Anyone using a summing mixer with SPLAT?

I have been reading up on the Dangerous Music D-Box http://dangerousmusic.com/product/d-box/
for use in combo with my UA Apollo.  The reviews of the two together are impressive.  
 
Any users with this and SPLAT?  As usual, the amount of info of directly using a product with Sonar is limited.
 
Thanks

AT music is an endless pit that I gladly throw money down.  I can have serious questions about spending money on almost everything - except my music gear and stereo stuff.  We all have our addictions.  In this case, drugs might be cheaper (Just kidding).  
 

One of the advantages of something like the D-Box is the quality of the digital-to-analog conversion, which is a weak link in many studios.

Zargg
Hi. I have a friend of mine that has / had a DMDB for years.
He stopped using it a year or so ago, when he changed to a UAD system. He's using plugins to simulate his DMDB now, and says he doesn't miss it. He's got separation and depth in another way now 
He upgraded to a full Amphion one 18, with an Amp 500 and a Trinnov room correction system before deciding not to have much use for it anymore. 
As you say, it's an endless pit 
Just depends where you want to spend it  

The reviews of the Amphions are sweet.  Tell your friend I will give him $500/pair with the amp, as is and I will cover shipping.  They have to work though.  
 
BTW- where are you in Norway?  I have been to Oslo, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Bergen and a handful of small towns.  Beautiful country.  Sure are a lot of blonde girls.  How do you guys stand it?

There was an experiment recently here on the forum with Starise. He was sending out individual tracks to a nice analog mixer.  And also summing internally in a DAW.  He was setting up the same mix on both systems.  Not at first but once we got the mix refined the mixes were identical.  We were comparing the stereo mixes and to be honest there was such little difference it was not even worth talking about.  I was hearing the two versions here and we did quite a few tests and there was NO big thing in terms of how better one was over the other.  We were not using the Dangerous though but the mixer he was using was pretty decent.
 
Often these summing boxes will either have transformers in the output stage or a valve makeup gain stage. (Which often includes transformers too) Any differences you hear are more than likely associated with these.  e.g. the Neve summing box has got output transformers in it so yes it will sound a little different.   When the summing is purely resistive followed by a quality active makeup gain stage that is transformerless the differences are actually even harder to spot.  (in a controlled A/B blind test many would not have a hope!)
 
There are other ways to get transformer and valve effects without using a summing box. e.g. plugins- console emulation etc..
 
There are cheaper ways to getting quality D to A conversion as well.

Jeff Evans
There was an experiment recently here on the forum with Starise. He was sending out individual tracks to a nice analog mixer.  And also summing internally in a DAW.  He was setting up the same mix on both systems. 

 
Were they using the same D/A conversion?
 

Hi Space, I use a summing mixer, though not a Dangerous box. I know lots of folks around here aren't really fans of them, but I really like mine. My rig is an SSL X-Rack with 16 channels (fed off an Aurora 16) that sums and then goes to an SSL bus compressor and an SSL stereo eq. I can't speak to how the Dangerous box works, but I'm happy to help if you need a hand getting it set up to work in Sonar.
 
Regarding what you've been saying about addictions and just liking gear, I totally get what you're saying. Lots of folks have said that they can get the same results from various console emulation and saturation plugs, and honestly, I think they're probably right. Jeff and AT are good folks with good ears who seem to know what they're talking about and I have great respect for them and their opinions. That said, it's not really the point for me. I like the sound that I get out of it, I know how it works, I use it all the time, and I don't have to spend god-only-knows how long fiddling with plugins to get the sound that I want. Are there drawbacks? Sure. But I'm sitting in a room full of knobs and switches and dials and, warts and all, I still think they're kinda awesome and my clients seem to like it as well. For exactly the same reason that the room next to me is filled with real amps with speakers and knobs and pedals and cables, and when I go in there and plug in a guitar it's amazing. Sure, I own and use LOTS of plugins, and I have clients and deadlines and sometimes I don't use all that analog stuff, but I love it anyway. Even when it hums and crackles and is a pain in my ass. Different strokes and all.
 
Anywho, as far as I'm concerned, if you like that stuff and can afford it, get it and have a grand ol time turning knobs and cranking it up way to hot and distorting the crap out of it and sometimes finding that spot that is just freaking perfect. Let me know if I can help out.
 
Dean