Dangerous Music 2 Bus+

SURPASSING THE ORIGINAL

Dangerous Music invented the stand-alone analog summing mixer with the ground-breaking 2-BUS back in 1999, and now we’re redefining mixing yet again with the 2-BUS+. With a redesigned analog summing circuit that exceeds previous specifications, the 2-BUS+ delivers unsurpassed imaging, dimensionality, punch and headroom. While the 2-BUS+ active summing sounds incredible on its own, it now includes three innovative custom color circuits that provide a vast array of flexibly routed tonal options. Harmonics is a euphoric odd- and even-order distortion generator; Paralimit is a hard-hitting FET-style limiter; and X-Former is a pair of custom wound Cinemag output transformers with an exclusive core-overdrive circuit. With it’s elegantly straightforward buttons and knobs, the 2-BUS+ puts endless combinations of robust analog sound at your fingertips. Meticulously developed by our hands-on team and brilliantly designed by the legendary Chris Muth, the 2-BUS+ embodies our dedication to sacrificing nothing in order to deliver the very best analog products available.

FEATURES

• 16 channels of the world’s best active analog summing, that even surpasses the original
• Three unique analog color circuits: Harmonics, Paralimit and X-Former
• Effortless routing and blending of analog color circuits via elegant user interface
• Switchable stereo analog insert for easy outboard gear integration
• Massive sounds, sacrificing no detail
• Crystal clear sonic imaging and three-dimensionality
• Endless headroom for modern digital signal levels
• Stepped output gain control for exact recalls
• Both XLR and D-Sub input connectivity
• Audiophile-grade components throughout
• Hand-assembled in the USA

UNVEIL YOUR SOUND WITH ACTIVE ANALOG SUMMING

Analog summing is a vastly misunderstood topic, but it doesn’t need to be. First, when you use multiple channels from your converter to share the workload of getting your sounds from digital into analog, you’ll hear improved articulation and clarity across the mix. Once in the analog realm, these individual channels are electronically summed together with an “active analog summing circuit.” Unlike passive summing boxes that require huge amounts of make-up gain to restore the lost audio, or line mixers masquerading as “summing mixers,” the active electronics in the 2-BUS+ result in what Dangerous users describe as “a huge soundstage,” “holographic sound,” and “audible three-dimensionality.” Panning is wide and precise, reverbs spacious and deep, bass powerful and punchy, treble and mids articulate and engaging. The 2-BUS+ unveils all the details that breathe your creations to life.

EMULATION IMPOSSIBLE

Many analog processors – from delays and reverbs to EQs, compressors and more – have been beautifully modeled in the digital realm, but analog summing remains impossible to emulate digitally. We’ve all experienced the frustration of a mix collapsing when relying on a single digital master fader to handle it all. The middle gets crowded, kick drum goes mushy, panning becomes blurry, reverbs lose dimension, and ultimately the mix just lacks the spark. And despite promising ad campaigns, analog mix bus emulation plugins just add distortion to the master fader, actually making problems worse. By summing individual tracks or subgroups of tracks (often called “stems”) with the 2-BUS+, you get crystal clear sonic imaging and a wide-open soundstage. No matter how high your track count, all your recorded audio, software instruments, samplers, effects and plugins will sing with the detail, punch and clarity that only real analog summing can deliver.

THREE REAL ANALOG TONE CIRCUITS

When it comes to adding analog color to your mixes, the design team at Dangerous has developed three totally original all-analog circuits: Harmonics, Paralimit and X-Former. Because these circuits are physically built into the 2-BUS+, you get a versatile selection of analog colors while never leaving the lush, open analog mixing environment.

CHOOSING YOUR SUMMING AMP:

Since the creation of the original Dangerous 2-BUS many manufacturers have released “summing box” products. Choosing one can be confusing, but if you ask 2 questions it becomes easy.

+ 1. IS IT REALLY A SUMMING AMPLIFIER, OR IS IT A LINE MIXER?

