Routing Strategy

[MarkGl]

Hello, again.. Regarding The DM4800/ 3600
Would anyone out there be willing to share their routing strategy for a newbie? Best practices etc?
Some users like to have the DAW come back on different layers to others, just wondering about pros and cons.

 

[shredd]

share their routing strategy

Pretty broad topic …you might wanna be more specific. And perhaps post in one of general recording categories. And READ THE STICKY’s.

 

[MarkGl]

I am reading and posting at the same time, I have limited internet access where I am and am trying to (impatiently?) cover all bases. cheers

 

[shredd]

There’s some pretty smart-ysh doods here. If you have specific questions, you’ll probably get some help. And consider the recording category instead of a product-specific category…

 

[mixerizer]

Ahhhh routing strateg(ies) ! endless topic. As Shredd says, it’s a general topic indeed so I will keep it DM-3200 4800 specific - but w general context.

Imho, the most important thing to remember when trying to settle in on a workable routing strategy plan is, in the words of Sun Tzu, “no battle plan ever survives contact with the enemy.”

if the enemy is the sum total of all possible recording projects’ tracking and mixing requirements, no one static routing strategy will ever work. The key is to design a strategy based on you and your collaborators that can evolve, which has areas where you will expand your workflow to meet the needs and nature of the session.

Moving in Stereo
my suggestion is to start w ur stereo mix, and assign your input channels (leave busses and auxes/inserts for the moment). THESE WILL CHANGE SO DON’T AGONIZE, assemble it as you like right now and be willing to make changes as your thinking and creativity goes on.

Inputs 1-24
I use M/L 1-24 for (born digital) instruments like drum samplers, DAWs and software instruments that I want to warm up a bit with a D/A/D pass before tracking. I tend to use TDIF 1, 2 & 3 in for my MTR playback 1-24, and buss/direct out 1-24. For me MTR is usually an x-48 but I also have a Logic instance w 48 tracks paralleling the x-48 for safeties, edits and processing. Note; Because the use of channels 1-24 can conflict with the use of buss/directs 1-24, placing instruments on these input channels early can “block out” busses you might want to use later. So I tend to keep channels 1-24 for very straightforward stuff like individual drums, later inst or vocal overdubs, or specific DAWs / DSP returns.

Inputs 25-48
I use slots 2, 3 and 4 for (born analog) instruments more likely to be used for tracking and overdubs, like synths, guitars, vocals, etc. on ch 25-48 in and direct out 25-48. Putting these instruments on the higher channels means I can use “direct” to print the first track for them and then use busses to assign overdubs to tracks 1-24 without moving the input channel and thus having to recreate the settings I am tracking with on a new channel.

Inputs 49-64
I use the simple channels for submix returns from outboard and internal effects and external guitar/keys/drums submixes. While these channels don’t have dynamics like EQ or compression, they can be assigned with inserts if dynamics are needed, and best of all they do have auxes - so one can put the return of one effect through any of the aux effects (warning/hint: it’s dangerously easy to create a feedback loop by assigning an effect return to its own send!). I use slot 1, digital in/out 2 and the internal adat in/out for the external aux sends, returns and inserts.

Buss Out 1-24 and Direct Out 1-48
I choose busses based on which instruments I want to submix versus track direct on their own channel, bearing in mind which instruments may need multiple tracks for comps and overdubs. Since setting channels 1-24 direct will silence the same numbered buss, i arrange my channels and busses for minimum conflict, and base it on my typical workflow of submixing during composition and then direct tracking during recording. Once you print a track, u have to monitor it - and on the DM u have the awesome aux 1-2 monitoring mix feature, which I don’t currently use but which I may well adopt at some point due to its obvious benefits.

All up
Once you have an idea how you want to use your 32/48 rich channels and 16 simple channels, how you do or don’t want to use busses, you can start arranging them on the board. I prefer an ‘all-up’ arrangement, as do a lot of folks - where each channel has an instrument that tends to stay there - it makes sitting down w an idea and composing or tracking it much faster. The benefit of a digital board like the DM is you can keep your studio mix set up that way, with all channels up and unmuted, and still have a relatively silent mix floor (mine is -77db but who’s counting)

Mix it up
When I ran an analog mixer as my main board I often found myself building the session each time from a blank patch bay to start with the quietest session. That can be exactly the right approach sometimes even in digital mixing, so if u master the snapshot and project storing, u can create a bunch of good templates to avoid too much repeat labor while still keeping your process adaptable and fresh.

How effects interact with this arrangement are another topic

 

[MarkGl]

THANK YOU! So much for your response, I am working away, so will have to pick through this a bit at a time.
Heading home tomorrow and can't wait to get stuck in.
Very kind, thank you.

 

[Peter Batah]

@MarkGl I would also seek out some documentation. Readily available in the Documentation and Manuals section. Limited perhaps but still useful IMO

 

[MarkGl]

Yeah thanks, I got 30 tabs in my browser, including manuals. diagrams etc cued up in order of importance (i think) and i am wading through them as we breathe.
Just Being.. . . slows me down a bit these days, I was just gathering information. Thanks for responding though, I need all the help I can muster!. cheers!

 

[Peter Batah]

@MarkGl I have no doubt that you will come to master the DM in no time. I went from a Soundcraft analog mixer (40+ years ago I might add) straight to the DM. Quantum leap for me and quite the learning curve. If I can do it I am sure that you can as well. By the way, I am still learning and that is what keeps it interesting for me.