We originally came across The OctEpus on Facebook and were impressed by their stack of Newtons and RNDIs, so we asked for more information about their rig. They were kind enough to respond in detail…enjoy.

My setup is built around two Satellite 5059s and a 5060 Centerpiece, but I'm using them as a modular analog mixer, not a traditional summing setup. I like to tell people I have a poor man's 5088. The setup allows me to write, mix and semi master an entire song with or without the DAW being involved. All of my gear is wired to the inputs of the 5059s and my Apollo x16s are linked to the inserts, but the insert buttons are not pressed. The 5059 always outputs to its sends, even if the send button isn’t pressed or the unit is off. This allows me to play my gear though all effects and EQs with no added latency or annoyances from using the x16’s direct monitor mode. I like to imagine my x16s and DAW as a digital tape machine for live recordings.

One of my 5059s has 2 SSL Puredrive Octos wired to its inputs and this guy powers all of analog synths. My 2nd 5059’s inputs are fed by a Motu interface connected to an M4 Mac mini that’s dedicated to running nothing but Superior drummer 3 and ODIN3 at the lowest possible latencies. My RNDI / Newton pairs are basically hardwired to my kick, snare, hat and ride, with the RNDIs in speaker mode to allow for the hot line level signals coming from the Motu interface.

The two 5059s get summed down to 4 stereo pairs and output to the 5060. The sends on the 5060's channel 1-8, go to a patch panel and the returns come back into inputs 9-16 instead of the returns. This is done to gain a parallel for all 4 stereo buses, it opens up all kinds of creative options. Example: My drum bus on 1-2 always hits a UBK Fatso with outrageous settings that I casually blend in with the 9-10 knob. The final piece of the puzzle is my master bus with an MBT, 2x Shelford Channels and an MBC.

I’m doing a full live, no sequencers, one man band project, where I play 3 instruments simultaneously. Having physical knobs and faders for volume, EQs, comps, preamps and SILK lets me slowly dial in the mood of my mix as I practice. By the time I master playing all the parts simultaneously, the mix is mostly done. When it's record time, I record the individual tracks on my Apollo x16s via the sends on my 5059s and the 2 channel output of the MBC. If I want to hear a recorded version of a track, I click its insert and the recorded version follows the exact path and settings that the live version followed. If you’re recording yourself while also trying to be a one man band, it’s a killer workflow that frees up a lot of mental bandwidth to juggle other balls.

I love Rupert Neve Designs gear; having multiple tiers of Silk removes the need for EQ in many situations and the -6db outputs are pure genius. Hopefully one day I can get a real 5088!

The OctEpus
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