This is a great idea for a video. I think I started watching your videos around the time there was the 2 analog sidecars? Has been great watching the studio grow and evolve, and I love hearing this perspective on the journey and experience.
I'm still early on my analog journey, but I have been in love. I have a Stam bus comp, 2 motor city eqs and a looptroter sa2rate. And it's always a blast adding on mixbus and masters. My favorite thing about analog is how every move feels impactful. It feels like you are carving out the depth and sound out of your mix with every little knob turn. There is only one of each unit so use it to its fullest, that kinda thing!
I would like to sit behind you and be completely quiet one whole day and just listen and see what and how you do with all these high end boxes 😋 What an experience 🥰
@tommysa3atf714 I have a few songs I'll be mixing that we own early next year. So I'll have the rights to use the audio in videos. What i plan to do is some fly on the wall videos showing the process from start to finish. It'll be very similar to sitting behind me watching.
I’m glad you are already leaving in the future of serious mixing and mastering engineering. There is nothing better than recalling your mixes after two years and everything goes back like nothing happened. It’s a dream come true. The problem with most studios with high end gears is that you might not get the value of your gears to upgrade to all the recallable gears in the market places . But this is a brilliant idea and it is the future. Way to go Paul 👍🏽!!! Okay, now that you are in the driver’s seat, I have a question for you. MBT or APB ?
@OfficialAlexZitto hmm tough question i love both. MBT is one unit that is good. A nice EQ, OK comp, good widener and brilliant saturation. The APB is so many modules of your choosing. The APB fairchild module is almost identical to the fairchild. I'd personally choose APB. You get a lot for your money.
Thanks for the interesting video. You mentioned tape saturation. Which unit are you referring to? Or in other words, which digitally recallable analog tape saturation unit is out there? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. Regarding the APB. Do you always use it to process the tracks it's on, or do you also have it on just for character? If so, which APB plugin would you suggest just for character? Thanks!
Generally speaking I have the APB on every channel for processing purposes. The only module that does have some character without apply too much processing is the tape.
Hi Paul, do you think recordings that go directly into an interface benefit more from being mixed analog? This would be compared to a recording tracked with a good preamp + compressor. Curious to know if the signal chain just needs SOME analog, and there's a point of diminishing returns once you've got plenty of it in a chain.
@MarkVO tracking with analogue gear makes a welcomed difference. Only issue i ever find with doing so is that it is printed to the recording. There's no going back after the recording. I personally like to record with as little processing as possible, so that I have full range to work with once recorded. But this is also because I have lots of gear at my disposal to choose from.
It's been very helpful watching you to decide what to start with in a new studio. Of course this is with a budget so it'll be far more modest than your previous "modest" mastering chain... I wouldn't actually down play the fact that it's modest though costing 60K becuase this is a business so think of a small pastry shop, those ovens and equipment easily is way above 60K. But for me I will be on budget but still ned to stand out some what to be able to build to afford to expand to what you have one day (my fitting setup, not exactly the same) Digital recall is a blessing to the industry and hopefully all follow suit eventually. Although recording wise, there is still some value to committing to tape. For myself on a budget it'll be a McDSP APB, probably the 8 to begin with... Pair of preamps I like to send mixes through and a Elysia nvelope and maybe the SPL Vitalizer Mk3-T at a push. Will have the SPL channel strip for my mic as I will do production as my hobby/maybe becomes something or I can make a bit, just to keep my interested. But feel I'm in the same boat as you with that one lol... you helped me to not throw too many eggs in that direction... controllers and plugins to start and see where that goes... was very good but maybe not be very successful good. The McDSP is really quite a deal when you consider how much you get to play with. Seeing your pricing system is also very helpful to understand how much to charge. Of course you have to consider ability but at first looking at your prices you'd wonder how you make money until you understand the track count costs and then it starts makes a lot more sense. It's very easy to get discouraged looking at Fiver prices... but then you have to wonder what you actually do get for £20 lol. I might have more budget for analogue but really want to dip my toes in Atmos and have a IK Multimedia bundle in mind for this... just hope that the quality of that bundle VS the main stereo speakers doesn't limit me too much that it turns out to losing battle and should have waited to have the funds for a proper setup... I hope at least it'll be valuable in learning the format at least. I'm most interested in learning how to make fold downs translate... so practice for that will be enough for it to be worth it.
