Mixing on a console or " In The Box"?

Have you ever wondered what’s the difference between mixing “in the box” or an analog console? I have always thought that you can get a better mix from a mixing console, but after a little research and experimenting I think that you can achieve a great mix on music or sound design both ways.

Most of the earlier mix engineers of the 80’s and 90’s and earlier didn’t have the technology that we have now, so they were slaves to analog tape and mixing consoles. Now mix engineers like Tony Maserati are more of a hybrid type of mixer, that means using both analog and in the box techniques. I like Tony’s approach, because he comes from a time when analog was all that the engineers used. Plus, Tony says there are benefits from combining the two aspects.

New age mix engineers that say they work strictly “in the box”, because of the ability to recall a session in seconds. I think this is a major benefit of working “in the box”, because there is no need for trying to tweak knobs, look at photos, fix patch bay problems, and relocate all types of other settings that where there months or years ago. New age mix engineers also say that plugins that were modeled after vintage equipment don’t sound the same as the original analog hardware. I think the plugin emulations sound very accurate with great detail.

So, in the world of analog versus “in the box” which do you prefer? Both have its advantages and disadvantages, but in conclusion, I think it all boils down to personal taste and preference. Thanks for taking the time to read.

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