I've been to their site, lots of pics, and a few little video snippets.
Some comments, but nothing substantial?

But I'm really interested in first hand comments from owners / operators of any of the 3 Roots Console type owners.

Good, Bad & the Ugly so to speak.

Thanks.

Hey,

I don't own one but I have heard one a couple of times and I own a Tree Branch which is the main channel strip in my home writing studio.

The preamp is amazing,Big, wide, great depth, the sense of spatial positioning when stacked is amazing. When I set my home studio last year I auditioned about 15-20 different preamps in my room and ended keeping the Tree as my main preamp. I also own a Neve preamp, a Capi VP28 and a Redd clone but I default to the tree and barely ever use anything else.
Tbh I don't know why the channel strip hasn't caught on more.

Maybe it's not colored enough I don't know, it is a pretty clean sound, I use the Line input when mixing tracks all the time, it's very Hi-Fi sounding, sometimes I'll use the Neve or Api to dirty things up a bit when the Tree is just too clean.

The compressor is a bit hit or miss, it's very thick sounding; not quite Sta Level thick but very very thick. However sometimes I find it hard to get the sound I want out of it, particularly on vocals where it can sound a bit too grabby for my taste so I'll often use my Igs LA2A clone instead of it, it's more set and forget for me when tracking.

The eq is solid but very limited. For tracking it's awesome, very broad strokes.
I really like the eq on Electric guitars though I feel some of the eq points to be a bit redundant. I would've liked something like 5k-8k-12k-16k instead of 7-10-12-16. I've actually done some test mixes for fun with just the eq and comp and you can get a lot done with the limited options as long as you don't need anything too surgical.
It's too limited to sculpt drums obviously so I still have some Capi LC53s for kick and snare and when I need to mangle sounds a bit more.

Here's a test I recorded last year when I did my preamp shootout:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j1eas0hydt...REAMP.mp3?dl=0

Everything was recorded with the Branch, these are the raw files, no eq no comp straight to Apogee converters.

Here's another test I did, where I sent every track from a raw mix one by one through the Tree to see what I could get out of it. I only spent like 10 minutes doing this so I'm sure I could've found some better settings but I think you really can hear what the eq and the comp can do.

Hope this helps!

I have a branch channel strip and agree with above. Incredible for tracking.
The EQ might not be surgical or flexible enough for you for mixing.
I would assume you would do lots in the box
And send subgroups out for summing
Or you’d want to run API EQ or whatever on channel inserts.

If you get the new version with 500 series slots now that’s entirely different level.

I purchased a 16 x 32 Tree MKII. With a Burl 8 x 32 front end..... will start to install next week.....

I spent some time with it last week and it seems pretty cool, but until i have in a space i know with some audio that is familiar.

We did put some Bob Marley stems, One Love, through it - and the warmth and fullness was pretty impressive - but as i noted... i don’t really know that room or those stems...

Will update in a couple of weeks

I follow their posts. Great looking product. Hope to hear all the first hand opinions, here!

Congrats on the new console !!

Are you tracking bands? Mixing? Production?

Please post us some pics.

Fabulous!
Please keep us posted~!

Congrats!!

Nice!


Cheu

Production and Mixing mostly - but overdubs lots of those......

I have an Avid S3 coming also so automation in the box via S3 and then unity gain on the Tree- since i am a work from home guy recall isn’t as important as in a commercial facility where there are hard outs on sessions. The irony is that i was looking at SSL AWS and Neve Geneysis- and when my guy at Westlake Pro said, “hey ..... i have this console i think you should look at”..... my first impression was ..... WTF??

I did pick up a bunch of the WesAudio stuff which strikes me a bit like the old LIQUID CHANNEL and the newer AMS Neve Geneysis stuff where you have a digital controller on attenuation and analogue signal path..... i have been looking for as many total recall elements as possible- stuff like the Bettermaker and WesAudio..... AMS Neve also has a 2254R mono that works with their interface - looks like the same interface on the Genesys so i am guessing we may see some 1081/1073 DYN and pre cards soon ........ seems to me where a lot of this will end up... Great analogue devices with some automation on the front end....

I spent some time with Ian on the phone last week and he gave me some great insights into the board- such as, “ if you take the Di from the board into the Burl you’re signal is transformerless- all tube circuitry”. He told me, “we wanted to make the monitor and fader sections tube but if we did that the board would be the side of a soccer field”........ i don’t know why these products aren’t more sought out than they are but this is as close as i will ever get to owning an Abby road UA610 console......

Oh and one more tidbit...... Ian said they just built a custom console for Capital Studios in Hollywood..... and are back ordered 10 consoles..... so maybe they they are on their way to getting the recognition they deserve ....

