@verde those are some nice ambient sounds you’re making…the harmonics are so rich and intense. Enjoyed both tracks. With the second tracks kick/drums, is the big sound more a function of your samples than anything to do with the SiX?
Generally what’s your impressions of your digitakt stuff etc before the SiX vs after? Can’t live without it (over dramatic since I would live on!), much as those including myself feel about the AH?
Sam
You need to bring them in on a stereo in or ext in. Or alternatively, the alt inputs on channels 1/2 (but that would require a DB25 hookup, and also would kill the ability to send to cue 1 on channels 1/2)
best bet is to bring to rtn fx to external ins or stereo ins.
It’s a compact mixer. Definitely for those that appreciate quality over quantity 
Anyone that appreciates fidelity, detail, depth, dynamic range, and an ultra-low noise floor would appreciate the SiX. I’d be hard-pressed to think of a genre that couldn’t benefit from a SiX in the mix. You can always feed its outs to a larger matrix. SSL Sigma for example.
Also, the bus compressor kills the DT’s master compressor FWIW.
But, I get your point. It’s a large investment. Perfect for me.
Yeah, I was afraid of that. I’m guessing if I want to keep max inputs for summing I’m prob best off either connecting the fx digitally to my soundcard(AES/EBU) before the SiX or go full insert hardwiring them to the channels and using dry/wet to mix them in. It’s an Orville so the extra conversion won’t hit too hard but both would nullify any workflow advantages of using auxes on a physical mixer.
To me it sounds a bit the same as not seeing why anyone would buy an Elektron box as a laptop, Ableton live and a €100 euro midi controller is all you need. I don’t sing, but I don’t want to use a computer either. How am I going to mix stuff without a mixer?
I do have a full license to Reason 10, but it simply doesn’t work for me. Zero motivation looking on a screen and scrolling.
I’ve got something like thirty synths/samplers/drum machines and I only ever record one at a time; and a lot of those are vintage and only have a mono output anyway. so the most I ever need to track is a stereo input. while I don’t own one, this would be enough for me to track through. that said, for me I think it would best be used as either a summing box or to just run the final stereo mix through it to get those EQ’s and the compressor. really, given what you’re getting, it’s worth it just for that.
I’m using my Analog Heat mainly to compress and boost the signal, as well as apply what EQ is there. To trim the mix and get it in shape. The distortion and stuff, I don’t really use and while the LFO’s are nice, I could manage without them - IF this beast did better what I primarily use the Heat for.
Feels like it might.
I use the cue sends to two FX loops, and if I need extra summing return the the loops to my soundcard (UA Apollo) and then sum those using software, along with DAW output and any other computer audio, (overbridge even) back into a pair of external ins on the SiX.
I use a patchbay so can reconfigure easily depending on the task. The nice thing about the cue sends is that they go out the foldback outs, which have another gain stage, and can be set pre or post fader.
With a stereo alt out, and two stereo cue sends, you can independently track 8 channels out of the SiX at a time. In fact, if you get creative and use the insert sends on channels 1/2 as direct outs, you can probably do 10 channels at a time.
@sjvl thanks a lot! 
I have played both songs live before owning the mixer, and I can say that there were surely new approaches that came with the ssl.
regarding the ambient track, it was the first time I played with a mixer as an instrument - to control the eq felt as important as the melody or chord I was playing. I’ve been recently thinking of sound in visual terms (I know, it’s a bit odd, but it works in my head!), as spaces. The song starts with certain slices of samples (notes) looped, stay there for a while, and then change. Each new space has a new set of frequencies. I felt that the SSL was like a lamp that helped me wander through those rooms, opening up new paths.
in the second track, I think the big sound is a sum of the samples, DT compression and the mixer. This sounds obvious as it was exactly the routing of the sound, but done in a way that each would complement the other just about right. I remember that I got to the second groove (the bigger, darker one) as a happy accident of CTRLing the first groove’s delay, reverb and tune. It sure felt big the first time around (pre SSL), but recording it with the mixer felt even bigger.
I really am just starting to grasp the technical side of mixing, so it’s hard for me to speak in more precise terms. I can say that using the mixer has definitely changed my sound to a “warmer and bigger” feel, for a lack of a better expression. Aside from that, I personally got it because it certainly is something that will last decades and will be the perfect hands-on platform for me to further my research on mixing, routing, reamping, sampling and designing sound.
I found an earlier demo which the routing was DT straight to the interface. Listen to both and tell me the difference!
I got the Six first week of release and have been really blown away with it. I just wish it had 2 more full channel strips, but that’s okay. I’m hoping the 2 empty Inputs via DB25 are quietly for an expander that can be fed into the 2-bus.
The quality is outstanding. Headroom for days, you can max out all faders and it still won’t distort, it just bulges out more and more. I’ve always struggled to get the low end I’m looking for in my mixes, having so much headroom has allowed me to get what I’ve been looking for. I don’t really track through it but I do sum out to it from my converters to hardware eq’s and compression inserted into the mix down to 2-track into a Tascam DR -100MKIII.
