That was fun to watch ! And thanks for the comparison pack, you rock Mr Henson.

Very nice presentation of the products shown and I really enjoy that score! It’s like it was born to be in film, I wish any mix I ever made was that thick and glued. Just lovely work, kudos.

just came back to this old gem... it made me realize why i love your videos -- drama. the way you speak and explain things is theatrical and dramatic when compared to other content on youtube about these topics. every episode is a FILM dude. thank you, good sir. hopefully you'll see this comment on a 2 year old video haha.

The DBXs and Maags sounded incredible, would be my picks and damn you for making me want them so much

Thank you sooooo much for this!!! Your channel is an absolute gem. This type of content in 2024 would be absolutely riveting - you were ahead of your time with this one mate - just prior to the analog explosion of the younger generation

The shadow hills summing is amazing. Though the Rupert Neve ones are amazing as well - the silk is my favourite

Hi Christian, I really appreciate you taking the time to do this comparison! Do you think you could do another demo soon driving the composition harder into Neve5060 so that the saturation is more obvious? Cheers!

Brilliant stuff, Christian. I don’t have any of the hardware, but I do use the UA version of the Maag as a plug-in on pretty much everything, and then Softube’s Drawmer S73, Harmonics Analog Saturation Processor, and their Weiss MM-1 Mastering Maximizer plug-ins all routed through their Console 1 unit. So happy with that set up and I can create a great sound quickly and consistently - can’t ask for much else. Aside from your studio. And a Batman bank account hidden from the wife.

After comparing the download audio files, I have to say the SSL is my favourite (fully went in expecting to prefer neve / maag). It's got so much energy and life in it. Having read the comments, it really shows how much everything is down to personal preference :)

Thanks Christian. I would have never guessed that about the API's !

Each one sounded fantastic

The demo track sounds very much like Dead Again. Great work.

The 8816 sounds really wonderful to me, I have a feeling it will stay really open sounding on higher track counts

@SirRodney4Ever

2 жыл бұрын

I own one and will NEVER mix in the box ever again

Cranborne Audio makes a very nice 500 series summing mixer that doesn't break the bank and sounds excellent. It might be worth checking out if you find the RND doesn't have enough inserts.

Thank you so much for doing this.

Thanks for this i appreciate this work for us to be able to compare without the money to afford it! I only hear that the Neve centerpiece audios has the L R flipped, take it in consideration for the listeners. thanks! Great job

The sun *literally* shines out of Christian's arse! Fantastic video as always, my highlight was the Maag.

You know that you have an audio engineer's heart when watching a man use both his hands to turn knobs is exciting. I love DAWs, but I miss physically turning knobs and faders.

@GMlilEASTSIDEcharlie

4 жыл бұрын

Best of both worlds these days. I hope no one steals my idea but waves should make corresponding midi controllers for their top vst such as the api/ssl/UA etc that way you get close to the sound of analog hardware and you get the knobs as well. I stopped using consoles a while back and stick to my rack gear and midi controllers with motorized faders for my mixing in the DAW... I do want a SSL XL-Desk tho... probably more or less to do with brand loyalty and just it’s versatility makes it the best analog mixer in My opinion because you can add any flavor you can imagine to the 8-16 500 series slots(i can’t remember if it’s 8 or 16😂😂 sure there are “better” analog consoles but to my knowledge none are as versatile on the plug and play level at the price point

@byronkleoyang

3 жыл бұрын

@@GMlilEASTSIDEcharlie You'd think that Waves, or any other console/hardware plugin companies for that matter, would come out with analog midi controllers by now. I mean, you can assign and map plugins to your midi keyboards, but it's not the same feel when you're twiddling skinny knobs bunched up together. I'd love a midi "Pultec" or "Neve" controller that feels like its hardware counterpart. I'm also surprised that all hardware plugin emulators today don't give you the option to control more than one knob simultaneously in dual chain mode. Some plugins have this feature like Steven Slate's Virtual Tape Machine and Black Rooster's Magnetite. But I would love to see this simple feature across the board on all plugins.

