An API ASM164 summing mixer sitting on top of a rack of 500 Series outboard gear. While DAWs have technically made analog mixing consoles obsolete, many studios still use them because running tracks through real transformers and op-amps imparts a subtle tonal coloration, even without engaging any channel EQs or bus compressors. But what if you don’t have the space or budget for a full-sized console? Enter the summing mixer: the perfect solution for getting the sound of an analog console without sacrificing the convenience and flexibility of a DAW-based workflow.  A summing mixer is essentially a console stripped of its faders, preamps, EQs, and most other bells and whistles, leaving just the line inputs and the circuitry that combines (or “sums”) them to a master output. Multitrack outputs or mix stems are sent from a DAW and combined inside the summing mixer, and the two-track output is then routed back to the DAW and recorded.  Continue reading →