Let’s assume you own 2 pieces of Elektron gear, say a DT and DN or Rytm and A4 - how would you hook them up to use for example in a live setting? I am sure this mixer offers fantastic high fidelity, quality and has interesting EQ’s and “one knob compressors” but is it really much of a game changer - in an Elektron live set context?
The DT i’d send to a stereo channel. For the other boxes (does DN have individual outs?) i’d use a couple of the mono ins for individual outs. Like Kick and Snare of Rytm for example, and the rest to stereo ins and EXT ins.
FWIW I wouldn’t use this in a live setting, too much wear and tear on it. Though if you have the cash to burn, you’d be hard pressed to find a compact mixer that sounds this good.
Just 2 things right away, the size and build quality makes me think it could be a great live mixer. It is rather heavy though. Also nice monitoring options and true stereo aux
As for 2 elektron boxes, I’d probably just send kick and snare, maybe snare+hat to the mono channels. Rest of percussion to stereo channel and other box to stereo channel. The bus compressor may not be all that useful live, but would be great if you are wanting a 2track recording of the set. ST Cues/fold back f9r aux send and return to ext ins if you want any outboard processing. Otherwise ext ins can be extra stereo or mono ins. I’ve also considered using the LMC/Talk back input for kicks or bass to free up a mono channel.
Also the positive feeling of knowing that you won’t be distorting your 2-bus on the way out to some sound systems. You can always go louder with Six if you need to.
@man909 would it be possible to see a pic or three of how you’ve routed your SiX? I’m interested in how you’re using the effects loops. I’ve never had any mixer routing skills. I’ve always just plugged and played in very traditional ways.
But now that I have the AH, a really nice ambient pedal array and an AR, sub phatty and rev2, I’m wanting to be able to route vocals and guitar as well as these synths into a mixer, the AH, the effects pedals AND minimize all the cable changes etc:). Doesn’t have to be all at once (ie, not using like this live) but it would be nice to only have to interchange instruments in the first two channels of the SiX, say rotating vox, guitar, sub phatty etc if that makes sense. I’m more of a visual guy so this barely makes sense to me hehe:).
Be happy to, but I dont think a photo would really explain things, as I just have a couple TRS snakes plugged into it, straight to a patchbay.
So for inputs 1, 2, 3/4, 5/6, and EXT 1 and EXT 2 are wired to the patchbay (10 total channels). I have a Moog synth half normaled to channel 1, an AKAI s900 half normaled to channel 2, a P6 on 3/4, DT on 5/6, and then outputs from my soundcard normaled to EXT 1 and EXT 2, for DAW playback.
For outputs, I have the Main L/R, Bus B L/R, Foldback 1, and Foldback 2 going into patchbay. All of these are half normaled to inputs 1-8 on my soundcard. The monitor outputs (XLR) go straight to my monitor amp, I use the SSL monitor section (it’s awesome).
I have my eyes on a DB25 patchbay in the near future, this will let me utilize the inserts and alt inputs.
Because I use a patchbay, I can reconfigure the inputs and outputs easily, send other synths to the EXT ins or my outboard verbs etc.
A lot of the time I have the Foldback outs patched to a reverb and phaser, and then those come back in to my soundcard. I can sum them using UA Apollo’s Console, and then bring them back into the SiX via the EXT 1 in or EXT 2 in. This kind of hybrid setup makes expansion of the SiX really easy, while I lose analog summing of those channels, I still get everything running through the bus comp.
PS - the SiX mono inputs have dedicated line in/mic in jacks (no combo) so you can keep a mic plugged in all the time. A switch determines if the line in or mic jack get used. Little touches like that make it a brilliant box
here’s a pic of the how i have the 6 primary channels wired
Excellent info thanks! I kind of thought the patchbay might add some confusion visually:). Still would love to see it if it was easy but no biggie.
Which patchbay do you have now and which db25 patchbay are you considering?
And I had to do some reading up on half normal, ultimately good to know about if I go a patchbay route! Cool.
I’ve chosen a simple starting point, 11 outputs of my two Metric Halo 2882’s to the ins(one being the talkback) looping back to a stereo pair on the 2882 ins. I will probably put my Drawmer 1968me on either the 1/2 inserts of the SiX or put it in front of one of the other stereo channels before patching it to the SiX. To get the Talkback I do need to also use a stereo input pair on the 2882s to track the cue outs as I believe the talk only goes to either of the cue outs? In general I try to keep the ins free as much as possible on the 2882’s so I can patch my synths and drums etc.
patchbay(ultrapatch pro) is used to bring all ins of the 2882 to the front of the rack and I’ve ordered a db25 to trs snake to also have the inserts on there for quick patching. After that its trial runs, I’ve probably missed tons of stuff so fingers crossed 
Summing and glue duties, is how I would describe it. Let’s see where it ends …
Cool!
For mix downs - how do you bus all your channels into the Six?
