How to Choose a Mixing Console for Your Studio

Record on a Neve and mix on an SSL is yet True today ! I don't totally agree cause 99% of albums you buy are producted like this since 60's and yet today. So there is a good reason for this ! It is proved that this sort of making sound is the best, maybe only a few exceptions will do differently and will work.

Q: What are the things to consider
A: There's a lot

Me: Noted, a lot.

I feel the dialogue was great, though for those watching for more hands on knowledge , you guys could have used the Board and set up right there to demo everything you were talking about, to bring it all together.....Otherwise , sitting there served no purpose, and I love Sweet-water products and service...Though this missed the mark ...........

This was great. Just wish I had a big room and few extra hundred grand.

That's a lot of good information to process, I'll have to watch this one again. Great video, thanks 🤘

I prefer working with peramp banks a AD/DA and externe 500 series effects

Question...do you eq into the daw on the desk as you record or on the playback before you send to your bus

I love analog consoles but we've gotta admit that adding one will complicate your process a lot. Recallability is a big issue. You've got to do a lot more mental mapping when incorporating a console. It may make your process faster if you're more used to working in a console or the other way around. No doubt it will elevate your sound and tracking is super fun when you use a console. But switching to mixing after tracking and then recording again and then mixing afterwards again, it will mess up with your head and you may make mistakes if you're not mindful. Even small mixers can give you that same headache.

For many people who don't want to complicate their workflow, just buying some preamps will help a ton. They're a fraction of the cost of a console but they'll give you the sound that you're looking for in a console. Add a patchbay if you want to incorporate analog gear and probably just a summing mixer if you're really serious about that analog sound. I would say that the Tascam Model 24 is a great choice for many home studio enthusiasts as it does a ton of things without breaking the bank.

im still lost… and what about hip hop style production?? We get neglected I feel like..

so what about hip hop production when all you mainly need is recording and mixing vocals, when all you need is just a few inputs??

I don’t want anyone else besides Mitch in the Sweetwater videos.

One of the best videos Sweetwater has done

I had to check the date when this video was made. This is so out of date. Most people are much better off working in the box. If you really need the faders and switches there are controllers. I just don't see the need for a console in a home or smaller studio. Just a waste of money. Sure, some people are accustomed to working with consoles. But, that is just bad habits. Once you get used to working in the box you will never go back!

Moved to an SSL Big Six in January 2022.
I cannot believe how it has improved my workflow and made tracking/mixing just more fun!!

I'm wondering about the Yamaha-Steinberg Nuage. Could I get some of your views as to what the strengths and weaknesses of this control surface are as far as studio production and mixing go?

💻👏🧐

Almost, 50 years ago. When I was 17. I cut my teeth on a 24 input API. At that time. I didn't know what a, Neve was or, meant? SSL did not yet exist. Or they did? But they were only making organs, for churches. Electrodyne, was already gone and but a memory. Integrated circuit chip, consoles, were MCI, Auditronics and a few others. Discrete transistor, technology. Was the way to go. You could overdrive transistors. To get a unique sound. Rich in harmonics. You could use. But you couldn't do that. With integrated circuit chip, consoles. And, when all of the consoles. Were basically, split consoles. With the input section and mix, section. As in line consoles. Were still a new thing.

At 22 years of age. I designed and built. Baltimore, Maryland''s, second largest, music and commercial production, studio. Where I designed all of the acoustics. The room dimensions. The 24 x 8, custom console. I designed and built. 24 input. With a, separate, 16 track mono, monitor mixer. And a 16 input, stereo, tape return, monitor mixer.

When I design a studio. I first decide. How many inputs and outputs I will need. How many patch bays and patching I want. And I start with the patch bays. In my control room and studio designs. I basically design everything around, my need for extensive patching of everything. The microphone inputs are on a patch bay. Normaled to the first, 24 inputs. So I can patch any microphone. To any input. Regardless of the,, normalling. All of my tape, outs. All of my line inputs and line outputs. All of my external peripheral gear. All of my timelines.

Then I figure out. What I want the console, to do. What kind of preamps I want. What kind of EQ, I want. How many channel bus outputs, I want. How many direct outputs I want. How many inserts, I want. How many monitor speakers, I want.

In, 1993. I gave up my dual, 2 inch, 24 track machines. And went with a digital recorder. By 2007. I got rid of the big digital, 24 track recorder. And went, 24 track, hard drive, recorder. And the recorder removed from the, abundantly sized, machine room. To, in the rack. In the control room. And by, 2012. I installed the, 24 track, computer rig, DAW.

And throughout the years. My analog consoles. Were, full manual with no automation. As my automation now resided within the DAW,, software.

It was then I moved from a 12 x 4, all germanium transistor, Phillips, console. To that, of a pair, of Auditronics, 501's. Tied together. For a total of, 52 inputs. Why 52 inputs? I moved everything. Into a, gigantic, 25,000 pound, diesel box truck. Of a Mercedes-Benz, 1117/1319, truck. As I had always specialized in, live on location, capture and mixing. For live albums, FM broadcasts, TV broadcasts. When I built.. When I built the, CROW. Or, the Control Room On Wheels. CRO W.

Now the Auditronics was just fine. It was an IC chip, type. It sounded great. I felt better than the, MCI's. I was never impressed with the sound, of MCI. They sounded, Brown, to me. Like their color schemes. The Auditronics, reminded me of the sound of the, API's which I could not afford, for myself. Even though I loved those. And wanted one. But that was not to be for me.

