Console app channel acting as SSL BIG SiX Insert

[magicranch]

i saw someone mention this somewhere and have some questions about it.

Can you use a console app channel with plugins on it as an analog insert point on an SSL BIG SIX (or any other analog console mix bus insert for that matter). i’ve had thoughts of doing this but never looked into whether it was feasible. if it is something i can do, are there any weird caveats i should consider?
also, i haven’t even touched console since i started using LUNA… how would i make this work in Luna assuming i could?

thanks for any input!

 

[Matt Hepworth]

This is likely possible. The biggest caveat is will it line up? That's a pretty deep subject on its own...

LUNA can be a replacement to Console in many instances.

 

[magicranch]

This is likely possible. The biggest caveat is will it line up? That's a pretty deep subject on its own...

LUNA can be a replacement to Console in many instances.

“line up” …speaking about delay and delay compensation stuff? my assumption is that all the tracks would be summing through that mix bus insert on the analog console, so technically in this instance it wouldn’t need to line up with anything since it’d be printing the final stereo track

 

[dannymcguire]

As a Big Six user, would be really interested in this too - great idea.

@magicranch, were you thinking to do output from Apollo into the B6 insert points?

 

[flandybob]

What would be the point? Seems like an extra da/ad trip for not much gain

 

[dannymcguire]

Could allow for some interesting possibilities to track with unison preamps etc

 

[magicranch]

As a Big Six user, would be really interested in this too - great idea.

@magicranch, were you thinking to do output from Apollo into the B6 insert points?

yeah that’s what i was imagining. i feel like it could offer some cool capabilities, but hadn’t thought of the extra DA trip.

 

[magicranch]

my reason for wanting to explore this, is to be able to insert plugins at any point in the master insert chain that i want. i use a few analog pieces in my mix buss, and since i’ll be summing in analog soon, my plugins that usually live in my mix bus chain would have to be applied after my analog pieces, after it’s printed. most of the plugins i use on my mix bus i usually prefer before my analog gear. this hasn’t been an issue bc i’ve been summing ITD but i am in the market for a big six or neve 8816.

it’s just hard to know whether the extra DA trips comes with it for more flexibility with plugin inserts. anyone who has technical/engineering knowledge have any input? the order of plugins is pretty important, and the flexibility here would be tight.

 

[flandybob]

So you’re sending tracks / stems to the six tracks then summing on the six mixbus then printing back to your DAW.
Inserting plugins on six mixbus would add latency (not an issue on the 2 bus I guess) and additional ad / da.

if there is an insert point on the big six mixbus I don’t see why that would not be possible. I would still compare the actual difference between doing this and just putting the plugins after the ssl mixbus. Not sure the additional cabling / latency / conversion is worth the difference (if any) in the end

 

[Gitaarwerk]

Flandybob’s comment is I think spot on. Even with the low latency of the Apollo and having dsp straight up in the line, a few ms can do a lot of danage when you insert them on channels when recording. Phase issues and all.

I’ve thought about this idea myself as well. As home enthusiast, it’s not an issue when I at most record one instrument at a atime, and tou can correct the latency.

On the mixbus, I also don’t see any issues, repeating what flandybob says.

I could be reading it wrong, but after printing it on analog, you may want it back on digital. It would make more sense to add it there. But order could be a thing of course, and you’ll for sure be able to do it, if you insert it.

If you got 8 channels, you could just hook them up in a patch bay. In a ‘normal’ situation, I used to just leave the fronts empty and leave them all wired up, but 2x4 conversions is a bit much when not using.

If you would use a patchbay, you could opt for each UA Apollo connection to be isolated instead of a normal/half-normal setting. This way, you’re able to be super flexible; using it whenever, wherever and the way you want.

Just an idea