Dangerous 2-Bus
Summary
Abstract
The Dangerous Music 2-Bus (and 2-Bus+) is one of the most well-known analog summing mixers. Members who have used it report that “whatever it’s doing, routing outputs through it did something I liked.” The 2-Bus+ adds flexibility with additional routing options. However, some community members are skeptical of the marketing claims around “depth” and “width,” questioning whether the perceived improvements are simply artifacts of analog crosstalk and L/R phase differences. Dangerous also makes the AD+ converter.
Key Characteristics
- 16-channel analog summing mixer (2-Bus+)
- Perceived increase in stereo width and depth when routing stems through it
- The “width” effect may be related to L/R channel differences inherent to analog design
- Flexible routing options on the 2-Bus+ variant
- Well-built, professional-grade unit
- Some community members report moving away from it for workflow convenience
Use Cases
- Analog summing for hybrid mixing workflows
- Adding perceived width and depth to ITB mixes
- Stem-based analog mixing with outboard processing
Comparable Alternatives
| Summing Mixer | Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SSL Sigma | ~$5000 | Remote-controlled summing |
| Shadow Hills Equinox | ~$4000 | Multiple transformer flavors |
| RND 5057 | ~$3000 | Rupert Neve design |
| API Summing | ~$3000+ | API console flavor |
| SSL Fusion | ~$2000 | Stereo processor, not summing |
Common Mistakes
- Taking Dangerous Music marketing claims about “depth” and “width” at face value without testing
- Not considering the workflow cost of breaking out of ITB for summing
- Buying a summing mixer when stereo mix bus processing might achieve similar results
See Also
Source Discussions
NoahNeedleman
“Have you heard a Dangerous summing box? I’ve worked with one extensively, moving from production into mix on the same system just by routing the outputs through it, and whatever it’s actually doing, 9/10 just routing the outputs did something I liked.”
outofmana
“I owned a 2Bus+ and AD+ for a while… I enjoyed the Dangerous stuff. I think in the landscape of summing mixers, the 2Bus+ is an incredibly flexible box and I enjoyed the sonics a great deal.”
outofmana
“I mostly just wonder if the analog ‘width’ people talk about in general is actually just phase shift and L/R discrepancies inherent to analog design.”