Overcome lack of hardware inserts with analog mixer?

[SteveGTR]

Sitting down to start a new project and as much as I love LUNA and totally prefer it in every other way, I will want to use hardware inserts and once again am reaching back to LOGIC only for that feature

Thinking out loud here and wanted to ask for feedback on an idea:

The idea would be to track and overdub into the DAW but mix to the analog system where I can insert hardware devices. Since I need the inserts primarily during mixing, what if I use an external analog mixer and put the analog gear in those inserts instead of within the DAW?
(I have a high quality RND analog mixer which I mostly use for external synths and special situations which could be re-purposed)

What I am not clear on is how to monitor exactly, especially since I would still want the mix to print into the DAW and be able to use plugins on the master buss after the hardware inserts and stereo summing, and monitor that real time while mixing

Any ideas, explanations or suggestions here? TIA

Steve

 

[Drjack69]

Sitting down to start a new project and as much as I love LUNA and totally prefer it in every other way, I will want to use hardware inserts and once again am reaching back to LOGIC only for that feature

Thinking out loud here and wanted to ask for feedback on an idea:

The idea would be to track and overdub into the DAW but mix to the analog system where I can insert hardware devices. Since I need the inserts primarily during mixing, what if I use an external analog mixer and put the analog gear in those inserts instead of within the DAW?
(I have a high quality RND analog mixer which I mostly use for external synths and special situations which could be re-purposed)

What I am not clear on is how to monitor exactly, especially since I would still want the mix to print into the DAW and be able to use plugins on the master buss after the hardware inserts and stereo summing, and monitor that real time while mixing

Any ideas, explanations or suggestions here? TIA

Steve

I think I get what you mean. If it was me, I’d route all the tracks I didn’t want to process externally to (names of busses for example’s sake) stereo “Bus 1”, which I’d then assign to a stereo pair of hardware outputs to take to a stereo pair on the mixer…then either assign each of the tracks you want to process externally, directly to hardware outputs, which (depending on whether your mixer has insert points, sends returns etc) you’ll either route via the outboard processing and into the mixer, or directly into the mixer. Then you take your mixer line out into a pair of inputs on your audio interface, and create a corresponding new stereo track, with the outputs set on MAIN. Hitting the “I” for input button will allow you to monitor your mix, and obviously hitting record will give you the print…

Does that make sense?

 

[SteveGTR]

I think I get what you mean. If it was me, I’d route all the tracks I didn’t want to process externally to (names of busses for example’s sake) stereo “Bus 1”, which I’d then assign to a stereo pair of hardware outputs to take to a stereo pair on the mixer…then either assign each of the tracks you want to process externally, directly to hardware outputs, which (depending on whether your mixer has insert points, sends returns etc) you’ll either route via the outboard processing and into the mixer, or directly into the mixer. Then you take your mixer line out into a pair of inputs on your audio interface, and create a corresponding new stereo track, with the outputs set on MAIN. Hitting the “I” for input button will allow you to monitor your mix, and obviously hitting record will give you the print…

Does that make sense?

Thank you for taking the time to post this response. This makes perfect sense to me and I appreciate you completing the thought about how to handle the master bus- create a mix of everything that does not get outboard processing and separated tracks that do get outboard processing.

The mixer is a Rupert Neve Designs 5059 which does have inserts, which conveniently are on switches per channel. This is nice for doing AB comparisons.

I’m gonna give this a try, the current project is very low track count (acoustic music), so it’s a perfect opportunity to try it out with a ton of complexity

Appreciate your feedback!

 

[Neofolk]

I have an SSL BigSix and I send my busses to the stereo channels. On the first 4 mono tracks, I usually send the kick, bass and vocals and then I use the inserts for some outboard compression. It works great and I just do a return track through the Apollo back into Luna. I'm limited to 4 inserts, but that's all I need tbh. Trying to curb the hardware buying these days

 

[SteveGTR]

I have an SSL BigSix and I send my busses to the stereo channels. On the first 4 mono tracks, I usually send the kick, bass and vocals and then I use the inserts for some outboard compression. It works great and I just do a return track through the Apollo back into Luna. I'm limited to 4 inserts, but that's all I need tbh. Trying to curb the hardware buying these days

This sounds like a great solution- thanks for explaining it