Analog vs Digital Consoles: Which is Best for Touring?

Digital mixers won the war because of one feature: "Total Recall". Being able to save a scene and have the exact same mix tomorrow is priceless for touring.

The Analog Workflow

Analog mixes are "hands-on". You reach for an EQ and it's there. No paging through menus. It forces you to listen and commit. But without snapshots, you cannot change settings significantly between songs.

The Digital Advantage

Aside from recall, digital offers massive processing. A standard Yamaha CL5 has racks of Premium Effects (Neve compressors, Pultec EQs) built-in. To carry that in analog, you would need a 20-space rack weighing 100kg.

The Hybrid Compromise

Many top engineers use a digital desk for the workflow and "recall", but insert analog hardware on the main bus or lead vocal to get that "expensive" sound.