Routing on an SSL

[desol]

I've never had the privilege of working on a large format console, such as an SSL. The other day I was watching Tchad Blake mix some drum sounds together on a youtube video. On the faders I noticed he had a bass drum, snare drum, high hat, bone mic(which I believe is crushed during tracking), toms and over heads. I believe those were the faders with the basic tracks.

Next on the console...he has a stereo pair of faders for spectrasonics compressors, a delay fader, a sans amp fader, and another stereo pair of faders which I believe were another delay.

My question is...where is he deriving his effected faders from? Are they mult's on the patchbay? Group outs? How is he creating the stereo pair of spectrasonics channels? The sans amp and delay faders? I don't think they are effects sends...or aux's...because they are coming up on separate faders. I'm stumped on how the routing is done to add those extra stereo's pairs and fader's that come up on the board.

I have some familiarity of the SSL routing matrix, small fader and auxes...so I understand the SSL routing basically.

Video is here, if anyone can help that would be great!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuuCRDo46FM

 

[desol]

For the mono effected faders that are up...like sans amp and delay this is probably just selecting a buss on the routing matrix, coming out of that buss on the patch bay...into effect and returned onto a given channel.

For the stereo effected faders that are up...like spectrasonics and the extra delay on the farthest faders...is he just selecting two busses for say bass drum, snare and hh...coming out of those two on the patch bay...going into the effect and then returning on two channels to make a stereo pair? Hmm.

 

[fazer]

For the stereo effected faders that are up...like spectrasonics and the extra delay on the farthest faders...is he just selecting two busses for say bass drum, snare and hh...coming out of those two on the patch bay...going into the effect and then returning on two channels to make a stereo pair? Hmm

Probable, lots of bus/pgm assign so as you say find pgm bus Output 3-4(example).  These would normally feed multitracks 3-4.  Patch to inputs of comps spectrasonic pair.  Patch spectrasonic outputs to a pair of channels next to drum channels.  Assign drums to the mix and bus 3-4 and blend the parallel compression .  It’s more usable in some situations to use fx sends to bus ,and then patch those into compressors for individual gain per drum (, snare, kick, toms, ect) You probable know this.  A large ssl or neve simple has a large bus matrix which gives more routing possibilities.  Compared to a daw like protools ultimate,  the ssl pales in comparison IMO when it comes to matrix routing.  The analog sound and grabbing a fader is intoxicating on a large format board when available.  The maintenance of such a board 20 to 30 years on is daunting not to mension the monthly power bill.  I remember seeing Tchad using protools more these days but maybe that was Avid marketing.

 

[sam system-d]

https://youtu.be/CuuCRDo46FM?t=90

Maybe "Aux" as written on this paper I'd say.

 

[desol]

Probable, lots of bus/pgm assign so as you say find pgm bus Output 3-4(example).  These would normally feed multitracks 3-4.  Patch to inputs of comps spectrasonic pair.  Patch spectrasonic outputs to a pair of channels next to drum channels.  Assign drums to the mix and bus 3-4 and blend the parallel compression .  It’s more usable in some situations to use fx sends to bus ,and then patch those into compressors for individual gain per drum (, snare, kick, toms, ect) You probable know this.  A large ssl or neve simple has a large bus matrix which gives more routing possibilities.  Compared to a daw like protools ultimate,  the ssl pales in comparison IMO when it comes to matrix routing.  The analog sound and grabbing a fader is intoxicating on a large format board when available.  The maintenance of such a board 20 to 30 years on is daunting not to mension the monthly power bill.  I remember seeing Tchad using protools more these days but maybe that was Avid marketing.

I had a further look into an SSL 9000 manual and noticed there are a few different modes you can work in...record, mix, record+mix. So I think Tchad was treating the console as if in mix...bringing up parallel compression, effects, etc.

Yeah I like console mixing. With the whole hybrid thing there's a bunch of latency you have to deal with and that can be a nightmare. I'd rather do most of it outside the computer...where everything is lightening fast.

 

[desol]

https://youtu.be/CuuCRDo46FM?t=90

Maybe "Aux" as written on this paper I'd say.

I just assumed all of the effected faders were assigned through the routing matrix, but yeah, some could be aux's.

 

[boji]

some could be aux's.

I think I can guess the video you posted, as I've watched a few too.

Don't have experience on SSL matrix, but aux seems appropriate in cases where different instruments hit the same verb units, etc. (submixed sends over st aux).

Edit: turns out I was thinking of Daniel Duskin yt vids.

 

[Sinkia]

Hi everybody

We have installed Avedis 1122 opamp in the summing section of an the card.

everything looks ok on the card.

I have made an other card to unbalanced the audio lines that are summed on the api board.

When I plug the 1122 in the circuit, there is a big loss (something like -12db), even with the non inverting amp that should "drive" the avedis amp.

I also saw that when  i plug my professional frequency oscillator directly to the circuit (directly in the avedis) , i get also a big loss in my oscillator signal.

Do you know any way to get no loss while driving the 1122 ? That could really help us

Thank you !

 

[abbey road d enfer]

My question is...where is he deriving his effected faders from? Are they mult's on the patchbay? Group outs?

There are so many ways to skin that cat, it could be any.

I don't think they are effects sends...or aux's...because they are coming up on separate faders.

Why not? You can send the left channel to Aux1 and the right channel to Aux2, and return them to input channels. Same with groups.
There is nothing in SSL land that says you have to return FX to FX returns only.