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Dangerous Music D-BOX+
- Summing and Monitoring System with 8-channel Analog Summing Mixer
- Programmable Speaker Selector
- Bluetooth Wireless Streaming
The original D-BOX is used in project and professional studios all over the world. It has received numerous awards for its practical combination of analog summing and monitoring. Thanks to an enhanced summing mixer, more speaker outputs, master output, mastering-grade D/A, Bluetooth connectivity, remote control, master fader and more, the D-BOX+ outperforms its predecessor. This analogue summing box will help you get that elusive “glued-together” sound in digital mixes, and you’ll hear your mixes as you’ve never heard them before – it’s one of the simplest ways to take your project studio to the next level. The D-BOX+ should be the focal point of your studio.
When most people think about Dangerous Audio, the first thing that comes to mind is analog summing. After all, with their pioneering 2-BUS in 1999, they pioneered the standalone analog summing mixer, and the first D-BOX launched this fascinating technology to project studios all over the world. The updated 8-channel summing mixer in the D-BOX+ is certain to give your mixes new levels of headroom, dimensionality, and clarity. Invest in the D-BOX+ and your panning will improve. The use of reverbs and delays will become more interesting in analog consoles. The bass will be punchier, the mids will be more detailed, and the highs will be more open. Your mixes will be elevated with the D-BOX+.
With the D-extensive BOX+’s routing capabilities, you can maximize the possibilities of your studio. With three independent speaker outputs and a programmed speaker selection, you can take control of your monitoring. An integrated talkback mic with push-button activation is included. The free D-BOX+ software for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android gives you remote control over all of the D-primary BOX+’s functions (volume, dim, talkback, I/O select, and more). The D-BOX+ is an excellent focal point for any studio. This is the Best Analog Summing Mixer in 2024.
Radial Space Heater
- 8 x 2 Analog Summing Mixer with Tube Saturation
- Adjustable 35V/70V/140V Tube Operation
- Transfmer-coupled Outputs
The Radial Space Heater is an 8-channel stereo summing mixer featuring 12AX7 tubes for sonic excitement that may give your music remarkable depth and harmonic richness. Sweetwater’s recording professionals know that summing in the analog domain rather than in your DAW is the best way to create that big-console sound. Variable tube overdrive on the Space Heater lets you add everything from subtle transformer warmth to rich harmonic distortion. The Radial Space Heater will provide a terrific sound to your projects, from gluing different drum recordings into a coherent kit to mixing down your final stems.
The Radial Space Heater is ready to be a studio workhorse just by looking at the back panel. Each of the eight channels can be configured as a hardware insert, allowing you to transmit individual tracks to the Space Heater for tube saturation and transformer warmth. Run your stems through the Space Heater and record the final stereo mix to your DAW once your individual tracks are flawless and you’re ready to compose your final mix. The Space Heater is a clever mixture of four excellent tube/transformer modules, as well as an analog mixer. This is the Best Analog Summing Mixers in 2024.
Cranborne Audio 500R8 USB Audio Interface and 8-slot 500 Series Chassis
- 28-in/30-out with 8 500 Series Slots
- USB Audio Interface
- ADAT MIDI I/O
The Cranborne Audio 500R8 demonstrates how the future and the past can coexist perfectly. It has a zero-latency audio interface and a high-performance A/D-D/A converter on top of a fantastic analog summing mixer. When you add in a very intelligent modular design, it’s a perfect no-brainer.
The 500R8 has a whopping 28 inputs and 30 outputs, all of which can be connected to your DAW through USB. An inbuilt studio monitor controller allows you to switch between two different sets of speakers while keeping an eye on the HD LED meter’s peak levels. The 500R8 contains two independent high-quality headphone amplifiers with enough power to drive any low-impedance headphones. Built-in A/D-D/A converters provide breathtaking sound purity as well as a flawless stereo image with no crosstalk.
If you have enough 500-series rack modules, the Cranborne Audio 500R8 is an excellent solution for someone searching for a near-perfect and incredibly capable audio interface that can also be utilized as a summing mixer. Unfortunately, the 500R8’s finest suit is also its weakest, because without those modules, using it as a summing mixer makes no sense, and purchasing a large number of modules is, to put it mildly, a costly exercise. This is the best Budget Analog Summing Mixer.
