3 digital conversions or cheap ANALOG summing?

Tweakers' Asylum

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Hi guys! I was pointed to an Audio Asylum forum by kind people @ Reaves Audio… I am greatful to them to show me the way to a place where thoughts, ideas and knowledge knows no borders – YOU ARE GREAT!
I hope I’ll be able to add my little to a common knowledge base that serves to better our obsession with all soud – related matters!
For a start, I have a question …
I am improving my recordings (I do mainly narrations and commercials) and I intend to use an outboard compressor/limiter (Universal Audio 6176) to manipulate the (already recorded!) mono voice track which will consequently be sent (together with stereo music bed, effects = the rest of tracks) to a stereo master compressor (TubeTech LCA 2B). My workstation’s converter is Digi 002.
I have two possibilities:
1. To use 6176 as hardware insert on a mono track and record it’s output back to a workstation on a separate track. The mix would then be processed by a master compressor inserted on a stereo bus.
This means that by rerecording the mono vocal track that will be sent through 6176, I will have three conversions even before final output of the master (1=recording, 2=sending to 6176 and 3=recording the 6176 output), instead of just one.
2. To send the mono vocal track and the rest of the tracks to master compressor by different (analog output) paths and sum them before entering the master compressor. That means:
- output the mono track separately to 6176
- output the rest of the tracks (without the vocal track sent to 6176 of course)
- then to physically mix the “processed-through-6176-mono vocal track” with the rest of the tracks by a means of balanced signal mixer to get the stereo track that will enter the master compressor
Of course – the possibility number 2. is a winner, if… IF you have a good analog summing amplifier (or a high quality mixer). Which I don’t have and will not have the possibility to get one, because my budget is 0!
PROBLEM: since I did’t think about this issue when planning, the only thing I am left with is Behringer active signal amplifier that I eventually have. This box is all balanced and has:
- 8 balanced inputs/outpus
- 2 balanced stereo outputs
- no EQ (thank you God!)
- volume and panning pots
QUESTION. In ideal world this unit, as Op. Amp. (or mixer) would theoretically be suitable to do the job of summing three mono signals and output them in good old 2-channel stereo fachion. BUT – since I am really weak in all things electronic – which way do you think is better? The nuber 1. or 2.? I mean I don’t want to do injustice to Behringer (and I am not the right person to comment on quality of such unit) but this Behringer product cost was no more than 100 USD, while all the rest of my equipment is 1500 USD +.
Which way would you go? Do you prefer more conversions (my converter is a Digi 002, that means that it’s quality is not superb), or do you think that the Behringer unit would suit my needs and would degrade sound less than recording/rerecording the signal to Digi.
I hope that I explained things so that you’ll understand my dilemma and I would really appreciate your feedback.
Thank you very much!

Fedja

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Topic - 3 digital conversions or cheap ANALOG summing? - Fedja 06:28:56 03/11/05 (0)

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