Where do you put the mixdown compressor in the sound chain?

[Etienne Rambert]

I'm at a loss. i have 2 compressors, an MC2 and a FMR RNLA for mixdown comparison. But I don't know where to place them.
Last night I unplugged the monitors from the mixer and put the FMR between.

mixer--->RNLA---->monitors.

I got signals into the RNLA but nothing from the monitors. I think the RNLA reduces gain to the monitors.

So I tried the control room out into a C2 into a small sub mixer. I got a signal into both the compressor and mixer.
But I did not hook up the monitors.

mixer CR------>compressor------->sub mixer----->?(monitors)

How do you position your mixdown compressor in the chain? I'm confused here. I have other compressors as inserts.
But I want to use two compressors for comparison through the same monitors when mixing down.

The Monitors are Alesis mki ii. Mixers are a large Yamaha MG/FX and a small Mackie VLZ.

 

[witzendoz]

They need to go in the mixing signal chain not the monitoring signal chain. If you put them between the mixer and monitors you will hear the compressor working, but it will not be record in any way, therefore when you take the mix away from the listening environment it will not be compressed.

Alan.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

If you're trying to compress the whole mix then the usual place to put the compressor is in the main inserts if the board has them. If not then perhaps put the compressor in series after the mixer and before the mixdown deck (whatever that is in your system), and then monitor off the output of that.

 

[Etienne Rambert]

Thanks all. No main inserts unfortunately. I have 4 group OUTs on the mixer though.
I think they are in the main mixing chain. But I have not determined if they go to the mix.
But they do send a signal to the compressors when I run them OUT to the compressor's IN's.
Maybe that's all I need? I'll have to make a recording to find out.

If that doesn't work, maybe I've got to start from scratch. Pull out the patch cords and redo it.
The sound ultimately goes to a DAW (Auria) on an iPad.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Thanks all. No main inserts unfortunately. I have 4 group OUTs on the mixer though.
I think they are in the main mixing chain. But I have not determined if they go to the mix.
But they do send a signal to the compressors when I run them OUT to the compressor's IN's.
Maybe that's all I need? I'll have to make a recording to find out.

If that doesn't work, maybe I've got to start from scratch. Pull out the patch cords and redo it.
The sound ultimately goes to a DAW (Auria) on an iPad.

Really all you have to do is go from the mixer's output to the compressor's inputs, from the compressor's outputs to your audio interface's inputs. Monitor from your audio interface. You have an audio interface of some sort?

 

[Etienne Rambert]

Really all you have to do is go from the mixer's output to the compressor's inputs, from the compressor's outputs to your audio interface's inputs. Monitor from your audio interface. You have an audio interface of some sort?

I have 3. But the one I use is the iPad in the iOdock. I'm not sure why I would need an a/d converter to hear processed sound go from my mixer to my monitors. But if I have to, I'll have the iOdock go to the monitors.

....Last night I unplugged the monitors from the mixer and put the RNLA between them

mixer--->RNLA---->monitors.

I got signals into the RNLA but nothing from the monitors....

Today I returned to the 4 group outputs. I plugged the patch cords from them into the inputs of the two compressors.
Mixer sent signals both to the monitors and into the compressors. Unfortunately the sound in the monitors was unprocessed.
There are 4 outputs from two compressors. My converters have two inputs. So I will try to use my second mixer to send
the processed signal to the iOdock.

mixer group outs---->compressor inputs---->compressor outputs--->sub-mixer--->sub-mixer to iPad through iOdock.

But I'll try it as described above. It will require some re-cabling. Thanks.

Until now on my recordings, I've bypassed the mixers. I've used internal signal processing, synths, guitars and vocals going
straight in from the instrument or the pre-amp/compressor. But now I want to try using more of the hardware I have.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

I have 3. But the one I use is the iPad in the iOdock. I'm not sure why I would need an a/d converter to hear processed sound go from my mixer to my monitors. But if I have to, I'll have the iOdock go to the monitors.

It's common practice to monitor a studio mix from the output of the 2-track mixdown deck, which in this case is your iOdock and iPad.