SSL BiGSiX USB Interface for MPC LIVE II

[@JeronimoFury]

You should lower all the channel faders on the SSL mixer. The master fader should be set to 0 db. Start playback of your MPCs then gradually raise the channel faders...and mix as you desire. Only then record the sum of all your channels into an MPC audio track. I used the Tascam Model 12 with my MPC Live in standalone. I have recently ordered the very SSL mixer (as well as the MPC Key 61) in your video. I will be posting videos about my workflow in the coming weeks.

[@brandonlewis5444]

Not sure I understand why you say this. Both the individual channels and the master bus of the B6 had plenty of headroom. Can you explain why it matters? If I hit the same overall level how does it matter if it’s achieved with the master fader at zero or not?

[@JeronimoFury]

@@brandonlewis5444 Mixing 101. Normally....you set the Master Channel on a mixer to 0 dB. No need to touch it. Your overall levels don't need to come anywhere near 0 dB.

[@billbillbeats]

@@brandonlewis5444 It matters because of the board's ADCs and DACs. On pretty much every converter (except for the converters that are designed to be driven like Burl etc or converters that incidentally sound good driven like the S950 etc), you ideally want to leave around 12-18dB of headroom for the most true to the source sound. Your channels are coming in just under peaking; that's way too hot. With that in mind, my recommendation would be to turn the programs down in the MPC. With the channel fader at zero, channel levels should be hitting the meter around +6 for sustained sounds and around +12 for drums. Then you have your 12-18 dB of headroom on the channels and you should end up with at least 6-9dB headroom on the master before you even touch the fader. Now if you want to juice the levels for some flavor, then do that in the analog domain where it sounds good. Push the channel faders, crank EQs, add compression, etc, and then pull back on the master fader before it hits the ADC to get a good level going back into the MPC for bouncedown.

[@brandonlewis5444]

@@billbillbeatsthanks for the time and constructive reply. A lot of these MPC sample libraries have been normalized samples and they are hot AF in the MPC.

[@smokey5100]

Subscribed! Looking forward to those videos playa!

[@audiolego]

I have an X and I'm using a MOTU M4. I'm very happy with it but this Big Six is amazing. I'm GASSING. Btw, you're going to have a hard time if you mix your song all in MPC Live. Even the software is confusing. I record(sample) to X but drag and drop audio to DAW once I have the sections . I don't even arrange in X. I tried it and I think I like building sections in X but arrange and mix the audio to my Harrison Mixbus 32c DAW. I want that Big Six . I want all my analog synths go thru that BIg Six preamps. The preamps is the ❤. Btw, MPC live/X/One, making tunes in that thing really satisfying. Those pads , I feel a vibe. I do t even care what key I'm on. With MPC, I get to listen more and follow my musical instincts. Today I'm finishing mixing my tune. When I start on MPC, I know I'll finish the song. I don't even play the keyboard anymore. I make simple Melodies on those pads.

[@LavaLampZone]

Record to out of the box medium. Hard disk or tape. Kinda defeats the purpose of going analog if you’re just recording it back into the box imo. 🔥🔥🔥

[@shermLarock]

Nice video. Can you do this yet still record to you Daw? Not as a mix down but rather as separate stems. Or does using class compliant usb disable this feature of the Big six?

[@Whyme103]

You can also parallel compress on the big six, it is a unique mixer. It even works on an IPad.

[@stevencirile]

How did you get it to work on iPad I tried it doesn’t on my iPad Pro, and ssl said they won’t support iOS.

[@doktahyde]

Ditto. How?

[@TannerByTheSea]

I could Run it on my main out -into my Apollo system and record a stereo track down that way? It’s Absolutely amazing though

[@heru32288]

I'm trying to figure out that same thing

[@babysunn2]

20 Minutes Straight Is The Max Recording Time in That Configuration.

[@teashea1]

very interesting video - well done.

[@moe47988]

more hardware these days should be beige or gray.. it was used a lot in the 90s, there was nothing wrong with then, and there's nothing wrong with it now

[@NyakzOTSD]

Amazing

[@NyakzOTSD]

Had to rewatch - Seriously game changer

[@ILLUDIUM_Q_36]

How happy are you with the sound quality with the big Six? I was thinking of upgrading from my model 12. I know the Big Six is like 5 time the cost of the model 12. I’m just wondering where you stand and if it’s worth the upgrade. Thanks

[@brandonlewis5444]

I’ve been happy with the converter quality. I don’t have golden ears though. I do have it aggregated with Apollo FW8 and another Apollo 8 TB and nothing has leapt out or stuck out to me that they are better or worse. If I were to guess I’d say more detailed, but really it’s kind of out of the way and you just make music. I wasn’t that bothered or jazzed that it had converters itself, but after using it I think it’s a big deal. I can take this to a band’s house and track the whole band with one USB cable.

[@melokit-music]

cool but can't find the demo link

[@brandonlewis5444]

Thanks for watching and commenting. Unfortunately I toasted the mix with levels too high. I have made another one from the same saved project with 4x the sequence length. Will link it soon.

[@melokit-music]

@@brandonlewis5444 cool, see U ✨

[@brandonlewis5444]

@@melokit-music sorry about this, but KZbin won’t let me post an external link without a pic of my driver’s license, passport, or 30 sec video of my face! I’ve put the mix link in the Gearspace thread called “SSL Big Six” in the Electronic Music Production forum.

[@richiefamus8778]

But the mpc doesn’t change to 32 audio track recording right? So you only have 8 tracks. So if you wanted to track like 16 sounds individually, you’d have to make a duplicate of the song and do it in 2 passes?

[@maximustheproducer]

This is the way!

[@Craftmaster3]

No, no it's not. Doing all that sweet analog processing only the record it back into the mpc is counterproductive.

[@maximustheproducer]

@@Craftmaster3 This will be perfect for me I track everything out to the computer manually through gear into Logic Pro. No knock on anyone else I just like my meal cook a certain way. This is the way

[@Craftmaster3]

@@maximustheproducer yeah for sure, that makes sense. The shit he's doing in the video is weird as hell.

[@maximustheproducer]

@@Craftmaster3 yeah I’m not sure how he’s using it for the final mix. I’m just using it to exploit its total output cause it 24Dbu at 0Dbfs, better than any interface I’ve found online for under 3grand. The Neumann MT 48 is 24Dbu but it’s 2grand so might as well grab a used BiG SiX for around 2200 and that way I’ll have 2 stereo channels with compression and 6 with eq. And to think I already have a SiX. I’m just a mad scientist 👨‍🔬 or I’m just a gear junky! Either way I’m having fun with this new tech! What a time to be alive! This is the way. Peace ✌🏽 bro!

[@brandonlewis5444]

⁠@@Craftmaster3 LOL. Yeah it’s weird. I acknowledged this in the middle of the video. I made the vid for people who want to use this pair in a DAWless fashion and made it to answer questions I couldn’t get answers to online. I bought the stuff and answered the questions that no one bothered or could answer. I read about this stuff for month searching for a definitive answer and couldn’t find one. For me personally, I use the MPC as an inspiration machine and as a writing tool and transfer stuff to the DAW for finishing.