[Build] Stereotype Mark V Mixer (photo heavy)

Hmm, all this talk has me thinking about how I like to use analog summing. It has me thinking a box with 16 channels (expandable to 32) with solo, LCR toggle, and a mute/-12/unity toggle, and then a full monitor section would be a pretty awesome box.

hmmmm.......

perhaps a more modular solution is the way to go?

say: one line input board with solo, LCR toggle, and a mute/-12/unity toggle

a second -> optional routing board with buss and aux that could be patched behind the line input board?

it would not be an unusual way to have separate sections in a mixer design. there are modules like this: http://www.ebay.de/itm/Vintage-WARD-BECK-M459A-8-CHANNEL-BUSS-Recording-Console-Schadow-switch-Neve-/221242373874?pt=US_Pro_Audio_Parts_Accessories&hash=item338312b6f2

by the way: being completly passive this wont be expensive.

Well it's not happening right now. I am about 3/4 the way through the current center section layout and I am just pushing hard to finish it ASAP. Once it is done and out in the world my first priority will be to make an unbalanced input board, for all the synth's and weird sources in the world. Then my channel strip. Then take over a continent. Then......

Really looking forward to this projekt

completely swamped with other projects this week, but here is a little peak at where I'm at. Bus A summing and monitor section left to route, but the parts are mostly in position. 2 things have changed:

1. I got rid of all relays.
2. the second stage of bus B is now IC base rather than discrete. So summing is still discrete and transformer balanced, but the second stage, which really just needs to be a fader buffer is a LME49720.

Bus A is still all discrete.

I´m totally in love with this project!

I think you should not overlook the "character" switch. The mixer will have have an amazing sound that´s for sure but being able to change the sound of the saturation and color would make this stellar!

Also, why not have a M/S matrix for the master bus insert?

hakanai said:

Hmm, all this talk has me thinking about how I like to use analog summing. It has me thinking a box with 16 channels (expandable to 32) with solo, LCR toggle, and a mute/-12/unity toggle, and then a full monitor section would be a pretty awesome box.

Click to expand...

This! Plus a mono button!


Keep up the good work!

XAXAU said:

I think you should not overlook the "character" switch. The mixer will have have an amazing sound that´s for sure but being able to change the sound of the saturation and color would make this stellar!

Also, why not have a M/S matrix for the master bus insert?

Click to expand...

The center section front panel is already pretty dense, and I want to maintain some semblance of usability. The "character" switch I originally laid out would certainly do some fun things with the transformer, but it would require more than was there in order to work how we would want it to (unity gain, etc.). There will be a foot print to make it permanent if you want the second bus to be your "dirty bus".

having said that I will try to keep things available through pick off points for whatever custom noodling you want to do.

Don

hakanai said:

The center section front panel is already pretty dense, and I want to maintain some semblance of usability. The "character" switch I originally laid out would certainly do some fun things with the transformer, but it would require more than was there in order to work how we would want it to (unity gain, etc.). There will be a foot print to make it permanent if you want the second bus to be your "dirty bus".

Click to expand...

Yeah I can understand that! That second dirty bus sounds nice though!

BTW, are those MkIV input boards still available? Or is it MkV all the way now?  ;D

XAXAU said:

BTW, are those MkIV input boards still available? Or is it MkV all the way now?  ;D

Click to expand...

It's MkV all the way.

I just thought of something, maybe it´s unorthodox and silly but...

What if you have a switch (toggle or button) that links up channels in pairs? Let´s say channel 1 & 2 is fed by a stereo track, then you´d want to be able to use the "mute/solo/on" toggle for both channels and instead of flicking both you´d just flick the left channel and the other follows. And maybe the link could automatically override the LCR toggle and assign channel 1 to L and channel 2 to R? Maybe it would link up FX sends as well? If it´s a button It would be great if it was glowing.

I know you´re struggling with time and space and I wish this monster was done yesterday but let´s face it, you´re MkV now, there will be a Mk6 hahaha!

XAXAU said:

…...but let´s face it, you´re MkV now, there will be a Mk6 hahaha!

Click to expand...

Mark VI will be a backplane redesign I have yet to realize, and it will not happen in the next 2 years. The current backplane has a lot of potential for "modules". A basic channel strip, a stereo module, a talkback module, and I'm sure all sorts of things I have not thought of. Along with variations of the current backplane, e.g. unbalanced input and mic input.

Channel linking would be slick, but dedicated stereo channels would make a lot more sense with this project. I mean look at that bastardized solo bus! This thing has always been a design based upon my electrical strong-arm tactics and lifelong desire to get 10 pounds of potatoes in that damn 8 pound bag.

Also I suspect you may be fusing the actual project with a small aside talking about a completely different idea. The box with LCR toggles and full monitor section is nothing more than a daydream at the moment.

Don

hakanai said:

The current backplane has a lot of potential for "modules". A basic channel strip, a stereo module, a talkback module, and I'm sure all sorts of things I have not thought of. Along with variations of the current backplane, e.g. unbalanced input and mic input.

Click to expand...

I really like that module approach where one can choose and tweak to suit one´s needs!

hakanai said:

Channel linking would be slick, but dedicated stereo channels would make a lot more sense with this project. I mean look at that bastardized solo bus! This thing has always been a design based upon my electrical strong-arm tactics and lifelong desire to get 10 pounds of potatoes in that damn 8 pound bag.

Click to expand...

Yeah, stereo channels would be better, doh!

hakanai said:

Also I suspect you may be fusing the actual project with a small aside talking about a completely different idea. The box with LCR toggles and full monitor section is nothing more than a daydream at the moment.

Click to expand...

I know they are two different projects but my mind likes to mix and match without laws!  ;D

thumbs up for the independent LED/VU boards..

after looking at these buss boards you are making, my interest has sparked ten fold.

Sorry if this was covered before. Looking at the input and channel boards, you have a space for DOA's on both. Is that really just allowing for flexibility? In other words I could use just the input boards with pan and fader, the channel boards are only for AUX sends etc?

Hello all, sorry for the long silence. I have been out of town for the last 4 weeks and computer access has been spotty at best. I have been doing the final tweaks on the center section board and will hopefully get to order the prototype soon.

Humner said:

Sorry if this was covered before. Looking at the input and channel boards, you have a space for DOA's on both. Is that really just allowing for flexibility? In other words I could use just the input boards with pan and fader, the channel boards are only for AUX sends etc?

Click to expand...

The DOA on the channel board is primarily there for the aux sends. A few builds have been done already that included fader and pan. You will only need the input board for these features, and with the latest revision (not available yet) all pots will be board mounted.

thanks
Don

the pics in the first post don't show up.  can we get a repost?  also, your website is down  :-[

ah sh!t thanks for pointing that out. Should be back up online in the next half hour.

don

Whenever you get this thing finished, I'd love to check it out in your studio, now that I live in brooklyn too.  ...I should update my location in my profile lol

hey guys, as I was finishing the center section for this project I began realizing that there were a lot of little things I was not happy with and in order for it to be worth my time and effort I was going to need to redo quite a lot. While everything has worked and tested well in this system, it is more complicated than it needs to be and that will inevitably lead to issues when someone else attempts to build one.

I have released a new version of the basic summing mixer here:
http://groupdiy.com/index.php?topic=49242.msg622887#msg622887

This project is far from dead. I have wanted to build a full mixer for years and what you have seen in this thread thus far has made me very excited to redo the whole thing.

ok, back to work
Don

This looks really amazing!
Could I ask what a 24 channel version might cost to build?
Will there be boards available?

Cheers!

-s