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Would it be possible to use LC for analog console automation?


SoulFood
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Hello all!

First of all, thank you for this amazing project!

I'm thinking about building a costum analog console.

I don't know alot about this project or all the possibilityes of it, so I'd like to ask you midibox gurus,

Would it be possible to use it for automation?

Any way at all?

Thank you all!

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Hello all!

First of all, thank you for this amazing project!

I'm thinking about building a costum analog console.

I don't know alot about this project or all the possibilityes of it, so I'd like to ask you midibox gurus,

Would it be possible to use it for automation?

Any way at all?

Thank you all!

... to tell you, that you're at the right place (at least for the controlling part of the console): Yes you can.

I think nobody has done it yet. Search the forum, there are some postings around, discussing your interrest.

Try searching with "mf", "log" and "fader".

Greets, Roger

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There's a thread about controlling FX from a midibox that might interest you as well, when it comes to controlling faders and in particular pots.

I really hope that you have a great success with this - as Roger has mentioned, this has not been done as yet, so you would be a real pioneer. Keep us posted with your progress :)

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Hi,

If you want to do fader automation, you will need dual track motor faders. One track is linear which will be connected to the Midibox, the other track is log which will replace the connections from the old fader in the console. Every pro analog (neve, ssl etc) console I've opened up uses 10k log faders for the audio signal so the Alps RSAON12M9 fader should work as a drop in replacement. check the Alps website for details.

http://www.albs.de/ sell them, though I don't know how much they are. They won't be cheap but they won't cost as much as P&G's

Regard

Rowan

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Thank you for your replys!

This would be a great way to control an analog desk (and way cheaper than anything out there...)

I think I will first start with just a MIDI controller, but I can always modify it with the dual track motor faders...

Is there anything I should be thinking about, when I try to figure out how to do automation? I think many of you have thought about it, but since nobody has done it, what problems do you see?

Thank you so much and sorry for the late reply!

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Hi,

I have experimented on that some time ago.

I replaced 8 Motorfaders in my LC with Dual-Faders and build a analog moxer around the 8 tracks.

I gave up this project for the following reasons:

- I found out, that controlling Cubase (in my case) is enough. I have 24 outs and ins which I can control this way.

- I always had problems with NOIZE. There is a lot of digital stuff around the analog part and you will hear it. If you'll build a analog box be sure to have the analog part strictly seperated from the digital part. I also tried to put the fader in the mixer and the Midibox Part outside. Then you'll have problems with the length of the cabels between the MF module and the Faders. I always get random midi signals if the cable was larger than 50cm. A possible solution for this problem would be: Host every MF-Driver IC directly beneath the Fader and connect the drivers with a shielded cable to the Shift Registers. (I never tried it ...).

I also suggest to seperate the 5V supply to the digital part with DC-DC coupler. You also must seperate the ground lines then.

Don't  get me wrong. It is still an interesting project. But you should know, that there are several problems to solve.

Hope you'll get ist !

greets

Doc

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Also... wich dual-fader did you use?

I've used the Stereo ALPS Fader. Don't know the specific Part Nr anymore. I gave them away after the experiment.

I didn't build it around an existing console. I've builded a analog mixer myself around the digital project. In your case, if I get you right, you want to put the fader in an existing console. This would be quite easier to mention.

The big boys are following a big book of designing rules to get rid of noise problems.

In our case, we have to trial and error .... 8)

If you mention to build it into an existing mixer you should try it. Perhaps the noise isn't that bad in that case.

I would try to build the MF-Module as mentioned in the last post and I would also pay attention where to put the core. As silly as it sounds: The core is a oscillator!

Do you have concrete plans? Which console? Which functions? How do you want to control the digital part?

greets

Doc

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I don't have the plans yet...

And I'm not building it into an existing console :S

First I will do a normal MIDIBox LC, and than trial and error, how to make it work as a analog mixer.

I was hoping i could get plans for something like an SSL 4000 or 9000. Maybe I could even get some clues how to get rid of the noise there (and build it too!).

I would still like at leat 8 busses and 8 auxes... :-\

Borut

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I don't have the plans yet...

And I'm not building it into an existing console :S

First I will do a normal MIDIBox LC, and than trial and error, how to make it work as a analog mixer.

I was hoping i could get plans for something like an SSL 4000 or 9000. Maybe I could even get some clues how to get rid of the noise there (and build it too!).

I would still like at leat 8 busses and 8 auxes... :-\

Borut

... trial and error is how the "big boys" are doing it too at the end. Like DOC wrote, there are designing rules but that's not the whole real life. Sometimes there has just a transformer to be turned by 90° to get rid of a problems on a PCB. That's why everybody is prototyping  ;)

Greets, Roger

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I'll try to get a few pages scanned. 1 problem with the Quad Buss compressor it that it Uses dbx VCA's which are no longer made. THAT corperation was formed by dbx management when dbx was brought out by Harman. THAT corperation brought all the semiconductor intellectual property and manufacture VCA's but I don't think they have produced drop in replacement chips. Gyraf Audio have made a Quad buss clone that uses THAT VCA. All the schems are on their website.

Rowan

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