Rupert Neve Designs 5057 Orbit Summing Mixer
- 16-channel Class A Summing Mixer with Silk Red Blue Saturation
- Custom Dual-tap Output Transfmers
- Stepped Switching
The 5057 Orbit is a 16-channel summing mixer featuring unique audio transformers and top-of-the-line class-A circuitry. With DB25 inputs and XLR outputs, it’s a rather minimalistic and even simple gadget. Silk Red and Blue modes let you pick between a modern and relatively restricted saturation like that found on Focusrite devices and a more vintage sound, which is first and principally connected with Mister Neve’s legacy. Additionally, there’s a Texture control that allows you to dial in the ideal amount of desired saturation with plenty of headroom.
The distinctively built rotary fader can push any incoming signal beyond your wildest thoughts, producing a characteristic dual-tap output transformer that is claimed to be a Ruper Neve sound hallmark. This is a heavily modified output transformer that was designed for Rupert Neve’s favorite Shelford Channel. So you wouldn’t be incorrect if you expected a musical-sounding shine and really exquisite non-linearity. All of this brilliance is housed in a 1U rackmount unit that can be readily integrated with other Rupert Neve summing mixers to increase the capabilities of your DAW-centered workflow.
Phoenix Audio Nicerizer Junior Summing Mixer
There are panpots on each of the 16 input channels of the Phoenix Audio Nicerizer. A master stereo function enables a wider mix. The Phoenix Audio Nicerizer features 16 input channels, each of which is separately controlled by an analog panpot, making it a true summing mixer as opposed to just an amplifier or module used for summing. A master stereo function also enables helpful mid-side processing that you can utilize to expand your summed mix.
Phoenix Audio’s Nicerizer Series summing mixers are well-known analog tone machines for the digital era because of their unique Class A circuitry and useful features. The Nicerizer Junior brings important features like circuit gain staging and panning back to the analog realm, where they easily outperform their digital emulations. The Nicerizer has a transformerless architecture to provide the summing mixer with a broad frequency range. With the choice for between, you get beautiful saturated tones for high-fidelity sound. You can activate the 8dB boost on each channel to thicken and saturate the tones for a snappier sound similar to that produced by discrete Class A buffer amplifiers. Either a warmer, more contemporary sound or a vintage one are options.
SSL SiX Desktop Mixer
- A fully professional condensed console for use in the studio, in...
- Benchmark SuperAnalogue audio performance: Ultra low noise : ultra-low...
- Stunning Record Path: Two SSL console grade SuperAnalogue mic pre's
Solid State Logic SiX can be utilized in the studio for content recording or post-production. The SiX may at first glance seem like just another small mixer, but closer examination of its capabilities reveals that it is actually based on a large-format SSL console with adaptable features that fit well into any creative process.
The SuperAnalogue mic preamp with +72dB of gain on the SiX’s first two mono channels, which supports passive ribbon mics, phantom power, and a 75Hz hi-pass filter, makes for an excellent recording front end level controls in various methods. Available across multiple outputs, the potent G Series Master Bus Compressor is already valuable on its own. The preset ratio, attack, and release parameters of the conventional SSL console circuit have been updated in the quad-VCA chip. Also, the straightforward settings make it simple to add that renowned SSL punch and glue to your mixes or anything else you’re routing through the master bus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Analog Summing?
Engineers can route several DAW outputs into a specialized hardware unit using analog summing, and they can then combine those outputs to create a stereo file. Along the way, the summing mixer adds some analog sweetness to the signal that you might not be able to recreate digitally. Some will merely route your digital audio through transformers and other ear-pleasing electronic trinkets, while others have extra capabilities like extended monitoring choices and more effects.
How Does an Analog Summing Mixer Work?
An analog summing mixer works by taking multiple input signals, adjusting their volume levels, and then combining them into one or more output signals. The summing process occurs in the analog domain, which some engineers believe offers a different, often preferred, tonal quality compared to digital summing.
What’s the Difference Between an Analog Mixer and an Analog Summing Mixer?
The main difference between an analog mixer and an analog summing mixer is in their complexity and functionality. An analog mixer typically has multiple inputs and outputs, EQ and dynamics controls, auxiliary sends and returns, and other features for live sound or multi-track recording. An analog summing mixer, on the other hand, is a simpler device primarily used to combine multiple audio tracks into a stereo pair.
Do I Need an Analog Summing Mixer?
Whether you need an analog summing mixer depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you’re looking for a way to add some analog warmth and depth to your mixes, or if you often work with many tracks and want to reduce the load on your computer’s CPU, an analog summing mixer could be a great addition to your setup.
What is the Benefit of Using an Analog Summing Mixer?
The main benefit of using an analog summing mixer is the unique audio quality it can bring to your mixes. Many audio engineers believe that analog summing provides a warmer, wider, and more cohesive sound compared to digital summing. This is often attributed to the subtle distortions and harmonic coloration introduced by the analog circuitry.