But then an opportunity arose. To acquire a, Sphere, Eclipse C,, $85,000 console. For, $17,000. And I jumped on that. What a fabulous sounding and versatile console, that was. And I loved it! It would be the best sounding console. I would ever have. Sort of. Because…

In 1996. Another opportunity, was made available to me. Of a console, I loved and used regularly. As an engineer for, NBC-TV. And it was, a 1970 design, 36 input, Neve. And I freaked! When I got that for a scant, $6000! That required a full restoration, refurbishment and rebuild. That would have normally cost, $30,000. To bring it back to like new condition. I couldn't afford, $30,000. So, I developed, a new technique. For the restoration. Of that legendary desk. That only cost me, $3000! So, for under $10,000. I had a, 1970, $85,000 Neve! For under $10,000. But it was a very simple, console. Compared to my, Sphere or Auditronics. It was very limited. In its features. Like an overgrown, obese, Mackie 1604. But it weighed in, as much as a, Mazda Miata or, Volkswagen Beetle! It weighed approximately 1 ton. And required a 25,000 pound diesel truck. To schlep it around. And would never leave the truck, control room. I was one of the finest in the USA like that.

I still love analog consoles of that nature. Of that type. And which had no internal, automation. Because everything would be captured, live. In one pass. And while I track to, 24, tracks. I'm also developing a stereo mix, for live broadcast. And so everything tracked. To the multitrack. Would also include, EQ and dynamics processing. As I like to make, commitments. I'm not worried. About what I might want to undo. Because I would not want to undo,, anything I did. And then later. I could remix the 24 track master. Much easier. As it already had the EQ I wanted. The dynamics processing I wanted. Because I know what I'm doing. And there is no need to undo anything I do. Even with extreme use of EQ and dynamics processing. As I had a technique. An technique to my sound. That everybody seemed to love.. And garnering, 4 major music award nominations. And making history doing it.

Throughout the years. I even had the opportunity at other facilities. To work with SSL's, early digital, 64 input audio consoles. And I like to those just fine. For its extensive capabilities. But I still loved tracking through my Neve. But when I couldn't track through my Neve. For whatever the reasons? I would track through, my bevy of, API, 312 microphone preamps! Which I could then later mix, in the box and/or, through the Neve. As the Neve was so fat and punchy sounding!

And so there really isn't any type of console and feature set I need. As I know how to actually, Engineer, Audio!

I am now transitioning. Into the hybrid realm. And after using this Neve. At NBC-TV since 1984. And then acquiring it after its decommissioning. In 1996. I really don't care. What I need to do. As I know, how to do it all! And it's different for every job and occasion. And pretty much all controlled through, 18 separate, external, 48 point, patch bays. That could require. Up to, 100 patch cords in the Jack fields. Which could get a little dicey. And you really have to know, how to patch what you want, the way you want it.

Today, no one designs and builds, their own custom consoles anymore. They don't know how to? So then the discussions ensue, what kind of console or mixer, one wants or, can afford.

In the near future. I shall miss my Neve. As much as I miss my late husband. But I'm adaptable. I'm fluid. With everything I do. As I know how to think everything through. Thinking is nothing that is taught, in school, for recording. They just want to talk, gear.. That's not where it's at!

And so I will likely acquire, someone's digital desk. And still have my selection of outboard microphone preamps and other ancillary external equalizers. Of a parametric design. Rather than my simple, 1073 style, equalizers. And I'll adapt to another new workflow. No big deal. I'm an actual real Engineer. Not a beginner. Not a, wannabe. As I only record, actual musicians and singers. I generate nothing in the computer! I'm not into that computer generated, blah blah. It's just not my thing. And if I have to. I have young, assisted engineers. That know their way around ProTools. Better than I do. As my ego. Does not require. That I have to do everything.

And for the rest of us, there's the Tascam Model 24.

1. Studio and Live console
2. Digital or analog console
3. Center piece
4. Logistics
5. Physical size
6. Large, medium, small format.
7. Number of inputs and or pres
8. Colorations
9. I/O
10. In/outs of console vs interface (AD/DA)
11. Patch bay
12. Type of music vs size format console
13. Tasks (tracking / mixing / automation)
14. Budget
15. How do you enjoy it 🤷‍♂️

I have an SSL AWS924 and I can't imagine working without it, both tracking and mixing.

Digital interfaces are at 24 to 32 inputs ! That's 99% of the business ! Movies, most movies are interface and digital. Huge orchestra is console or huge bands ! Most of the old desks and studio are closing ! Things have changed !

Would love to hear Rob talk about console maintenance. He briefly mentioned the heat generated by the large format analog consoles and the need for dedicated HVAC for the room the console is in. Would be interesting to hear him talk about other room preparation considerations like this as well as things to expect from actually running a large format analog console over a 12, 24, 36 month period and beyond. Thanks for sharing Sweetwater!

This was helpful,but I already know what I want from Sweetwater. A Rupert Neve 5088 coupled with two IZ Radar machines synced together. No Pro-Tools,just "Bro-Tools"! I'll just have to empty out my 401K and never retire!

I’m looking for a analog console with recall…

This video really should be called "How to choose a mixing council for your studio"

Just depends on how much your kidney is worth