@TigroGumi this is something I've found. We work in an over saturated market where our talents aren't fully realised by the client until we work with them and can show them how good our sound is. To set one engineer or studio apart from the rest comes down to equipment and room. I have many friends who work in the box and they struggle to compete with another engineer working in the box for £20 on Fiver. Whereas because we have lots of equipment, lovely studios and great engineers working them its very easy for us to win work and warrant the price we charge. People are happy to pay the extra because they are getting something unique that someone in the box could never achieve. I've always found if a producer is higher an engineer they want to use a service that gives them something they can't achieve. And they can achieve an in the box sound using their own plugins. I feel analogue hardware is incredibly important for any studio.
@ unfortunately the cost of the essential parts of a studio is already a lot… and obviously just plugins can achieve a better result if you have the perfect room and monitor system for yourself and is the most important start… but still, there is still a need for what analogue can offer… I was first in admiration of Joseph Puig and his analogue setups are like Aladdin’s cave and obviously had something truly unique because a good portion of his units were modified to truly be one of a kind… but, imagine recalling a song using half of that equipment? It would take a week and still wouldn’t be the same. I do have a question about recallable units, because it’s analogue, is there still a slight difference when recalling? I can imagine there’ll be a difference you might notice when A/B-ing the original and the recall, just not as much if you did it by hand. The McDSP APB units I feel are a great staple to start with because it’s also the most plugin like operation as well as getting quite a library of units… given you can only load a certain amount at a time the fact you have a lot to choose from makes it a extremely good value. I see myself doing as you first did and building the mastering chain first… mastering chain and two bus. Maybe if I sort to keep adding a APB unit when I can, that’ll slowly add to the mixing catalog until I can begin to build the outer racks for mixing. I kinda have a wish to afford the biggest flock patch bay… wouldn’t need its full potential for a while but feel it’s an essential hub for a growing studio… and feel it’ll be of use because I would like to move towards recording also and being able to patch different microphones to preamps at a click of a mouse would be extremely beneficial. That is however getting way ahead of myself and first need to get started (again). I have a plan in place that allows me two years without making any money, hence the budget… in that time I can remember my old skills, learn new and network and offer free mixing and mastering to hopefully the right people, while taking the time to find the right people, to build a network that’ll see me regularly work in the future while also offering modest pricing for online services stating to be in a two year company building process. And again, this time will let me learn what are good jobs to take and not so good jobs. There must be a time when you get too busy that you can’t possibly accept all assignments… as in it’s just not physically possible. I will also start a number of TH-cam channels… one of the studio… on of audiophile products reviews and then two others incompletely different things and will not have all my eggs in just this idea… the studio as it will begin will remain anyway as that is something that’ll remain a passion even if it take some what of a hobby back seat and then mostly live professionally in the TH-cam context. I wouldn’t be giving so much eggs to this to begin with but I have been greatly incapacitated from doing manual work as well as another issue of a fatigue from a brain injury which is much like narcolepsy… this also means even with the studio I might not be able to offer 24 hour turn arounds as selectable option unless I can later expand to another studio and mix and mastering engineer… but, there’s always a way around this while still standing out… you just become something of a more lucrative option and maybe unique in being somewhat of a third party producer in productions… and then take more of a artist/producer standing while offering mixing and mastering services also… maybe the travel channel takes off and I add a musical focus within the travel experiences and the studio will be my landing post production to those ventures. It’s definitely important to have in mind all other ideas and uses if one plan fails… I am a person of many many plans are always changing and involving in my own heart and mind
@TigroGumi there is zero noticeable difference when comparing a recalled unit. I can load a 100 channel mix and it'll be identical to where it was last left.