@GMlilEASTSIDEcharlie

3 жыл бұрын

@@byronkleoyang for as expensive their plugins are when they arent on sale. its a no brainer they should come with some plastic/chinesium midi controllers similar to the old m audio fast track mk2 in build.. just a simple yet effective midi controller and to make big bucks they could offer clones of the plugins they offer but the clones are simple midi controllers just manufactured to look like the original with the waves logo due to copyright issues... its so deep they could offer 500 series midi controllers and the consumer could set up a 500 series rack with all the different midi controllers they need for the corresponding plugins. i need to stop talking though i can literally feel waves getting payed off of this idea as im typing

@chrisk.6246

2 жыл бұрын

@@GMlilEASTSIDEcharlie check out the Rocksolid Audio Control Strip 2

Awesome! Would love to hear a comparison to my Dangerous 2-Bus+

@riktascale4

3 жыл бұрын

Do you mean those vs the summing or the para limit on the D-bus+??

Wow. I just downloaded the wav files. The 8816 is the winner. The texture and harmonics on the high end is amazing

That thing hit the SSL Compressor like a brick wall... through some 80's Pop Rock through that thing!!

This is really making me want to look into getting the MAAG UAD plugin for my Apollo!

@Stilhedmusic

5 жыл бұрын

this week: EQ4 (49$) and EQ2 (29$) and you get a 20$ off with voucher "PA-MEGA-SALE-20-OFF" @plugin-alliance.com

@LogicKeyz

4 жыл бұрын

I have both the plugin and the maag master eq. The plugin while good doesn’t compare.

Hi Christian. What're your thoughts on the fredenstein bento 10s? I've seen that it's a budget option and seems like to work pretty well. Any downsides from your day to day use? Thanks for such entertaining comparison.

If you still have space the Cranborne 500 pre's are fantastic sounding and very well priced. The Eli Derresser has amazing filters and beats any software deesser I've used hands down too.

Really liked the Maag EQ.

I've got the Maag in my studio and I use it on everything. It's amazing on vocals

@captainvoluntaryistthestat3207

4 жыл бұрын

hello how can a mixer improve vocals?how much track input do i need on my mixer? orchestras have like 100 tracks, so what's the purpose of 20 track mixers?

Could I try to run the song trough my vintage (Danish/Norwegian) gear? I got a mastering compressor NTP 179-170 and some Danner cassette format EQs, and a lovely console filled with lundahl transformers :)

Ahem, parts of my lunchbox are similar to yours (not sure that's a good thing to admit in public?): SSL EQs, Maag, and Neve bits and bobs. BUT I'd heartily recommend the SSL Bus G Comp for mastering duties rather than the 611's (great as they are at mullering the absolute eff out of stuff). I'm hoping that someone designs a 'Nunc' 500 series unit, so we can have a Maag and Nunc in series at some stage.

When the Neve Silk blue button is pressed an d the dial goes from the clockwise …the same passage of horns start from Danny Elfman to Nino Rota ….

Neve 8816 on the first half and then the DBX / Maag. Fantastic video Christian. Cheers

Most probably I'm preaching to the converted, but using two uncoupled compressors to compress the channels of a Stereosum is a call for trouble. Your center might wander around unpredictably. If you have a steady string-ostinato right down the center and then a sudden Trumpet-Blow from the right, the ostinato will wander to the left. Linking compressors does a bit more than just sync the Knobs ;-). Thanks for the great Video(s) anyways...

@TheCrowHillCo

5 жыл бұрын

Ralf Nolte ooooh thanks for that I’ll get linking!

I like the DBX 560A....So controllable & more responsive, simple too! I also use the Maag EQ4 after it, simply amazing & a great combination! :)

@Iofflight78

3 жыл бұрын

The 500 series seems the best way to go to get the outboard one wants.

Hey Christian, and everyone who wants to join: When you got your lunchbox did you chose a certain one or just the one the shop told you to get? I'm thinking about getting one but can't really judge what a good one would be...