You still enjoying the console?

Haven’t actually heard it yet ..... Today!! the bays are wired, and the LED monitors are now in- today we are going to program the Dante card so we can run audio through the Burl converters into the computer- so today i will get to hear audio- from computer through the Burl Mothership - into the board and out through the barefoots- will post pics in the next couple of days

we are finishing up the wiring of the bays- still waiting for some of the 500 series modules to come in- but overall everything is in. Troubleshooting the RedNet/Burl/MacPro network.... am hoping to have everything fired up and connected mid week next week -

FYI- everything is on low profile castors and there is a cable caddy built into the desk- so when we are finished there will be a power cable on either side of the desk but other than that all cabling is concealed.

I'll save you the time. It is going to sound terrible. Rip all that stuff out and I'll PM my address so you can ship it to me for free.

wow...... you would do that for me....... really ..... thats so great - how lucky am i to have such great acquaintances !!!


in seriousness...... pretty excited to run some trax into the burl- through the Tree Buss section with the StaLevel inserts and into the Barefoots- back into the burls for a 2 track....... its been too many years of fighting with my gear....... so i thought i would try stacking the deck in my favor!! for the first time in 20 years i will not be fighting with my clocking sources- which is insidious in its incremental deprivation of signal loss........ and then i would update a clocking source or some components of the chain and immediately hear added clarity

20 years of fighting and now you are Set For Life. Enjoy

Beautiful setup! You got a live room feeding the board or just mixing?

Very nice! Incredibly clean! Great job man!

Not that you need help choosing your gear, but if you have the chance try the Avedis E12G in that 500 rack if you need some eq.. fantastic graphic eq’s..





Cheu

amazing!


[of course i'm talking about the (two lefty?) ns10's which - although out of style - seem to be part of the time capsule...]

those guys are really beautiful -i would take a closer look but- i have a pair of BAE graphics which are Brents version of the API 560's- i had a lunchbox of 550s/560/s through the 90's and really loved them....... so i threw a pair into the 500 rack-

the other thing i put in there- hard to see in the photos- the Tree console has 2 pairs of 500 slots- in the top set, i put in a pair of Tree Parametrics which have a SSL/Neve switch on em and then a pair of Tree Comps- which are similar to the DBX 165's but a bit better sounding- they are in the console but they come up on the patch bays so they can be cross patched.....

I put in a pair of WesAudio MIMAS (which haven't arrived) and a recallable DIONE which is supposed to be a pretty musical stereo programmable 2254 type compressor- so between the all the Tree LA2A's, the Tree (165's), the 30 year old Manley, the 2 stalevels, the Dione, Mimas and my old dbx guys- there should be some very musical elements to work with- on the compression side- and regarding the EQs- the Tree is wide and musical, there are a couple of parametric, the neve, the ssl, and api graphics..... so i will have my ears full!

YIKES!! the one on the left is upside down....... they are coming in on Monday for finish wiring the bays and plugging in the Keyboard modules and Bryston speaker system- i am sure they will properly orient all the speakers......

remains the question whether to use them with the highs on inside or outside... :-)


[besides the underlying, epic discussion about whether... - i'll stop now!

personally, i decided against getting another analog desk this spring and went digital all the way but i'm sure you'll be pleased and have fun with your desk for many years to come: looking nice and i got no doubts it sounds terriffic!]

i hear that..... sometimes in life you don't choose your gear- fate chooses it for you -

apologies in advance for the long post..... but its kinda interesting....

i was getting ready to pull the trigger on a Neve Genesys- after a ton of research on the AWS and other options, like you- i am all about the automation- and then..... i get a phone call.

a Pro athlete living in Music City signs a $100MM contract and the first thing he does is build a Recording Studio in his basement - top of the line no corners cut....... because isn't that what you would do if you suddenly had a $100MM...... so- shortly after its completed...... he throws his pitching arm out. Off to another state for 6 mo of rehab-

His live-in girlfriend is expecting and not wanting to be alone for the next 6 months.... she goes to another state to be with family....... yep and meanwhile back in studio land..... the studio sits in Nashville unused for a year......