Great Video. Do you like your A or B studio better (tone wise)? What do you think about the SPL Big 500 series widener? If you think there is better let me know.
I prefer studio B because I have built it specifically to the sound I want to achieve. Nick's studio (Studio A) is more unique in ways where he can generate a lot of different tones.
@braxal6983 i personally much prefer working in the box for widening when mixing. Out the box the MBT has a nice widener. I can't think of anything in 500 series.
@JohnWuMastermind no. That's like saying isn't every song ever released pre 1990 too analogue. The music sounded beautiful back then when it was 100% analogue. Wouldn't you agree?
@JohnWuMastermind I'll upload some videos to youtube next week of mixing using this process. This will give you a good insight into the process. I will also look at doing a comparison video of a small mix using just plugins compared to using analogue equipment.
This is a great idea for a video. I think I started watching your videos around the time there was the 2 analog sidecars? Has been great watching the studio grow and evolve, and I love hearing this perspective on the journey and experience.
@@CT-ho6si I'm looking forward to seeing this studio evolve some more over the next few years. Thanks for being along for the journey.
I'm still early on my analog journey, but I have been in love. I have a Stam bus comp, 2 motor city eqs and a looptroter sa2rate. And it's always a blast adding on mixbus and masters.
My favorite thing about analog is how every move feels impactful. It feels like you are carving out the depth and sound out of your mix with every little knob turn. There is only one of each unit so use it to its fullest, that kinda thing!
@@YMIR spot on. There's so many benefits to using analogue.
I would like to sit behind you and be completely quiet one whole day and just listen and see what and how you do with all these high end boxes 😋 What an experience 🥰
@tommysa3atf714 I have a few songs I'll be mixing that we own early next year. So I'll have the rights to use the audio in videos. What i plan to do is some fly on the wall videos showing the process from start to finish. It'll be very similar to sitting behind me watching.
@AudioAnimalsStudio Thats sounds awesome Paul and I looking forward to it 👍
Sounds amazing Paul!
I’m glad you are already leaving in the future of serious mixing and mastering engineering. There is nothing better than recalling your mixes after two years and everything goes back like nothing happened. It’s a dream come true. The problem with most studios with high end gears is that you might not get the value of your gears to upgrade to all the recallable gears in the market places . But this is a brilliant idea and it is the future. Way to go Paul 👍🏽!!! Okay, now that you are in the driver’s seat, I have a question for you. MBT or APB ?
@OfficialAlexZitto hmm tough question i love both. MBT is one unit that is good. A nice EQ, OK comp, good widener and brilliant saturation. The APB is so many modules of your choosing. The APB fairchild module is almost identical to the fairchild. I'd personally choose APB. You get a lot for your money.
if I ever came to your studio I would never want to leave, you got a lot of nice gear there 😊
@@charlychalton7743 I know the feeling.
Thanks for the interesting video. You mentioned tape saturation. Which unit are you referring to? Or in other words, which digitally recallable analog tape saturation unit is out there? Thanks!
@mischief82 in the box i use the Ampex ATR 102. Out the box in the analogue domain I have the option to use 88 instances of the mcdsp APB tape module.
@@AudioAnimalsStudio Ah, I see, the McDSP… got two HRK ST552, but obviously they are not (digitally) recallable.
Thanks for sharing. Regarding the APB. Do you always use it to process the tracks it's on, or do you also have it on just for character? If so, which APB plugin would you suggest just for character? Thanks!
Generally speaking I have the APB on every channel for processing purposes. The only module that does have some character without apply too much processing is the tape.
Hi Paul, do you think recordings that go directly into an interface benefit more from being mixed analog?
