It’s like an analog firmware update. Will wonders never cease?
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It’s funny you mention that because Rupert Neve Designs recently released the master bus converter and the brochure said it can get a vintage tone. I asked someone at Neve how it compares to my master bus processor in terms of “vintage” tone then he tells me if I put my Silk Blue at the 12:00 position my processor will sound vintage as their new color box. I’ve read that manual for years and not once has it said that. I’m pretty sure that the manual writers don’t talk to the engineers. I’m glad I emailed him though.
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Oh man. Keep getting drawn back to this.
This and the overstayer modular channel would be my 2 dream bits of hardware.
Just need to find that £5k behind the sofa…
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Let me know when you find it, I’m pretty sure that’s where I left it. 
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anyone see a good example of this working with electronic music? I tried watching the Sweetwater demo of the dude (conveniently) playing his own tracks through it and I wanted to jab an icepick into my eye.
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So tell us what’s in your opinion the best outboard processing one unit atm? Neve, SSL, Overstayer…some im missing…all look incredible…
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It all depends on your budget and what you want to do.
At 1500 you have the SSL six. Yes you only get 4:1 but you should just adjust your input levels to control the gain reduction to your liking.if you’re using too much gain reduction drop the level of the incoming signal and that should be easy.
At the 1600 range you have a good Vari-mu T Komp compresser by TK audio. You can track with this compressor or use it for Bus Duties. you can track keyboards or just smash your drums with this.
At 1900 you have the Overstayer 8706 which is a modified stereo 1176 style compressor with a good amount of color options and is probably the most dirtiest sounding you can get.
2400-2600 range is a used API2500 which has feedforward compression and the API desk sound.
3100 API 2500+ which now had feedback compression and the API desk sound. Feedforward compression is good for fast BPM content and feedback for the slower BPM stuff.
4000 Neve master bus processor. It’s good but since it’s got such high levels of output you will need converters that can handle hard levels of this. Add another 1500 to your budget for convertors on this. This has the 5088 console sound so you can track individual sounds. You can also use the blue silk knob to give the low end more character. You can also mono each compressor on this box and track each drum sound individually.
4700 Elysia Mpressor. This is probably the most creative compressor. You can give your sound a nice pump, you can also use negative ratios too.
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I think the limiter in the MBC is a bit different than the one one the MBP. Has a variable release and sounded a little different than the MBP in the demos I watched.
Funny thing I recently noticed on my MBP unit the red and blue silk colors are mixed up. For me blue is top end boost and red is low end boost.
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I’d also throw in the HendyAmps Michelangelo as a great 2-bus sweetener at $2500. Amazing tube driven broad band eq with variable tube saturation and transformers. Such a killer tone box, even when set to no eq boost/cut.
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Actually there was a time when they were reversed for red and blue silk. So when I got my MBP I had an older PDF and it was reversed setup. Then I looked at the manual in the box and it said Blue is for Low End and Red is for high frequency. I thought I was using it wrong because I would turn the red up on mine and wonder why the bass was going away.
Thanks for the recommendation on the other color box too. I need to check that out.
That MBC does have a new limiter so that is a big selling point for it. All I know is I have a coloring box and compressor addiction more than synths.
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The addiction is real. Sorry for your wallet:
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I think there is a good thread on here for such units. For more fun, also look into the Louder Than Liftoff Silver Bullet, as well as Tegeler Cream (& others).
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Thanks for that generous write up.
If I could afford these units I think I would too, honestly. Get one versatile, analog synth and just chase tones.
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I have the SSL SiX and it’s amazing, especially when I’m summing a bunch of live sequences and recording to tape. The compressor is super simple but just sounds lovely over all.
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If you could only afford one piece of gear to add some analog mojo to DAW mixes, would you get SSL Six, SSL Fusion, something else? I’ve heard good things about Dangerous Music 2-Bus (LT model, to stay in the 1.5k price range).
The six is a good deal because you get superanalogue SSL channels and you can run your final mixes through a 4:1 ratio compressor. You could track in using the superanalogue channels then do a loop back from your DAW to compressor and have your mix polished. superanalogue has been around since the 90s for the 9000J consoles so it’s proven on many dance and HipHop records.
The fusion is also another option for tracking.mic you just pass your audio through you will get that superanalogue sound. You can the. Use the vintage drive function so sound like you are hitting the channels hard like the 4000 series consoles. Then you have the transformer color which adds even more vintage sizzle. You can even use the HF compressor to have a nice tape roll off to your recordings. For a 2 bus box you can definitely add character to specific tracks or just use the two superanalogue channels as the bypass sound.
Dangerous is also a good box. I’ve never used it, but when I would listen to tutorials on pure mix the instructor would use it to polish the mix up and the difference is audible.
For 1500 you can’t go wrong with the dangerous box or the six. You may not notice the mojo difference right away but track with each one of these boxes and you may just be mixing with your volume faders in your DAW. I know this is a fusion thread but those two mentioned will give you a lot of mojo to your tracks.
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I’ve searched far and wide for demos on the Fusion where someone just tracks a proper synth track through it goddammit but found none. Just rock, pop and hip hop stuff that already sounds over-produced before they go into the Fusion.
Is there anyone - looking at you @v00d00ppl 
- who has just a nice demo of what the Fusion adds to the mix, if you’re all synths, samples and drum machines?
I ended up buying a Rupert Neve Designs 5254 compressor instead. I have mastering demos of that if you need. Maybe if I have free time this weekend I can do a demo with synths or drum machines for tracking purposes. Don’t expect it to sound dirty like a FET on British mode. It sounds more creamy and weighty but it can still handle fast transients like a FET compressor.
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I asked a friend who has one (in his very well equipped pro studio) and he doesn’t like the fusion much for mixing / mastering, but does really like tracking stuff through it. He does mostly live recording - drums, guitars, synths, vocals etc etc, not much in the way of pre-produced stuff.
I don’t know if that’s helpful, but I certainly value his opinion on these things!
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Thanks @v00d00ppl and @esq - while the SiX receives deserved praise from all over (not in the least from me), it seems the Fusion isn’t as obvious. Given the price tag, there’s no way I’m going for anything else than a kit that everybody says is da shit.
So the Fusion’s out.
I really am just looking for something that just brings out and enhances what I consider is already working. I’m usually quite happy with my Blackbox mixes, but they arguable grow when they’re routed through the SiX. I’m adding a stereo reverb now on the master, to further expand the room, and if I could slap something on the final output there that just took it home, that’d be something.
But I don’t want tons of gear. I just want that last box that takes care of it all, provided that it’s already pretty decent and just needs that extra push.