Analog Mixdown with Tape Console and Outboard Gear

[@muttomatic]

Hey Grady, just want to say thank you for making all of these videos. I've been slowly trying to build my own little analog mixing studio at home, and you keep answering all of my questions as they come to me. Really appreciate all the work you're putting into these!

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! I started out in studios with mostly analog gear back in the 90s. It's cool that so many people still find using analog gear worthwhile and enjoyable. Most of my production work is done in the digital domain or hybrid style these days but I love using my tape machines when I get the chance. Thanks again!

[@RiotHomeRecording]

Nice setup! When I track and mix to tape I don’t need as much processing to get to where I want to be due to the natural compression and eq analog tape produces. Sounds great, thanks for sharing.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! That's exactly what I have experienced. I would love to use tape more often but tape costs and machine maintenance cost a lot.

[@RiotHomeRecording]

@@TwinCreekAudio Yes, I use digital most often, but with the right band I love hitting tape.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

@@RiotHomeRecording Absolutely!

[@headsandhearts]

Your videos are wildly helpful. I was gifted a Teac Model 5 that’s been modded with kill switches for dub music (how I’d like to use it) and your videos on the comparable 35 have helped me immensely.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

@@headsandhearts thank you! I'm really glad the videos were helpful.

[@JacksonTaylorandTheSinners]

Just got a console so this is really helpful. Thank you.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

I'm glad you found the video helpful. I have made quite a few videos about analog consoles and tape machines of different kinds. I'll be back with new videos in the Fall after I finish moving.

[@JacksonTaylorandTheSinners]

@@TwinCreekAudio what a coincidence we starting the moving process too. So much fun. I’ll be watching them all. Gotten to the point I want to start producing other artist and want to do most of it from a home studio. I’m about to release my 20th record and haven’t learned anything about recording. Time to change that. Good luck on the move. 🫡

[@TwinCreekAudio]

@@JacksonTaylorandTheSinners thank you! Good luck to you as well! I'll be back with new videos before too long hopefully.

[@raindogred]

Hi Grady, got my Soundtracs console delivered today, Its got an almost identical colour as the tascam, though could be the video colour..mine looks olive green//brown. Contacted Tim at Blue Dog, sent him some pics and he identified my Soundtracs 1642-s as possibly the original soundtracs model from 1982,,he sent me a schematic..stoked :) Will fire it up tomorrow and have a play. Also got an incredible bargain, really nice price on a motu traveller fw..same vintage as my motu 8pre and 828mkii fw..don't know how but they just keep workin, I bought them second hand in 2006. I much rather hunt down well made older gear instead of the the modern stuff that ends up broken and in landfills after only a few years. Thanks for all the inspirational vids, tips and info. Rock on brother.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

That's great! I've seen those before but I have no direct experience with any Soundtracs other than the 2 Topaz Project 8s I've owned. I'm sure it will be good though. Soundtracs made good sounding reliable consoles and with a new power supply from Tim, you should be in good shape.

[@Settii]

Great video! Thanks for this!

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you!

[@resynthesizer4565]

Love it !

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! I'll be back with more tape machines and analog gear after I finish moving.

[@marcelb7259]

Definitively a very good mix. It is done with taste and subtlety, while maintaining character. My brother use a NuX in it's pedalboard but it is way less subtle. I will send it this mix as a reference. Thank you sharing and cheers from Canada.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! When using the pedal with a mixer, you can blend the reverb in with the console controls. On a pedalboard, you'd use the level control on the pedal to adjust the wet dry balance. They are great pedals and sound very good. Easily good enough to use as a studio effect as well as a guitar effect.

[@EmperorKamikaze]

Lol, digital guitar reverb counts as analog if it's a stompbox! Love it.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

@@EmperorKamikaze in the 80s and 90s, the main studio reverbs everyone used were digital. Lexicon etc so I figured a recent pedal is good enough. The rest of the setup was all analog. Unfortunately I don't have a real plate reverb. Lol.

[@EmperorKamikaze]

@TwinCreekAudio I get it: im no stickler when it comes to digiverbs. Might build a plate someday... I'm using a low-end lexicon currently otb. Probably will get another unit like it eventually. If I need more, then I'll do it itb, but trying to keep computers out of the process as much as possible, at least for now.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

@EmperorKamikaze I need another outboard reverb too. I really only have the pedal sn the Yamaha REV500. Would like to get a Lexicon PCM 70 or 80 but maybe another Yamaha. I have looked into building a plate reverb but it looks like a project that might be too much work for me and the results may or may not be good. Good plates take a lot of skill to get the plate tensioned correctly etc.

[@rubikdrummer1]

Sounds great! Loved it!

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! It was a lot of fun.

[@lj5899]

Really great as usual Grady! This is a tremendous help for me and my little environment. With my digital mixer (Tascam DM24) connected to my DAW via 2 eight channel ADATs (I'd make it three but can't find another aftermarket ADAT interface card for the mixer!) this validates using the returns (from DAW) for final mix. Plus the mixer can be reconfigured for master/mix with one button snapshot selection, changing all/selected strips from Input to Return. Actually, I find myself with almost too many options for routing and have to be careful not to lose my hearing or damage my equipment from an accidental feedback loop! My DAW Interface is an RME HDSP9652 which affords me up to 3 eight channel ADAT/IO but like I said, I need one more Tascam ADAT card to get all 24 channels. Actually I'll likely never even NEED the 16 channels I have in my home studio (its just the "principal" of wanting all 24 channels!). THANK YOU SIR for another great video!

