Using a high quality analog device as a bus compressor can give your mix that desired analog touch. It can also be the Xrack or any other chain. But keep in mind that plugins are so good these days, that they will outperform cheaper hardware. So if you consider to buy hardware, better save some bucks and get something really professional. Less hardware but higher quality will give you that real analog flavour.

I don't own an SLL Fusion anymore. I used it for a while but didn't like it that much. There are other people who use it for mastering though. If you have only a couple of hardware peces it can be useful. But in my opinion there are better options.

Thanks for the reply! Any hint you could provide on what some of these better options might be?

@@therightovers instead of having several options in one hardware piece like the Fusion, which are all decent, it's better to go for individual units which are really awesome. A dedicated bus compressor, EQ, Saturator etc. Most cheap hardware units do not bring any improvements over plugins, cause software is so good these days. If you choose hardware, buy less but high quality. For mix and master bus compression I would recommend to invest in something, that gives you a "radio-ready" sound. Neve 33609, Manley Vari Mu, SPL Iron, to name only a few. There are also more affordable options, that come close like Heritage Audio, Wes Audio, Tegeler, Gainlab etc....

I know, I was talking about his engineer Bruce Swedien who passed away a couple of years ago.

If analog summing was not Superior he would not have$50,000 worth of analog gear or more

Summing mixers are useful for gluing busses together after outboard processing. Sure you can mixdown in your DAW, but if you can also master the track directly out of the analog summing mixer, that saves you a trip through AD/DA conversion (assuming the mastering setup is at least somewhat outboard). Of course, it's even better if the summing mixer is also contributing a pleasant coloration to the sound. That said, save ya money, spend it on concert tickets!

If you're ever curious, Access Analog now have a Rupert Neve summing box up on their servers. Rent it remotely, cheap.

Hi Jack, with RND you can't go wrong, great gear. Although I think that the Pórtico ll is more like a mastering tool, as the compressor section doesn't have the short attack times you need once in a while. I'd go for a more versatile comp. I like the AMS Neve 33609, it's a Diode bridge design with Marinair transformers and gives a very nice nix glue. Vari Mu tube compressors are also great for the mixbus, it doesn't have to be the expensive Manley, there are other more affordable options like Gainlabs Dictator, IGS Tubecore or Tegeler Vari Tube for example. For tracking it's great to have a couple of different preamp options. Maybe you want to take a look at the Louder Than Liftoff Silver Bullet, it has Neve and API Style preamps as well as an EQ which can cover a lot of different recording situations.

@pmmixingmastering5741 Thanks for taking the time to reply and for your recommendations! 1 - The Shelford Channel (single channel) strip that I said I want to buy together with the Portico II, already has the diode bridge compressor found in the AMS Neve 33609. I hade a look at the data sheets of both of them, and the one on the Shelford channel is even more versatile with attack times going as low as 180 micro seconds (with the "Fast" button not engaged) and 126 micro seconds (with the "Fast" button engaged - well below the 3 miliseconds of the AMS Neve 33609. Have a look at its data sheet and maybe you get interested in it... The maximum release time of the Shelford diode bridge comp is 1.25 seconds, while the maximum release time of the diode bridge comp on the AMS Neve 33609 is 5 seconds. I'm not an expert and I do not know if a release time slower than 1.25 seconds (as on the Shelford) will ever be needed ... So I believe the Portico II comp and the diode bridge comp on the Shelford Channel (single channel) will cover most of my needs. The "problem" is that MBT (Master Bus Transformer) came out and it has a more advanced "Silk" feature than the one ons on the Portico II and the Shelford, which unlike the one on the Portico II and the Shelford, lets you add both the blue and the red on the same channel at the same time. That's the only feature of the new MBT that makes me think about it - all the other features of the new MBT are already covered, in an beter way, on the Portico II and on the Shelford. 2 - Although I want to get as much info as I can before buying, so I do not have to waste money, it is impossible to have one type of signal processor to fit on all the sounds. Although the Shelford together with the Portico II cover almost everything (good quality preamp, 2 types of compressors, good quality and kind of comprehensive eq, saturation {Silk} and width and depth) I remain open to trying new flavors of EQs and comps (tubes and solid state). But it is hard to accept that people like EveAnna Manley can produce EQs and comps that justify a higher price tag than the ones from Mr. Neve, which has invented so much and dedicated his entire life to sound engineering. I will take into account your recommendations. Thank you!

@@Jack_Sparrow_1 it looks like you did your research, RND is great stuff no doubt. The thing I like about the 33609 is how the Marinair transformers add a nice vibe to the sound. I have owned the Portico II MBP but sold it, as I did not like it that much. Here's a review that sums it up pretty accurate: jeremycox.us/neve-portico-mbp-ii-master-buss-processor

I agree, no need for analog summing. If you want to spice up digital recordings there are other ways, as you also described. Dynamic range and the marketing that goes on around it when it comes to converters and interfaces could be a nice subject for another video. People fall in love with specs too easy😉

Mehr Lautheit entsteht nicht durch das analoge Summieren, sondern durch Faktoren wie dynamische Bearbeitung von Einzelspuren, Gruppen oder Mixbus. Das Verhältnis von transientenreichen Material, welches für Peaks verantwortlich ist und dem Rest spielt eine große Rolle (Crest Faktor). Dieses auszubalancieren ohne dass das Material Druck und Loudness verliert ist die Kunst. Das kann auf digitalen und analogem Wege erreicht werden, die Art der Summierung spielt keine Rolle, wobei jeder Weg natürlich seine Eigenheiten hat. Wenn der Limiter beim Mastering keine Riesensprünge mehr machen muss um Peaks einzufangen, ist das ein gutes Zeichen für einen gesunden Crest Faktor und es sollte ohne Beeinträchtigung des Sounds eine angemessene Lautheit erreicht werden können.

@@pmmixingmastering5741 Danke, superschnelle Antwort und viel der gewünschten Information ... da muß ich jetzt als Mensch mit gefährlichem Halbwissen erstmal nachdenken um Alles zu verstehen ... Ich hatte es in einem Vorstellungsvideo der Dangerous music Summierer (von Fab Dupont) so verstanden, daß das +6db auf analogem Weg mehr Lautheit durch analoge Verstärkung des Signals ermöglicht, ohne daß man Gefahr läuft, im Mix in den roten Bereich zu kommen. Ich ging nicht davon aus, daß analoges Summieren an sich die Lautheit anhebt. In diesen Videos wird aber davon gesprochen, daß der limitierte headroom im finalen Mix bei einzelnen Spuren kein Anheben der Lautstärke als Folge eines plugin-Eingriffs mehr zuläßt oder eben begrenzt. Durch die Verstärkung einzelner Kanäle (der 2Bus hat 16 Kanäle, die jeweils paarweise mit 6 db zusätzlich versehen werden können) könne man hier Lautstärke gewinnen, ohne kritische Grenzbereiche zu überschreiten. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJbNpJKjjd54Z6c - er spricht viel über analoge Summierung und der kritische Teil der unser Thema berührt findet sich ab ca. 10:15 min. :)

An AI digital vs. analog limiter would be an interesting shootout as well. Limiting is one of the few applications where digital has advantages because it can be much more precise. But I always look at it from the sound perspective. Does it add something which is nice to listen to? Cause that's what music is all about.