@pauljohn5584

4 жыл бұрын

The Fredinstien... Not sure of the spelling. But as I've looked into 500 series, this company keeps coming up as a super reliable and fully capable chassis. And great prices compared to alternatives like API and Radial for example. Without compromising quality. And yeah, the Maag RULES

You really need a Neve 5059 satellite to use in conjunction with the 5060....it has 16 channels with the pans and send/returns you're looking for, and it has 2 separate silk controls, too. Used for around $2400.

@ezrashanti

4 жыл бұрын

I have one for sale ;)

@ericlarkins

4 жыл бұрын

@@ezrashanti how much?

@ezrashanti

3 жыл бұрын

@@ericlarkins Sorry, sold on Reverb.

Sounds like a cue from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with some Harry Potter and a touch of Star Wars thrown in for good measure. (The Wrath of Khan soundtrack is one of my favourite James Horner compositions ever)

@ampsarus

4 жыл бұрын

Telarc made a couple CD’s in the 80’s called “Star Tracks” and “Star Tracks II” highly recommend for content, though it could be said the end product is outdated sound wise.

If I am going to build a home studio, looked at this but no pan pots? Curious what people would suggest for a DAW controller to use with pro tools? I was looking at this for something simple (want a simple set up too), but the pan pots thing has me kinda : /

The Centerpiece sounds huge and pristine-detailed to say the least, imho there's no comparison with the 8816.

Thank you so much for comparison. Just a little note: 5060's files are reversed. L should be R, vice versa.

The summing mixers sounded louder than the not-summing-mixer. If they are in fact normalized, then they sound fuller and thicker in the mids and low mids.

Love the Maag, yet this very day chose a Millenia EQ2 with both Fet and Tube paths sporting M/S over it.

I was expecting this all day.. Seems MM are becoming US friendly! Anyway, that had me on and off headphones for quite a while but it's kinda late so I can't have a clear opinion on the comparisons, loved the composition for sure though!

Great video! Thank you! It's kinda weird prolly the reverb used when you are talking I can hear weird distortion/saturation/clipping when pronouncing P's t's and f's in the side channel.

Thanks for the video - sorry I'm a bit late to the party. On the download files the L and R channels are different on the Digital extract and the 8816 compared to all the other files - which is the correct way round ? - Also, once the summing only ones are level matched the differences are much more subtle.

Shout out to the duck on your left side just casually walking on water at 13:27

@yeahthatkornel

4 жыл бұрын

lmaoo

dbx 560s and Maags for me. Great video!

if i had to bin all the eq's .. no probs - but never bin the neve - if theres one eq which can drag out freqs from all over the place its the neve - like no other - little bits you may have in the background , you can stick it right out - and it sounds musical - it always sounds nice - its prob the best - the one that brings the colour magic

Try the Kush Clariphonic for a Maag type sizzle, both SW and HW.

@gravityassist

5 жыл бұрын

Yeah they really improved with the second version of the software. It has that same sound of just making everything better, like the hardware.

@woodsdenis

5 жыл бұрын

Yep V2 is much better, way to easy to over do it though, a little bit is all that is required normally @@gravityassist

@Nullllus

5 жыл бұрын

SW sucks ass.

@rowegardner9673

5 жыл бұрын

Definitely seconding this. Christian you should check out all the Kush gear at that. Absolutely amazing stuff. Be it plugins or analogue.

@stevebass8352

3 жыл бұрын

After many comparos I bought a 500 Kush Electra EQ and love it. Also have the Maag plugin which is excellent.

Do you still own your Crane Song HEDD 182 tho?

