kultube arrived so we said why not, and put it across the mix. I can honestly say that was the one time in the studio where I went What is that? It just opened up the mix like I hadn't heard before and I can't really explain it except to say it everything sounded bigger and more open. . . from a compressor! I've since added other tools including the Unicomp which is amazing, but the Kultube is still a favorite.

The shills on that site used to overrun this place until 2003 when I did severe things to stop it all. We take pride in our content and members. When the core of this community smells stuff like that we go out of our way to set the record straight. Slow and steady the cream is rising and returning back here. Good to hear your comments and its right on seeing you back.thumb

NOW YOU HAVE ME EXCITED! I'm going to patch it in today. I'm very slow at making changes. I like to use something for a long time. Kind of like embedding the sound into my head. Once I get it, I add the next piece. I'm ready for the Kultube now.

Remy, I owned the Orban 672A years back. Loved it for Electronic Bass.

I had one of those once and never quite found what I liked it on. So I sold it. The 418 A is essentially the quintessential truly all-in-one original FM broadcast processor originally created as the FM-OPTiMod. Mine has no stereo generator nor Clippers & is just the peak limiter from that device along with the selectable preemphasis high frequency weighting of 25/50/75 µs. That was great back in the day for cassette mastering because of the selectable high frequencies limiting you could dial in. I still find that high-frequency limiting quite desirable on numerous problems sources. It really gives you the ability to add gobs of high frequencies equalization boosting without fear of audible repercussions. The 1176's also have a factory recommended switchable modification to also provide 75 µs of high-frequency preemphasis in the detector signal path.

I can't afford to play with any of that tube stuff.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Last night I was switching between the Lundahls and clean in my MixDream. I've had it active since I bought it. It took me a while to get used to the overall sound and options it has. I feel it sounds more open with it bypassed now, which I tend to like more too. But would be ideal in less complicated mixes needing some silk. Hybrid is so fun!