![]() ![]() If you're planning to add any outboard gear to your system (other than on the Master stereo bus - and even then if you want a separate channel for monitoring), you'll need a means of routing several channels of audio from your DAW to your hardware and back. So, if you're interested in augmenting your software setup with hardware - or if you're one of those rare folk who have only just decided to invest in a computer and would like to know what's possible - how do you go about plumbing your hardware into your DAW in the most efficient and flexible way? What hardware is worth using? What options become available when working with a desk alongside your DAW? What about recalling settings on your hardware? And what tools have the software designers given us to make setting up a hybrid studio that little bit easier? I/O YouĪ-D and D-A converters, like the Burl B2 Bomber above, can add desirable coloration, but when putting signals through several generations of conversion it's probably better to use something more 'transparent'.īefore we get on to anything to do with your choice of software or hardware processors, let's deal with one of the main practicalities. ![]() Hugh Robjohns explores the arguments in favour of both analogue and digital summing on page 32102. To some, the term might also extend to how best to sum the various signals in your mix, whether individual tracks or stems, although to my mind that's a slightly different question. When we talk about running a 'hybrid studio', it's really this mix‑oriented system that we have in mind: a setup where the DAW software remains the central hub of the studio, but the hardware and software is configured in such a way that you can simply patch in hardware to add a little character, quality and immediacy where you need it most, without having to leave your otherwise ITB mix. When it comes to mixing or mastering, though, the options for routing to and from your hardware are more diverse, the demands for multiple 'instances' of your hardware become potentially greater, and the integration of all that outboard into your system can therefore become much more complex. There's little more to say in this context about the recording stage. ![]() The same goes for tape: track to tape as normal, and then play it back into your DAW - although there's a useful time‑saving tip when working with tape that I'll discuss later. Tracking through a processor such as a compressor or de‑esser, or through an effects unit such as a delay pedal for a guitar, is relatively straightforward: you just take a feed from the last unit in the chain into your audio interface input and press record and if you want a dry line or DI feed for safety, just take that before any processing appears in the signal chain. The setup pictured above uses the RME Fireface 800's two ADAT ports to increase the I/O count to 26 using the Creamware A16 Ultra expansion unit. In a hybrid setup, you're likely to need plenty of analogue I/O. So what follows is an attempt to unpack the various issues you might face, and decisions you might have to make if you want to operate a software‑hardware hybrid studio at home. I won't retread that ground here (you can find the article on-line at /sos/feb10/articles/analoguewarmth.htm), but how you can integrate select pieces of outboard hardware into your software‑based system is another question altogether - and one that we're frequently asked by readers. There are fewer people working this way now, partly due to cost and partly inconvenience, but partly also due to the improvements made in DAW design and plug‑in instruments and processors.Ī few issues ago, we explored in detail what makes analogue gear sound like it does, why that sound might - or might not - appeal, and what advantages it still has in the studio. ![]() The ITB approach to mixing gives you the ability to fine‑tune every parameter in your mix, and of course you get full recall of your project.Īt the other end of the scale is 'outside‑the‑box' (OTB) analogue mixing, using only traditional analogue hardware and tape. Indeed, after the recording stage itself, it's possible now to do everything inside the computer, with no other hardware except a mouse, a VDU, and a pair of speakers or headphones. Whether you're a wet‑behind‑the‑ears newbie, or have many years' recording experience under your belt, the chances are that you do a lot of your mixing work now 'in the box' (ITB), on your computer. What's best: hardware or software? Analogue or digital? Most studio tools have their strengths, but how best do you combine hardware and software in a modern project studio? ![]()
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