Ok, so first of all, I am looking at / listening to the summing mixer files (the lunchbox ones will follow). There are quite some loudness differences between them (even though they peak at the same value, the Neve8816 is 2 dB louder than the digital master when measured with a loudness meter). Rupert Neve version is 0.9 dB louder, and the Rupert Neve SILK is 0.8 dB louder. So before any comparison is done it is recommended to compensate for these differences. When I listened to the three different analog mixdowns, I made the following notes (without knowing which is which, so it was a kind of a blind test): Rupert Neve: hyperactive, almost like some sort of compression/dynamics processing going on Rupert Neve SILK: little dull and a bit lifeless, is there perhaps some low-pass filtering going on over 12k? Neve 8816: warm, reduced high end, lots of dynamics I was intrigued by this SILK setting, so I checked what is going on, and it seems to do a bit of a low-shelf boost below 100 Hz and a very gentle high-shelf cut (10-12 kHz and up). It's about 0.5 dB in both direction. Then of course this could also be a side-effect of some sort of non-linear circuit that is engaged in SILK mode, it's impossible to tell without recording some test tones.

@ezrashanti

4 жыл бұрын

It's a transformer based effect circuit that adds odd or even harmonics depending on the color you choose. It will affect the frequency response as well.

I gotta admit I enjoyed the texture of the MAAG! maybe it ended up in loudest? Love that metering of dbx. API had the punchiest grit also most harmonious overtones, and 2nd best metering. Always a sucker for a Neve transformer balanced buffer. Very tough to decide. I think I'd have the API plus the Maag in my fantasy.

It's a shame you couldn't do the dbx to the Neve EQ. I prefer the Neve EQ to the Maag. I really liked the compression of the dbx.

Hi what model is the last Neve please ... the one with the amazing bottom end . Thanks

@Grantborland

5 жыл бұрын

I think they're the 1073LBEQ's

10:30 Haha) This looks like a mysterious adventure movie thriller or something. So dramatic-cinematic moments attempts) (robbing Manhattan a bank 1956) And then Batman comes! I am the Shadow!

what do you mean when they sound more "musical"?

I hear some stereo issues in SSL

be great to pick maybe more genre dance rock classical maybe great

DBX with Neve eq would have been my choice

I like the Maag the most.

This is a potential million view video if you would of tested out different kind of music

what is this tune?

The examples are all in entirely different parts of track, instrumentation, frequencies etc. I do not understand how this is a comparison. the output levels come out quite different over here, the Maag being the loudest. Might bias the subjective impresssion of what sounds more "musical". But hey. I am just a musician, what do I know.

Louder Than Lift Off got your back!

Nice composition. Sounds fat out of the 8816 but better balanced on the centerpiece - at least casually listening in headphones.

such lovely video and reverb on your voiceover

00:01:24 really enjoyed your commentary: "which is an absolute bugger to install, and feels like it's been made by a grumpy bloke from burnly" 🎸⚡

The mix sounded very different on the Neve summer. Maybe mono channels are louder due to pan law?

@TheCrowHillCo

5 жыл бұрын

yeah its interesting 'cos I normalised all the tracks, did the Neve sound louder or just a bit more aggressive?

@angeloboltinimusic

5 жыл бұрын

Christian Henson Music on first late night headphone listen it seemed some elements that are in the center were louder, like that low percussion thing. I noticed one of the pan pots on the unit was in the middle so maybe that’s it?

@TheCrowHillCo

5 жыл бұрын

@@angeloboltinimusic no the neve pots are straight stereo.... interesting

@weldroid

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing! Is could be just me, but it's very hard to grasp the sonic differences with the constant stereo tweaking going on. I think a more relaxed "and this is how this unit sounds with the high boost... and this is without" type of presentation would be perhaps slightly more informative. So while this is an excellent teaser of the capabilities of the LB modules, there are plenty of opportunities for future videos :-)

@TheCrowHillCo

5 жыл бұрын

weldroid indeed! In the interim download the WAVs so you can A/B at your leisure!

thanks

OMG THAT MAAG

I ended up preferring the Neve with silk mode. And in a blind test with the outboard: 1-ssl 2-maag 3-api 4-neve Totally suprised...

MAAG VERY musical, which is the most important aspect for me

Not directly related to this video, but the series in general..... There is a group of animators that share a passion for creating graphics with analog equipment. The parallels are remarkable. Check out this video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/m2WVtsF8ocvfgdY.html

4:33 - Digi 4:53 - neve 5:15 - Rneve

The Neve EQs win

Dude that DBX is soo affordable!!