This would be compared to a recording tracked with a good preamp + compressor.
Curious to know if the signal chain just needs SOME analog, and there's a point of diminishing returns once you've got plenty of it in a chain.
@MarkVO tracking with analogue gear makes a welcomed difference. Only issue i ever find with doing so is that it is printed to the recording. There's no going back after the recording. I personally like to record with as little processing as possible, so that I have full range to work with once recorded. But this is also because I have lots of gear at my disposal to choose from.
It's been very helpful watching you to decide what to start with in a new studio.
Of course this is with a budget so it'll be far more modest than your previous "modest" mastering chain... I wouldn't actually down play the fact that it's modest though costing 60K becuase this is a business so think of a small pastry shop, those ovens and equipment easily is way above 60K.
But for me I will be on budget but still ned to stand out some what to be able to build to afford to expand to what you have one day (my fitting setup, not exactly the same)
Digital recall is a blessing to the industry and hopefully all follow suit eventually.
Although recording wise, there is still some value to committing to tape.
For myself on a budget it'll be a McDSP APB, probably the 8 to begin with... Pair of preamps I like to send mixes through and a Elysia nvelope and maybe the SPL Vitalizer Mk3-T at a push.
Will have the SPL channel strip for my mic as I will do production as my hobby/maybe becomes something or I can make a bit, just to keep my interested.
But feel I'm in the same boat as you with that one lol... you helped me to not throw too many eggs in that direction... controllers and plugins to start and see where that goes... was very good but maybe not be very successful good.
The McDSP is really quite a deal when you consider how much you get to play with.
Seeing your pricing system is also very helpful to understand how much to charge.
Of course you have to consider ability but at first looking at your prices you'd wonder how you make money until you understand the track count costs and then it starts makes a lot more sense.
It's very easy to get discouraged looking at Fiver prices... but then you have to wonder what you actually do get for £20 lol.
I might have more budget for analogue but really want to dip my toes in Atmos and have a IK Multimedia bundle in mind for this... just hope that the quality of that bundle VS the main stereo speakers doesn't limit me too much that it turns out to losing battle and should have waited to have the funds for a proper setup... I hope at least it'll be valuable in learning the format at least.
I'm most interested in learning how to make fold downs translate... so practice for that will be enough for it to be worth it.
@TigroGumi this is something I've found. We work in an over saturated market where our talents aren't fully realised by the client until we work with them and can show them how good our sound is. To set one engineer or studio apart from the rest comes down to equipment and room. I have many friends who work in the box and they struggle to compete with another engineer working in the box for £20 on Fiver. Whereas because we have lots of equipment, lovely studios and great engineers working them its very easy for us to win work and warrant the price we charge. People are happy to pay the extra because they are getting something unique that someone in the box could never achieve. I've always found if a producer is higher an engineer they want to use a service that gives them something they can't achieve. And they can achieve an in the box sound using their own plugins. I feel analogue hardware is incredibly important for any studio.
@ unfortunately the cost of the essential parts of a studio is already a lot… and obviously just plugins can achieve a better result if you have the perfect room and monitor system for yourself and is the most important start… but still, there is still a need for what analogue can offer… I was first in admiration of Joseph Puig and his analogue setups are like Aladdin’s cave and obviously had something truly unique because a good portion of his units were modified to truly be one of a kind… but, imagine recalling a song using half of that equipment? It would take a week and still wouldn’t be the same.
I do have a question about recallable units, because it’s analogue, is there still a slight difference when recalling? I can imagine there’ll be a difference you might notice when A/B-ing the original and the recall, just not as much if you did it by hand.
The McDSP APB units I feel are a great staple to start with because it’s also the most plugin like operation as well as getting quite a library of units… given you can only load a certain amount at a time the fact you have a lot to choose from makes it a extremely good value.
I see myself doing as you first did and building the mastering chain first… mastering chain and two bus.
