SOUND ON SOUND

[jellyjim]

The whole thread will take you a good two wet Saturdays to get through but I bet you will learn a few things. There is beardy tweaky guy that interjects. Knows "stuff" and has some good test gear it would seem but a bit of a PITA. Everyone is polite to him however although we suspect he is a bit "fur coat and no nickers"!

Dave.

haha! thanks dave, i'll take a look and watch out for mr no nickers (ewww, there's an image i didn't need)

[jellyjim]

Nope, no matter how I slice it I've too many inputs to squeeze into this little beauty. Sad face.

However, I wouldn't be at all surprised if SSL release a bigger version of the SiX (maybe a TWeLVE*) console very soon... :lol:

How soon, Hugh? I mean hypothetically of course. Because nobody knows nuffin'. You 'aven't seen me guvnor etc.

Within 6 months? 12 months?

[ef37a]

Someone mentioned an "add on" unit or docking station?

Now, I apologise for dragging the thread down to my (whale ****) level but I am always surprised that no one has brought out a better version of the Behringer UCA202/222?

For converting the output of a desk at a live show (but watch the levels, it is a neg ten device) and especially for dubbing cassette or vinyl it is a very handy and cheap box. They also do not seem to suffer from the "USB whine" so common in 16bit USB mixers? As they go they get a noise floor around -83dBfs.

A better mousetrap. 24 bits of course and a selection of sampling Fs. Gain controls and a symmetrical (i.e. "proper") balanced out of +24dBu and of course a noise floor well below -100dBfs. I think all that could be done for well under £100 and the box still be USB bus powered.

Dave.

[Hugh Robjohns]

How soon, Hugh? I mean hypothetically of course. Because nobody knows nuffin'. You 'aven't seen me guvnor etc.

Within 6 months? 12 months?

I genuinely don't know if they are really going to make a larger version, but it is an obvious thing to do and there were knowing smiles and winks when I raised the topic... so I'd be very surprised if it took as long as 12 months to appear. They probably want to see how sales go with the SiX first, though...

H

[jellyjim]

How soon, Hugh? I mean hypothetically of course

I genuinely don't know if they are really going to make a larger version, but it is an obvious thing to do and there were knowing smiles and winks when I raised the topic... so I'd be very surprised if it took as long as 12 months to appear. They probably want to see how sales go with the SiX first, though...

:thumbup:

[blinddrew]

Someone mentioned an "add on" unit or docking station?

Now, I apologise for dragging the thread down to my (whale ****) level but I am always surprised that no one has brought out a better version of the Behringer UCA202/222?

For converting the output of a desk at a live show (but watch the levels, it is a neg ten device) and especially for dubbing cassette or vinyl it is a very handy and cheap box. They also do not seem to suffer from the "USB whine" so common in 16bit USB mixers? As they go they get a noise floor around -83dBfs.

A better mousetrap. 24 bits of course and a selection of sampling Fs. Gain controls and a symmetrical (i.e. "proper") balanced out of +24dBu and of course a noise floor well below -100dBfs. I think all that could be done for well under £100 and the box still be USB bus powered.

Dave.

I guess by the time you've done all that you may as well stick a couple of mic-pres in, call it a two-channel AI, and save yourself another manufacturing line.
G4M are knocking these out at £60 after all: https://www.gear4music.com/Recording-an ... rface/25KZ

[James Perrett]

Now, I apologise for dragging the thread down to my (whale ****) level but I am always surprised that no one has brought out a better version of the Behringer UCA202/222?

The problem is how much better do you make it and what will that do to the cost? Hifi enthusiasts are a big market for DAC's but they rarely seem to need ADC's. Musicians want everything in one box while studios will probably hang external convertors onto a digital only interface. I see that M-Audio tried at one point but I guess sales weren't big enough for them to continue - https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/m- ... ophile-usb

And I must admit that I don't share your enthusiasm for those Behringer boxes - mine whines slightly and the inputs are too sensitive for most of the things that I've tried it with (which were typical hifi cassette decks and the tape output of a Rotel receiver). That's why I replaced it with a Zoom U44.

[ef37a]

Well James, I am not MAD for 'em!

I do wonder however, WTGR if you have yours set up correctly in the PC? Windows sets record gain far too high and the resultant playback is noisier than it should be. Mine might have a whine but if so it is submerged in the noise floor which should of course be well below that of any tape.

If you are getting actual analogue input clipping then I am wrong but I don't so you seem to have two unusually hot bits of hi fi!