Gordon Ramsay of audio 😁

AMS Neve is not the same as Rupert Neve Designs

I dont know what it is about the SSL eqs but ive never liked their sound. Dont got me wrong its a different thing hearing an album mixed on SSL than mixing with SSL. Trident eqs , API and Maag are my favs. for some reason. To me hey sound less....."gritty" is the word? Idk.

dbx and maag sounded better and the red button with the nob all the way up that was nice, maag wins for my taste.

i liked neve and maag the most

The Rupert Neve Summing Mixer sounded more hi fi to me. I loved it. I just wish they had version with auxes and pans. The Transport controls would be awesome if you got them to work. The Maag EQ was the Biggest Surprise. Sweet sounding... Followed by the aggressive SSL EQ's which sounded surprisingly midrangey and grainy. I think you find the API EQ's confusing because they are opposite to the Neve dual concentric pots which have the frequency selector on the outermost and/or bottom knob. The API's have the frequency selector on the center and/or top knob. I find the neve style more intuitive but you could get used to it either way.

@JuanNungaray

3 жыл бұрын

Get the neve satellite 5059 it’s amazing it has pan pots

haha not one of'em... got ya kinky guy!

MAAG and NEVE 100%

I mean, you're not going to hear the preamp effect, it's really quite subtle, but definitely not insignificant. I personally find these products shamelessly overpriced, and if anyone was looking to get into hardware I would definitely recommend just opting for budget clones. Don't listen to anyone who says they sound different because they don't. I'm really just hoping Behringer gets in on the action, and I can have a Neve clone for a few hundred dollars.

Ill take the DBX and the NEVE, everything else I would toss to the bin....LOL

Maag gets the win.

Whilst I loved the video, especially the track, talking over what you're doing made it very hard to hear exactly what you are doing. I would have loved to have heard you sweep through settings much, much slower. BTW, that MAAG was glorious.

Voiceover th-plat splat sth-plattering there - too much magic? Back it off a tad pls!

@dirface

3 жыл бұрын

Improper use of gate vs. compression creates that terrible sound.

Why use orchestral music though???Hip Hop or pop

@iamthat787

3 жыл бұрын

Hip hop sucks

@bigbeastmusicjamaica

3 жыл бұрын

@@iamthat787 Orchestral music does not give a balanced viewpoint of audio that has a broad range of instrumentation to gratify the listeners sense of a summing box; low end material will do just that and to say that hip hop sucks is a biased and selfish position in something you have made this public. It is your channel no doubt but a shout-out should be enjoyable for viewers on a multi-genre basis.

1k th Like ! Woohuuh 🎉

Must be shy. You and your dark lighting throughout.

whavs.

@draztiqmeshaz6226

4 жыл бұрын

*whavs back

You've definitely got too much money lol

Always gets my goat when somebody describes a bit of old outboard electronics as musical? what on earth...no offense meant but really? its just something that adds a bit of processing or detracts whatever...just a bit of old electronic shock absorbing and tatty EQ to fiddle about with...can you do an a comparison with unmusical outboard please...ahem.

@TheCrowHillCo

4 жыл бұрын

It is processing that reacts well to a musical signal being put through it. Something with regular peaks and troughs, something with slightly more equal harmonics. Something that makes music sound better. A musical mic works better when a musical instrument is put in front of it a presenters mic works best when a presenter is put in front of it. This is why certain outboard is favoured for music and others favoured for sound. The reason why certain bits of outboard are used more on music than other is because they’re better with music so for me that is the definition of a musical piece of outboard. Something that works well with music.

Whats your beef with northerners lol?

Dialog sounds horrible

Summing Mixers = Fake summing

This is almost pointless, pootubes compression is terrible. There's just no real detail..

your licking sound its too anoying

You have somewhat redeemed yourself here. But the choice of song wasn't the best and each fiddle wasn't well paced, all a little too rushy.

The F word...really?