Maybe if I sort to keep adding a APB unit when I can, that’ll slowly add to the mixing catalog until I can begin to build the outer racks for mixing.
I kinda have a wish to afford the biggest flock patch bay… wouldn’t need its full potential for a while but feel it’s an essential hub for a growing studio… and feel it’ll be of use because I would like to move towards recording also and being able to patch different microphones to preamps at a click of a mouse would be extremely beneficial.
That is however getting way ahead of myself and first need to get started (again).
I have a plan in place that allows me two years without making any money, hence the budget… in that time I can remember my old skills, learn new and network and offer free mixing and mastering to hopefully the right people, while taking the time to find the right people, to build a network that’ll see me regularly work in the future while also offering modest pricing for online services stating to be in a two year company building process.
And again, this time will let me learn what are good jobs to take and not so good jobs.
There must be a time when you get too busy that you can’t possibly accept all assignments… as in it’s just not physically possible.
I will also start a number of TH-cam channels… one of the studio… on of audiophile products reviews and then two others incompletely different things and will not have all my eggs in just this idea… the studio as it will begin will remain anyway as that is something that’ll remain a passion even if it take some what of a hobby back seat and then mostly live professionally in the TH-cam context.
I wouldn’t be giving so much eggs to this to begin with but I have been greatly incapacitated from doing manual work as well as another issue of a fatigue from a brain injury which is much like narcolepsy… this also means even with the studio I might not be able to offer 24 hour turn arounds as selectable option unless I can later expand to another studio and mix and mastering engineer… but, there’s always a way around this while still standing out… you just become something of a more lucrative option and maybe unique in being somewhat of a third party producer in productions… and then take more of a artist/producer standing while offering mixing and mastering services also… maybe the travel channel takes off and I add a musical focus within the travel experiences and the studio will be my landing post production to those ventures.
It’s definitely important to have in mind all other ideas and uses if one plan fails… I am a person of many many plans are always changing and involving in my own heart and mind
@TigroGumi there is zero noticeable difference when comparing a recalled unit. I can load a 100 channel mix and it'll be identical to where it was last left.
@ good to know, I had assumed there might be a very slight difference, but if you are not experiencing that at all, that is good to know
Great Video. Do you like your A or B studio better (tone wise)? What do you think about the SPL Big 500 series widener? If you think there is better let me know.
I prefer studio B because I have built it specifically to the sound I want to achieve. Nick's studio (Studio A) is more unique in ways where he can generate a lot of different tones.
Regarding the SPL Big 500 I am personally not a fan. Try out the plugin and see what you think of that.
@@AudioAnimalsStudio What can I use as a widener? anything in a 500 series?
@braxal6983 i personally much prefer working in the box for widening when mixing. Out the box the MBT has a nice widener. I can't think of anything in 500 series.
"Me ears" you sound Irish Paul😂 but wonderful explaination🎉 of vision of AA.
@@riktascale4 I'm from the East End of London. I've never had anyone think I sound Irish.
@AudioAnimalsStudio ok np l just noticed this in movies😄
@riktascale4 the London accent is used a lot for the villains in movies.
@@AudioAnimalsStudio kk
Isn't it over exaggerated to have the mix go through all that analogue process and then add analogue mastering on top?
@JohnWuMastermind no. That's like saying isn't every song ever released pre 1990 too analogue. The music sounded beautiful back then when it was 100% analogue. Wouldn't you agree?
@AudioAnimalsStudio Yeah it was a question I had for a while. Where can we find examples of songs u mixed and mastered going through this process?
@JohnWuMastermind I'll upload some videos to youtube next week of mixing using this process. This will give you a good insight into the process. I will also look at doing a comparison video of a small mix using just plugins compared to using analogue equipment.
@@AudioAnimalsStudio Perfect idea. We need to hear that difference!
Is this video sponsored. I hope not
@Platnumbaby sponsored by who? No it isn't sponsored.