I just realized I had not specc'ed out my latest 202, #3. This is in fact the ufo202 which has an RIAA corrected switched option. In line input mode it is improved compared to what I remember of my other samples. In Sam SE8 the meter reads below scale at -92.3 L and -90.2 R (this degrades badly to -55dBfs if the phono option is switched on so that would only be used for dubbing some pretty grotty vinyl!)

The replay .wav exported to Right mark anny shows some mains blips at 50Hz, 100 and harmonics but only a tiny blip, about 3dB above the noise floor at 2.2kHz and small cluster around 18kHz (fantasy land for me!) max 5dB) . The inputs were open circuits and mains connected to the laptop. Win 7 record level was set to 20%.

Dave.

[jellyjim]

Still ruminating/GASing on this!

I've worked out a way to pretty much accomodate all my inputs bar one stereo source, my laptop. I don't really do 'ITB' but I do use some sample libraries and record/playback audio (using Logic).

Given that everything coming out the laptop (or rather my audio interface, obvs) has it's own volume/eq/fx etc set, what are the implications of using the mix insert returns on the SiX as an additional stereo line source?

Is this a valid/sensible thing to do?

[Hugh Robjohns]

You could certainly use the Mix Insert Return as a selectable switched stereo input, replacing everything else previously routed via the mix bus.

But it would be an alternative input rather than an additional one, in the sense that you can't mix that source with anything else. (But you could use the bus compressor on it).

H

[jellyjim]

D’oh, yes of course it would. Thanks Hugh

[Howdy Doody Time]

I think it looks banging....

But would you buy one?

I did.

I don't get this no interface argument. Don't you already have an interface? I remember paying 2500 quid each for two X-Logic SSL channels. Now I paid 1200 quid for two SuperAnalog channels with faders and compressors and lots more. I already connected an Apogee Quartet which gets the output into my Nuendo setup.

I love it.

[Eddy Deegan]

I don't get this no interface argument. Don't you already have an interface? I remember paying 2500 quid each for two X-Logic SSL channels. Now I paid 1200 quid for two SuperAnalog channels with faders and compressors and lots more. I already connected an Apogee Quartet which gets the output into my Nuendo setup.

I love it.

Well put :clap:

[Howdy Doody Time]

The SiX really oozes quality. The build, the button clicks, the LED Meters and of course the sound. The control surface is a brushed aluminium plate so it looks nowt like my plastic mini
size gear. I just plugged it into my Otari Radar 2 (24 track) which I've always thought of as analog because it replaced the Otari 24 track tape machines, and oh my goodness! I am going to have some serious fun with this. This thing really is an SSL desk 100% It's easily the most pro bit of kit I own. I am delighted to the Cheshire Cat level.

[Hugh Robjohns]

:thumbup: :D Glad it's living up to your expectations. I was mighty impressed too. Proper SSL quality and character for a £1k is not to be sneered at... even if it doesn't have converters built in! :lol:

H

[The Elf]

I don't get this no interface argument. Don't you already have an interface?

Yes, I have an interface - in the rack, back in the studio!

That's why it doesn't work for me. Glad it does for you though! ;)

[Howdy Doody Time]

I don't get this no interface argument. Don't you already have an interface?

Yes, I have an interface - in the rack, back in the studio!

That's why it doesn't work for me. Glad it does for you though! ;)

Ah.. OK.

But imagine the SiX (which probably costs less than your interface) and a couple of nice microphones, as a dedicated vocal or acoustic instrument front end connected to your interface (in the studio) The artistes get foldback signals easy peasy and you get SSL preamps, EQ and G-Series compression (no emulations - the real thing)

However vive la difference as they say in parts of Byker.

[Howdy Doody Time]

I don't get this no interface argument. Don't you already have an interface?

Yes, I have an interface - in the rack, back in the studio!

That's why it doesn't work for me. Glad it does for you though! ;)

Ah.. OK.

But imagine the SiX (which probably costs less than your interface) and a couple of nice microphones, as a dedicated vocal or acoustic instrument front end connected to your interface (in the studio) The artistes get foldback signals easy peasy and you get SSL preamps, EQ and G-Series compression (no emulations - the real thing)

However vive la difference as they say in parts of Byker.

I'm probably being very naive Elf, sorry if I am.

[Hugh Robjohns]

I think the Elf viewed the SiX as a device to use when recording on location (given its handy size) rather than in his (already well equipped) studio.

For location recording use it would obviously have been far more convenient to have the interface built in, so all you would have needed was a SiX and a laptop, rather than a SiX, a laptop, and an interface...

H

[Howdy Doody Time]

Yes I see that. I kind of guessed I'd missed his point or had been a bit naive. The compact size is what seems to mislead I suppose. For me it's exactly what I didn't know I needed. :mrgreen: