Looptrotter Modular Console

We take a look at what has to be one of the most configurable analogue consoles out there.

That analogue consoles are still ‘a thing’ in 2025 doesn’t surprise me, because they make great recording front ends: not only can they provide lots of high‑quality recording channels, but they also make it really quick and easy to manage multi‑miked band recordings, since the engineer has one button/knob per function when it comes to things like soloing, muting, polarity inversion, and building truly zero‑latency headphone mixes. But when it comes to mixing, our DAW software outguns them in so many ways, so many of us feel that it only really makes good sense to bring sounds ‘outside the box’ when we’re looking for the character that specific analogue hardware might contribute.

While there are exceptions, most professional analogue consoles released in recent years have fallen into two camps. The first comprises high‑quality but efficient consoles with preamps, EQ and sometimes dynamics processing on board, and a specific workflow almost ‘baked in’ — the Audient ASP8024, Trident 78 series and Harrison 32Classic, for example. The second type has been a somehow ‘slimmed down’ offering that takes up less space than a traditional console and needs augmenting with other hardware: Neve’s 8424, for example, has no preamps of its own but provides remote control over the company’s separate rackmount preamps, as well as providing a couple of 500‑series module slots so you can tailor the bus processing. The SSL XL‑Desk and API’s The Box are even smaller examples, but offer many more 500‑series slots, allowing you to customise any channel.

Modular Thinking

Looptrotter’s Modular Console is a bit different. It certainly falls into the latter category in that every channel is intended to be populated with 500‑series modules. But like the Audient and Trident, it comes in a range of sizes and offers more ‘big console’ features. It’s been available for a few years but as it isn’t the sort of device that’s easy to line up for review — it really needs populating with more modules than I think anyone at SOS owns — we’ve not had the opportunity. So when Looptrotter’s UK distributors KMR Audio, who also sell a huge range of 500‑series modules, recently invited me to their showroom to put their demo rig through its paces, I jumped at the chance and caught a train to London.

Although it has lots of I/O and provides aux and summing buses, a master section and metering, the Modular Console lacks any preamps, EQ or dynamics processing. Instead, each input channel is given a pair of 500‑series module slots, arranged one above the other, where you might usually expect to see the preamp and EQ sections of a console. The big idea, of course, is that you can configure it with whatever preamps, EQ or dynamics processors you want, and that your choice can be different on every channel. A less obvious benefit is that, unlike with a conventional console and patchbay system, this arrangement allows you to put pretty much all the hardware controls you might need on a session within easy reach of the listening position.

Most of the plentiful I/O are on DB25 connectors, and those intended for connection to your converters are protected from phantom power.

The desk is made up of one or more Input Modules and a Master Module, each just wide enough to accommodate eight 500‑series modules. This eight‑channel ‘bucket’ approach influences the Modular Console’s off‑the‑peg sizes, of course. The current options have eight, 16, 24 or 32 input channels, and the larger versions can be arranged as you prefer, for example with all input channels on the left, or with some to the left of the Master Module and others to the right. If you wish, Looptrotter can also incorporate a desk surface for your screen and computer peripherals, and Looptrotter tell me they’d be happy to build larger custom consoles too, with additional channels added as eight‑channel Input Modules.

The standalone linear PSU, which seemed ample and quiet when running the eight‑channel demo console.The whole ensemble is encased in solid‑but‑stylish wooden furniture, which extends out the front to form an armrest. There are a range of different wood veneers available from California Trading, a supplier in Looptrotter’s native Poland. At the time of writing, these could only be viewed on a Polish‑language website, but Google Translate makes it easy to see the options that are available, including European oak, American walnut, bubinga and rosewood. Power comes from a fanless, 3U hybrid power supply (Looptrotter say that “switching power supplies provide a lot of power, and behind them are linear regulators that thoroughly clean the power lines of all the garbage.” ) It remained whisper quiet for my several hours with the console.

Input Channels

Each input channel features an insert point, and this and both 500‑series slots are individually bypassable. It’s possible to use double‑width stereo 500‑series modules in adjacent channels. As the inputs come in buckets of eight, you couldn’t physically place a stereo compressor in, say, channels 8+9, but the module slots all have I/O on the rear panel so if you really wanted to process channels 8+9 with a stereo compressor you could find a way.

Each 500‑series slot can be individually engaged/bypassed.

The input channels each have four aux send pots, and each of those is switchable pre/post fader in the aux master section. This, of course, means the pre/post status for each aux send applies to all channels simultaneously — you couldn’t set aux 1 as pre‑fader on one channel and post‑fader on another, but that’s probably a limitation more in theory than practice. There are mute and solo buttons, a pan pot and a long‑throw ALPS fader, ranging from +10dB to full attenuation. After the fader and pan pot, four buttons route the post‑fader signal to the four stereo subgroups and/or the L‑R master bus, and each destination bus has a single 500‑series module slot per channel.

There’s a final set of channel controls that I’ve not yet mentioned. A Tape pot sets the signal level that’s sent to your recording device, of course, but adjacent to this is a button that toggles the channel between to operating modes, called Record and Mix. In Record mode, the channel’s signal is received from a Mic/Line DB25 D‑Sub connector on the rear. This flows through the channel’s 500‑series slots and insert point. The latter has separate send and return connectors, again on rear‑panel DB25s, and the send remains active even when the insert is bypassed. The signal is then routed out of the DB25 Tape Output and comes back through the DAW Input (on, yes, you guessed it, a DB25), before flowing through the rest of the channel. It’s this DAW Input ‘tape return’ signal whose level is displayed on the channel meter. In Mix mode, it’s the DAW Input connector that feeds the first 500‑series slot, and the meter displays the level after the second 500‑series slot. It’s from this point once again that the Tape Output takes its signal.

Each input channel has four aux sends, each of which can be switched, globally, to send the pre‑ or post‑fader signal.

This intuitive dual‑mode system means you can capture a performance through your 500‑series modules (and any inserted hardware) before it hits the fader, then flip any channel into Mix mode and use the same gear to build a mix from your DAW tracks. If you didn’t want to commit to the analogue mix, you could print each processed channel back to the DAW. But there’s another option: if you don’t need the inserts, you could use the always‑on insert send as a direct out after the first 500‑series module: you could quickly EQ the signal in the monitor mix without printing the EQ, which you could then take the time to refine in Mix mode.

The DAW Inputs have blocking capacitors to protect your converters from any stray DC voltages. That’s important, since the first thing the signal hits is a 500‑series slot, which could potentially be hosting a mic preamp with switchable 48V phantom power: connect your interface to the Tape Out and DAW Input, and you won’t fry it! There’s obviously no provision for blocking phantom power on the regular Mic/Line input used in Record mode, though, and you should plan accordingly if bringing everything out to a patchbay.

Master Module

In the Master Module you’ll find a range of controls for all of the desk’s global facilities: the aux sends, the subgroups and master bus, monitor control and talkback, as well as four stereo input channels.

Top left are the master level, solo and pre/post controls for the four stereo aux sends, and beneath them are rotary level controls, mute and solo buttons, along with bus routing buttons for the four stereo inputs. (These can serve as aux returns if you wish, but could be used for anything.)

The upper section of the Master Module hosts controls for the aux sends, the main stereo inputs, and a pair of stereo inputs for external sources and DAW playback.

To the right of the aux controls is a 2x24 LED bar meter showing the solo level (set in the Monitor section, of which more shortly). Positioned between this and the L‑R bus’ two 500 slots on the right is a pair of moving‑coil VU meters for the master bus output level (post fader), and that signal’s sent both to the monitor section and to the main L‑R output. The two final controls in this ‘upper section’ are level knobs for the dedicated External and DAW stereo inputs, of which more when I discuss the Monitor section. Beneath all this are the eight 500‑series slots for the four stereo input channels/subgroups and, as with the master bus slots, these are accompanied by bypass switches for each slot pair and for the stereo insert.

Moving down to the bottom section, you’ll see a talkback section on the left, the five stereo group and master faders on the right and, in between the two, a Monitor section that allows you to select different sources and to route them to different destinations. As well as the main mix, those sources can be the talkback mic, the solo bus, and/or the aforementioned External or DAW stereo inputs. As for destinations, there are three stereo monitor outputs (on XLRs), each with its own selector button and level trim pot. There’s also a level control for the single headphone output (you could of course also feed separate headphone amps from other outputs).

The External input is a line‑level input accessible both on a rear‑panel DB25 and, for convenience, on a jack at the front, hidden underneath the armrest. These inputs are summed, rather than the front one taking precedence when plugged in. The stereo DAW input comes in on the pins of a DB25 connector that’s shared with the L‑R bus’ insert sends and returns, and the main L‑R output. An efficient though unusual arrangement, this connector adheres to the usual Tascam channel format, but it combines inputs and outputs so could mean using a custom cable or adaptors if interfacing with XLRs. On this subject, I don’t propose to list every input and output here: you should be able to see from the rear‑panel photo what signals are on what connectors, but it’s also very clearly set out in the PDF manual. Generally, signals that you might expect to connect directly to a patchbay or audio interface are on DB25s, while other connections are on XLRs or quarter‑inch jacks.

