Hi,

I’m planning to get Dangerous D-Box soon for analog summing and I hope people here who use this unit will help me understand its place in the “chain”. I’m quite confused the more I read online and watch videos about it.

My process is like this: Using Digital Performer 9, all my tracks and buses go to the Master Fader/Bus for mix down, I Bounce everything to one stereo file. Then open a new DP session with my Mastering channel strip, bring that Bounced stereo file in and do what I do with the mastering and finally bounced that file again.

So…I’m trying to understand where exactly Dangerous D-Box is coming to the chain?? I thought its place is only in the last “path” the mastering, for “final touch” to give that analog summing, width, extra punch? etc.… But, when I watch videos online I see it’s used during mix down, for separation, to get more headroom and summing benefits, which all is great!


So when to use it? During mix down, when you bounce everything, or during mastering when you bounce it out? Or – Both?

I’m confused…

Thank you for the help!

 

Last edited: Nov 6, 2016

Check this video out

although you use a different interface it should answer your question.

 

Thanks for the video, yes i think I watched it a while a go, but still it's not very clear if you'd use it "only" during mix down/bounce - and that's it, or again, during final mastering on the same session file?

 

From what I'm gathering, mix into it. I'm getting ready to take the plunge myself, but will be summing into a console instead. I'm going to try going from a MOTU HD192 & 1224 into a Mackie 24 channel 8 bus board and see what the results are. Hopefully this weekend will yield some extra mix room time for the rewiring and some preemptive testing.

 

If you guys are thinking of using D Box as your summing box there is something I highly suggest instead. D Box is cool as it has talkback, etc and kind of mimics a mixing board in some functionality, but drBill's Silver Bullet will take you to a different planet, and maybe put you into trajectory to break out of the solar system entirely and to begin your journey to the far reaching spirals of The Milky Way. @digitaldragon .. do yourself the solid and check this out...it is everything you have ever dreamed about and might help born your hopes into reality.
https://store.louderthanliftoff.com...et-drbills-stereo-tone-amp?variant=7459861315

 

@superliquidsunshine, that thing looks killer! Added to my wish list. Kind of out of my reach at the moment. Have you heard one in person?

 

Nope, but folks that have one (or two) that I know of feel that it is the greatest thing since papaya mango smoothies. Choice of mic pres as well as letting everything you print get a goodly taste of sweetness. Tracks get multiple trips through the Looking Glass and for about $500 more than the D-Box. I thought you were contemplating the Dangerous so thought I'd turn you on to it. I have only heard the best things said about Louder Than Liftoff's boxes of goodies.

 

Hello sorry I didn t understand well your signal flow
Anyway, I had to google for it, the D Box has 8 channels, right?

I would create 4 stereo Outputs from DP to the converters
1/2 drums
3/4 bass (or 3 mono bass, 4 mono synths, guitars, another bass line...)
5/6 music synths, guitars etc
7/8 vocals

Route the 8 converters outputs to the 8 D Box channels, record the D Box output to a DP stereo track in the same project (MUTE the track, to prevent FEEDBACK!)

Open a mastering song, import the recorded analog mixdown and add plugs to master it in digital

All the converters outputs must be routed to the D Box input channels
The D Box main output must be routed to the converters 1/2 input

Remember to keep the recording track in mute or you may damage ears and speakers with the feedback

Don t hit the converters too hot, both in output and input
Keep in mind the digital to analog scale
Converters aren t made to work at +20 DB
Stay minimum at -6 DB max for all the outputs of your software

 

Last edited: Dec 22, 2016

Thank you guys for the help. Thank you Adamdog for the detailed explanation!

I sure understand better how this works. I have another two questions regarding this that would help understand the channel “routing”.
It would be great if you can help)

1. I know it says you need to reserve the first 8 channels from you DAW buss for the D-Box. But what if these 8 buses are already used?
I’ll be using this on new and previous sessions, but my 1-8 buses are already used (effects, EQ on them) I don’t want to mess up with these buses. What do I do then?

2. I understand that you need to rout all your instrument/vocal tracks…but where do I rout all my effect buses to the D-Box??
I got 10-12 buses of effects and EQ, as well as few Side-chain buses. Where do I rout those? To which 1 to 8 channels on the D-Box?

Thank you!

 

For when 8 is not enough, go with 16.
http://www.mixonline.com/news/consoles/field-test-ams-neve-8816-162-summing-mixer/369385

 

Thanks, but i do have only the D-Box.

 

Then you can send in what you can, print it and then send in more, print it, etc. Combining busses before the D-Buss defeat the purpose in some degree of OTB summing. It will limit your choices latter on if things are married together.

 

@superliquidsunshine, That makes a lot of sense to me because you are, in effect, trying to get back the console sound of adding tracks together using analogue methods versus digital math in order to get the coloration of the analogue signal path.

 

@MasterD

8 output converters of your audio card, I mean (to be sure we understand each other)
Do you use external analogue eqs or reverbs? Or do you use DP reverbs to reverb live performances?

if you purchased a D Box to do analogue buss summing...
The 8 D Box channels are made for the converters routing.
In the final analog buss mixing - mastering session, the scheme above is the ideal one, most used.
Then you may have another mixing, live playing session, your original set up.
It only takes some cable switching.

 

Last edited: Dec 23, 2016

Re reading you:

Do you mean software buss? With reverbs? Send return FX?

I mean Outputs like the DP master channel 1-2 which is routed to the output converters 1-2
You d need 4 of them, with the output set to the output converters 1-8