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Excellent and thank you! I would imagine those Tascam at cards are hard to find by themselves but maybe you could find another DM24 which would also be useful as a spare or for parts? I have helped out at a studio that has a tascam digital console which may be a DM24 but I don't remember right now. I'm sure the Tascam digital console with the fantastic RME drivers will make a solid system. Best of luck and thanks for watching!

[@amberwoodstudio]

Love this type of content. I’ve recently bought an old sony real to real and I’m excited about using it for some mixdown Thanks just subbed

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! Hope you have a great time with the tape machine. You can probably also use it for tape delay. Thanks so much for watching!

[@wearashirt]

hey Grady.. great little piece you made there. Anyway, I remember you saying keeping things at mix level so we hear the real sound. Maybe your voice can also be at mix level as well.

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you. The voice track should be a good level but I am not having as much time to make each video as well as I'd like anymore. I've had to scale back on the number of videos already but I will try to watch the levels even though it is something I actually do pay attention to. Each video has taken many hours so sometimes I don't get them all consistent level wise but I do try. Overall the voice track tends to seem a bit louder than the example tracks since I don't process any of the audio from the analog gear. Sometimes I over compensate the levels in the editing process and usually don't have time to correct them. Thank you so much for your comment. I even made a video awhile ago that shows how the audio for the videos is captured.

[@bontempo1271]

Gotta catch up with your videos when i get a chance !

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! I think I have made almost 300 at this point. I tried to add a new one a couple of times a month so check out all the videos and keep checking back for new ones. Thanks again!

[@bontempo1271]

@@TwinCreekAudio 300 ! sheesh 😂thankfully i rememeber where i left off !

[@DJPHAROAHE]

I'm Always Glad to See Analog Gear Nice Video Bro Sounds Awesome Also Nice Reverb Blend It Sits Perfect in the Mix👌

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! My reverb method is usually to only add enough reverb where you begin to hear the width of the reverb without it coming obvious. That's the way I usually work with digital reverb though plate and room sounds might be treated differently and I'll use more of those sometimes.

[@DJPHAROAHE]

@@TwinCreekAudio Indeed bro that's the way to use reverb just enough awesome bro

[@KevinFitzpatrick81]

Thank you for these videos! Curious to know where/how do you print the final mix to?

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Usually the console outputs go to a pair of balanced inputs on one of the audio interfaces at 48k 24 bit. I don't remember which interface but it was either an Echo or MOTU. Nothing exotic or expensive.

[@KevinFitzpatrick81]

​@@TwinCreekAudio Thanks for the reply. I have a few mixdown options, Yamaha 4-Track Cassette, Fostex Model 80, 8-Track 7" Reel, or Digital Interface for mastering and release (or all of them just for kicks). Right now looking for a decent 16 I/O converter for my 16 channel Fostex Model 450, RCA inputs like your hybrid setup.

[@davidhardy5074]

Hello man ! ... I have some question about the "vu metre" seems a bit crazy, no ? ... Tape reccorder are rally expensive here (Fostex 8 is almost 1000 € last time seeing one), but It seems nice to play with ! ... I'm asking myself how to send a signal coming from a cinch ( dual mono) old vinyl to my console who's all balanced ( xlr and jack) ? Do you plan to make some FAQ video ? And last but not least : Do you plan to give some multitrack for educational purpose and giving your feedback on ? Have a good night ! Thanks for your work !

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you! I haven't made many.videos with vinyl but to connect a turntable to a console with XLR inputs might require an external phono preamp with XLR line outputs unless the turntable has a built in phono preamp with the correct RIAA EQ curve. The tape machines are fun but are not a cost effective method for music production in the 2020s. They have less features and cost much more to run. I really only have mine for fun and to demonstrate older production methods so it's more for education and historical perspective. Thanks again for your comments! And yes I have made many videos on the channel detailing different types of music production both analog and digital. If I ever get an external photo preamp I like, I will be sure to make a video about it's use.

[@topa1798]

More video please

[@TwinCreekAudio]

I'll have new videos coming this summer. Thanks so much!

[@topa1798]

@@TwinCreekAudio 😍🤩great!!!glad to hear from you!

[@coffeehigh420]

guitar overfall fatness could come up and a little louder the mix and the snair is too muddy and also a little too loud in the mix ... everything else i think sounds balanced .. i want you to know i love your work and think you do great work.. just hopefully you'll take this as constructive criticism :) also only my personal opinion. What are YOUR thoughts ?

[@TwinCreekAudio]

Thank you and no worries. This recording and mix was just for the video demo so I never expected it to really be perfect. I had to use headphones with this rig as well so that could be another reason.

[@coffeehigh420]

@@TwinCreekAudio i hear ya. well thank you man for all the good work you do !!