Pandemic hits..... house is sold..... studio is turned into a guest bedroom ..... and Westlake Audio takes in an iconic piece of gear that has never been used...... to try and find a new home...

the phone call goes out..... anyone looking for a new console- patchbay and furniture........ ridiculous price- ridiculous piece of gear....... so ..... that is why i now have an analogue console....... with no automation- custom bays and a hand crafted console desk that would have cost me close to what i paid for the entire bundle if i had tried to have it made for me for the Genesys.... go figure..... so as i noted sometimes- fate chooses for you -

Oh man, ain't that the truth! Not to derail this thread but...I had just purchased a Slate dual Raven system for a b mix room when I found a brand new SSL AWS 924 for a ridiculous price. Still in the crate , never commissioned. The story as I understand it was, somebody put a substantial deposit down and it was ordered. How ever, after a year, there was a no show by purchaser or he couldn't pony up the remainder. Don't remember exactly now. Anyway, apparently as it was over a year SSL wouldn't take it back and the dealer sold it to me for the remaining amount owed, cutting there losses. I'm an old 4k owner so this fit me like a glove. Hybrid heaven. So ya, fate can do some serious choosing.

That is a great story........ well sometimes people with shall we say “alternate” forms of income find themselves going away on vacations that can sometime take them away for 5-10 years......... and its not like their commitments just went away so ........ good for you..... and as yogi Berra used to say...... Luck is the intersection of opportunity and preparation.......

In our cases ....... we still had to write the check..... and that takes som preparation!!

Hey Joe,
Just checking to see if you have any updates on the new console install...

Yes curious how you are liking (or not) the Tree console

Any update on the Tree console …?!

I have been on this thread for a while but i just listened to your tracks - sounds very much like why i bought the console - big warm and lots of depth- i really like the guitar sound and the drums……. They really have their own thing-

Thanks for posting

How has the reliability been with the console? Have you had any issues?

So here are some updated pics- still finishing building out my racks- have a few things coming in in the next couple of weeks-

The console is really great- a bit to get used to coming from all the automation— but if you set everything at unity and just use the board as a summing mixer you get 32 channels back…..

Its also reminiscent of working on tape machines - the board has alignment functions but you can never get it perfectly lined up - you might want a pair of Durrogh Meters if thats something you are fastidious about.

The EQ is very much in line with the classic pultecs - i have two of them in my outboard rack- with not quite as much control…….

Its nice to have the comp/limiting on each channel- it performed better when it is used on something that takes advantages of its strengths - but doesn’t suffer from the weaknesses……. Everything is clean- there are no IC’s anywhere in the board so other than transformers and tube color- its a clean signal path- i like to think of it as all of the harmonics that i want and none of the digital nonsense that i don’t….

This is a board that requires a lot of additional out board(the ITB stuff is so good today- that you can also just rely on that)- the board comp are like a slow LA2A- i know that sounds redundant……. But there are 4 slots in the board that can be accessed(you can see in the upper right hand of the console- i have 2 parametrics and 2 of the solid state fast compressor from tree)- and i put in the Tree Comps that are a bit more like the 165A- over easy (which i also have in my rack)- also as you know from the literature- the eqs are fixed and wide- so its really essential to have a set of SSL’s, some neve 73’s/81’s, api’s and api graphics- things that allow you to dial in the sound if you want that type of control- i will say if you have a great guitar sound - you can open up the top in a really transparent way with that great analogue sound none of the crunch…. The board eqs are great for that - like having a pultec on every channel without the sweep……. Some of the INB stuff is so good - you can also get away with using that and the board will rescue you with just the right kinds of analogue warmth….. giving you a ton of flexibility and color!!! You feel like there is nothing this board can not make sound better…. I do not do rap/edm………. But man….. put a pinkfloyd of Beatles track through it- its all there- when i bought it we demo’d it with bob Marley tracks- wow Robby and Sly sounded so amazing and the comp/lim were really amazing……. It’s important to understand gain staging with this board- there’s a bit of a learning curve……. But its a fun learning curve….. as opposed to the kind of learning curve that comes with reading a tascam manual trying to understand bias configuration.

Its clunky working on knobs after 40 years of faders- but computers are so excellent now - that i feel like its a bit of a push….. I miss the subs- the ability to group in a fader envioronment is something i miss on my last board- but i can still do all that ITB……

On thing i cannot overstate- is the vibe- we are all creatives and we work to both be creative and competent……. This board reminds me of walking into NRG in LA or Paisley Park in Mpls- back in the 90’s……. It just feels really creative and musical and it sets a vibe that you might recognize if you have watched any of the Beatles Docuseries……. And see Georg Martin, Glyn John’s and Alan Parsons setting up the 8 track recorders and the abby road console- This board is bbq sauce - sure you can have brisket without it- but with a good sauce - its like a different meal!!!

When you sit down at it……. It does feel like you are working on greatness……. And that is something that i don’t remember feeling in a home studio before- its like when you walk into the mixing room at blackbird……. You just feel like your going to do something great- and that you aren’t limited by your imagination……. I am trying to post some pics- but pics attachments are a little new to me….. cheers!!

Ps…… i promise all the photos were properly sized and oriented prior to posting !!!