ACTIVE SUMMING MIXERS IN THE STUDIO

Hi!

This is a presentation for an article or a series of articles about Summing Mixers and how they can help to craft a mix giving that "vibe" or sound many people are after.

It was around 2008  while i was producing or better say, trying to produce House/tribal house music. I was asking myself what equipment could I add to get a better sound. At that time summing mixers started to become popular: Neve 8816, Dangerous 2bus, Tonelux, etc.. And I decided to build one. After looking for a schematic, I stumbled on the gearslutz (now gearspace) forum, found a schematic, and started tinkering a circuit. It took me some days to build... and some weeks to figure out why it did not work!!

But then I was hooked. I build several prototypes during some years, while i was producing music and remixes for a label...(without much succes), but it was fun and creative, making music and getting published.

Meanwhile i continued drawing and building circuit blocks, first with stripboard, and later with fiber board and etching techniques. Meanwhile I decided to study a two year professional formation course at an institute, in order to have a better electronic background and understanding of electronic circuits. That was 2013-2015. 

After some months of design and drawings, one day i came up with what could be considered a final prototype. It was a simplified version of the S MIX32 summing mixer, without vumeters and peak leds, and a different summing amp topology than today.

Time was passing by, and after several tests at different recording studios, I decided to re-design the summing amp boards, and test them at several recording studios. After talking with the different studio owners I performed the front panel modifications to accomodate vumeters and a new control board. And finally here I am!. It has been a long journey... and still not finished! but very near to completion. I hope to get all the bits finished by the end of June!. Meanwhile stay tuned for the next part of this series of articles about Summing Mixers in the Studio.

K. Azeli. CEO, and designer.