Insider’s Secrets
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17
Mixing Applications
The line-level input of the the 6176 allows it to be used in mixing as well as tracking. Even if no
equalization is used, and even if the limiter/compressor section is set to Bypass, the signal
continues to pass through the transformers, the tubes, and the polarity-reverse circuits, making it
extremely useful for coloration of tracks. As Myles Boisen said in his review of the 2-610, “Any
recording can potentially benefit from line-level tube-stage processing.”
What’s more, the fact that many of the front panel controls of the 6176 are stepped makes it easy to
reproduce settings. Cooper found that “with its Gain switch set to +10, [the 2-610] fattened up kick
drum and bass tracks very nicely,” and Boisen reported that he was able to successfully use the 2-
610 to salvage overhead drum-mic tracks that had phase problems and a thin sound.
Of course, raising the Gain and decreasing
the preamp Level adds more tube coloration
to the signal being processed. “At the +10
Gain value,” Cooper reported in his review
of the 2-610, “it was possible to get
deliciously nasty distortion on line-level
tracks.”
As reviewer Hugh Robjohns points out, the
original 1176LN had a “slightly bright character—actually more of a subtle spectral tilt than an
obvious high-frequency lift— which generally helps tracks to cut through in a mix without you
needing to even reach for EQ.
Throughout the years, engineers have variously referred to this
characteristic sound as edge, growl, present and urgent. Generally speaking, the higher the Input
level, the more these descriptive terms come into play.” The 6176 has a similar sonic footprint,
though with improved bass response.
You’ll find that its
operation is most transparent when doing
gain reduction of 4 dB or less. This will serve to subtly reign in dynamic variations in the audio while
still adding its characteristic tone.
Judicious amounts of limiting or compression can also help get
every syllable of a lead vocal intelligible, even in a dense backing track, and can also help backing
vocals to “sit” correctly. In addition, the extremely fast attack time offered by the 6176 limiter /
compressor (which enable it to control peak levels as well as sustained tones) allows it to
effectively tighten up individual drum tracks in the mix stage.
Live Applications
Although the 6176 was designed primarily for use in recording, it can also serve as a powerful
addition to a live sound rig, especially in FOH (Front Of House) applications. We know of several
professional electric bass players who use the 2-610 as their onstage preamp, plugging their
instrument directly into its Hi-Z input and then routing the 2-610 output to their power amp. The same
trick works even better with the 6176, where you have the benefit of compressing or limiting the
signal before sending it to the power amplifier.
Using an extremely fast attack time (which
enables the 6176 to control peak levels as
well as sustained tones) allows it to
effectively tighten up individual drum tracks
in the mix stage.