A true summing box designed to be a back-end for a DAW mixer will be “fixed gain and fixed pan,” because the fader and pan controls are in the DAW software mixer. You do not want to repeat these functions in the hardware because [A] you lose your recall capabilities and [B] you are running your audio through unnecessary electronics which will degrade the sound.

If it has pan pots and/or level controls on it, it is a line mixer, not a summing mixer, despite what the front panel might say. A line mixer is perfect if you need to sub-mix keyboards or a bunch of mic preamps to stereo, but is not the best option when mixing a track from your DAW.

+ 2. DO I WANT A CLEAN OR COLORED SIGNAL PATH FOR MY MIXING?

You want options. Many manufacturers have a color signature to their sound, incorporating components like transformers or tubes into the design. These components can sometimes shape the sound in a pleasing way, but you are trapped with that sound for everything you do. We chose to make the tone and color optional with the 2-BUS+ by designing three original analog color circuits that can be selected and adjusted as you need them. Say the transformer rips on one song, but isn't right on another– simply disengage it with the press of a button. Or suppose you like the harmonics, but want less of it. Other summing amps do not have these options; don't be a hostage to a single sound. That's why you see Dangerous summing in the GRAMMYS for Jazz, Hip Hop, Metal, Pop... you are the captain of your sound.

A true mastering-grade summing amp allows everything you record to come through in its clean, high-headroom environment. We at Dangerous have a deep foundation in designing and building mastering consoles and monitor controllers. With our approach to summing you can insert color where, when and how you choose with the onboard processors in the 2-BUS+, or with outboard gear and plug-ins. All options remain open, all options remain yours- the best of all worlds.

+ A NOTE ON PASSIVE SUMMING:

There are two types of passive summing devices: powered and non-powered. Non-powered summing amps simply employ a resistor network feeding a pair of busses. This process by its nature loses a considerable amount of level, requiring a high-gain amplifier (microphone preamplifier) to bring it back up to usable line level. Non-powered boxes require the user to insert a separate outboard mic pre for this makeup gain.

Other products have the amplifier built in, appearing on the outside like an active summing device but in fact employ the same non-powered summing as described above. You can often tell when non-powered summing is being used by a high input channel count (32 or 48 inputs) because the parts cost only pennies, as opposed to having expensive active receiver amplifiers on every input.

We have found through years of experience and testing that this non-powered approach is not the ideal way to handle this task, and that an active design using balanced receiver amplifiers, summing op-amps and line drivers yields the most exceptional performance.

Not having an active balanced design creates several potential problems:

• A balanced receiver provides common mode rejection (CMR) while a passive resistor network does not. Good CMR is key to low noise performance.

• A balanced receiver allows isolation of the D/A converter’s ground from the audio ground of the summing amp – passive does not. This could lead to poor crosstalk rejection, which means poor imaging.

• Active design also allows for a local ground reference for the inputs, which is the same ground reference as the summing op-amp. All these things contribute to a clean, quiet, low-distortion device that is stable.

SPECS

Note: Dangerous Music, Inc. publishes actual measured specifications, not theoretical numbers derived from data sheets published by chip manufacturers.

• Max Input Level > +28 dBu
• THD+N @+4dBu: 1KHz, unweighted, 22Hz to 22kHz < 0.0048%
• THD+N @+22dBu: 1KHz, unweighted, 22Hz to 22kHz < 0.0026%
• IMD @ +4dBu: < 0.0038%
• IMD @ +22dBu: < 0.0021%
• Crosstalk rejection: > 108dBu @ 1KHz
• Noise at Unity Gain: 22Hz to 22KHz: < -86dBu
• Noise at Nominal Mix Setting: 22Hz to 22KHz: < -91dBu
• Frequency Response: Flat within 0.1dB from 10Hz -50kHz
• Input Impedance: 25K Ohms Balanced
• Output Impedance: 50 Ohms Balanced
• Replacement Fuses: AMERICAS: 90-120VAC 2 Amp Slo-Blo fuse.
• EUROPE: 200-260VAC 1 Amp Slo-Blo fuse