Connecting out board gear

[TascMan]

Just for the record, (JFTR?) I enjoy Daiquiris on my yacht (the one in my head) as well as my double patchbay and my Aphex 204, which I just used today to liven up some old cassette tapes for CD transfer. Jus Sayn'

 

[earlink45]

yeah just for the record the exciter can really good things going. I know what Capt Dan was saying when I first got the 204 I made the same mistakes. It took me awhile figure out how to become creative with it. I never use it for bussing or stereo mixing. What I do now is just take an instrument that is already been recorded and record that to tape then upon playback through the 204 which is basically sidechained a compressor back to the original or some other instrument. It's basically background noise sometimes it goes through reverb or delays.

 

[captdan]

I never use it for bussing or stereo mixing. What I do now is just take an instrument that is already been recorded and record that to tape then upon playback through the 204 which is basically sidechained a compressor back to the original or some other instrument. It's basically background noise sometimes it goes through reverb or delays.

Now THAT beats the Exciter in an airport!

my Aphex 204, which I just used today to liven up some old cassette tapes

Except for THAT.

CaptDan

 

[AudioWave]

While you can dedicate external gear to analog and digital I/O ports on the DM and use it as a patch bay, that is all nice and neat if you only have a few outboard devices but it also limits you in flexibility if you want to use analog gear chains or chain gear that is already connected to the dedicated to the I/O ports.

I pretty much make full use of the DM-4800. I have been using 2-DM analog cards to 2-DB25 TT Patchbays for quite a while now. 18-Ch Mono and 16-Ch Stereo of various analog compressors and 14-ch of analog Eq's always at my disposal. 24-CH TDIF to 3-Tascam IF-AE8HR (TDIF-AES converters) which go to my 24-Ch of digital effects via AES.

UAD Apollo Quad via ADAT. The Assignable I/O is for Guest gear such as borrowed or rented stuff or often used for headphone sends. Last open slot is currently an ADAT card to Apogee 800 converters to external mic pre's.

I use the 16-software inserts and route them to the DM analog cards and then to outboard and back into the DM. Usually wishing I had at least another 8 of those software inserts.

I don't route anything back to the DAW except the 2-ch mix when it's done and use the DM as a mixer via the 32-Ch DAW Firewire ASIO outputs. Thus no real latency issues to deal with.

 

[Drumstruck]

This ^ is pretty close to the answer imo

 

[jamsire]

Between my 3 analog cards, Aux's, and the years of "I never sold it" analog gear, I'm a happy fella. Looking to get an X48 MKII in the forseeable future. Then...................oooooooooooh!!

 

[Drumstruck]

fwiw I had an X48 for a while - they're a bit noisy (i.e. as loud as a cheap clone PC) and ran a locked down version of W3.11. I think the MkIIs run a locked down version of w95 so there are the associated limitations...... imo a great idea, but not executed quite as well as it could have been.

 

[earlink45]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. Yeah I wish I had the X48 as the HD24 is not nearly half as good. Questions:

"24-CH TDIF to 3-Tascam IF-AE8HR (TDIF-AES converters) which go to my 24-Ch of digital effects via AES. "

What digital effects? Name a few I'd like to know more?

"I use the 16-software inserts and route them to the DM analog cards and then to outboard and back into the DM. Usually wishing I had at least another 8 of those software inserts."

What software inserts? Please explain?

 

[AudioWave]

"24-CH TDIF to 3-Tascam IF-AE8HR (TDIF-AES converters) which go to my 24-Ch of digital effects via AES. "

What digital effects? Name a few I'd like to know more?

24-CH TDIF to 3-Tascam IF-AE8HR - Digital effects via AES.

Lexicon PCM91 & M300 (without LARC) Yamaha SPX-2000, Eventide DSP4500, (2) DSP7000, DSP7500, (2) TC DBmax, Dual Engine TC M5000, TC 4000, Tascam DA-30, Apogee 200.

What software inserts? Please explain?

On the last DM Routing page is where you can assign the Software Inserts. You can assign one DM channel to one software insert. Of the many options you can choose, you can route to DM I/O ports for each of the 16 available software inserts where the DM channel will send and receive. They work just analog inserts with digital routing control.

 

[AudioWave]

I also have a few Exciters laying around that still get used from time to time. Aphex 250, BBE 822A, EXR EX-IV

 

[Gravity Jim]

What you fellows are discussing is the biggest reason I own a DM, instead of having gone ITB/control surface when I reached my HD crossroads. I like and still use some old analog stuff, I mix through the console back into the computer, I like having faders for quick radio mixes, console automation for music mixing... The DM could easily be set up to fit exactly into my existing workflow, and do what old console did only better. Not to mention the elegance of having one unit that serves as interface, patch bay and mixing desk.