The talkback system, which includes a preset limiter, is well specified. As well as an internal mic, there’s the option to connect an external one to an XLR on the rear. There’s not only a gain pot and phantom power switch here, but a momentary footswitch input too and even a USB MIDI input that allows you to control talkback using a signal from your DAW — a thoughtful touch. The manual talkback button in the Monitor section can be set to momentary or latching behaviour, or auto (quick press for latch, hold for momentary) and a dedicated SLS output allows you to route the talkback mic elsewhere. There’s also a listen mic input with a gain control on the rear, an integrated limiter, and a top‑panel level control, to facilitate two‑way communication with the live room.

As well as the speaker trims, headphone and solo level knobs and the larger main control room level control, there’s a dim facility comprising a button and level control, and there are mono and mute buttons for the whole control room section (ie. independent of the main mix ones!).

The Monitor section of the Master Module, with talkback and listen mic facilities, alongside source and monitor selection and level controls.

Sum Thing Important

The idea, of course, is that you can use 500‑series modules to tailor this console to your own needs and/or tastes. But while the Modular Console doesn’t give you any mic preamps and EQs, it functions as a line‑level mixer even before any 500‑series modules have been installed. I could find no published technical specs and wasn’t in a position to measure things on my visit, but as I understand it, the channel signals are summed separately from the group signals on separate op‑amps, and the summed signals are then summed on the transformers, with a pure Class‑A transistor amplifier being responsible for the signal amplification. Subjectively it all sounded beautifully clean and pristine, with just a nice little touch of ‘life’ to it, which is as I’d want it; if you want more colour than that, you can use 500‑series modules!

Configuration Deliberations

So how might you configure a Modular Console? Well, given the range of 500‑series modules now available, there are few limits on how you can configure this console other than your budget and your imagination. One option, for instance, would be to populate all the channels with Neve preamps and SSL EQs, and matching compressors on the buses. Or you might put different ‘flavours’ on channels dedicated to different instruments, or spend big on a select few channels, while putting more affordable options in channels you’ll use less frequently.

You could choose to use rackmount mic preamps, leaving you free to pack the channels with different EQs, compressors, saturators and so on.

An option that appeals to me would be to use separate rackmount mic preamps, and pack the channels with my favourite EQs, compressors, saturators and so on, to put lots of control at my fingertips. I might even reserve a few channels for utility modules such as re‑amp interfaces. And remember, you still have the insert points should you want to add more processors (some might wish for a third row of 500‑series slots, but that would risk making parts of the console hard to reach).

Value In Versatility?

No high‑quality console would be a modest investment today, and a fully-loaded Looptrotter is no exception. But assessing the value for money it offers isn’t easy, as 500‑series modules vary greatly in price; a preamp could cost a couple of hundred quiddollars or over a thousand! With that in mind, I thought I’d run through a couple of examples that I think show that it’s a pretty attractive proposition to someone contemplating a new high‑end mixer.

Our first point of reference is the Audient ASP4816‑HE, a 16:8:2 mixer that can be yours for £17,500 including VAT here in the UK, and in terms of inputs, auxes and buses is broadly the same configuration as a 16‑channel Looptrotter Modular Console. The latter costs £15,500, and the £2k difference clearly won’t buy 16 channels of 500‑series preamps and EQ. But the Looptrotter has the equivalent of over four eight‑channel 500‑series chassis and one 10 slot one, with a decent power supply. That lot could easily cost £3k or more — and £5k is enough to buy you, say, 16 SSL SiX Channel modules, each with a preamp, a two‑band bell/shelving EQ, a one‑knob compressor and an instrument input, and leave you change for a bus compressor. Or you might pick up two or three eight‑channel Audient mic preamps, and have plenty left over for a handful of choice 500‑series modules to start your collection. Either setup would also leave you with plenty more slots should you want to add more over time.

At the other end of the food chain, you could blow a fortune packing out a Modular Console with ‘big name’ modules, but it could still have more of an edge over the competition in terms of price. Compare and contrast, for example, a Neve BCM10/2 Mk2 and a Looptrotter Modular Console with the same number of channels populated with Neve 1073LBs and 1073LBEQs, or a Harrison 32Classic with a 32‑channel Modular packed with Harrison 500‑series modules. Yes, there would be differences, but I’m sure you get the idea: while we’re not talking pocket change here, when judged against the competition the Looptrotter offers decent value for money.

It says a lot that my biggest criticism is of the owner’s manual: an 11‑page PDF, this contains neither technical specs nor yet any description of the operation of the desk. What it does provide is helpful — it comprises a detailed set of signal flow and pin‑out diagrams — and to be fair, Looptrotter agreed with my assessment and say that a much more comprehensive manual is currently being written. That niggle aside, I’ve been very impressed by the Looptrotter Modular Console. It’s been designed with modern studios in mind, and that shows: it’s stylish, scalable, highly configurable, and incredibly easy to operate. I’m not in a position to replace my own mixer right now, but if I were in the market I’d be giving this one serious consideration.