voice ducking

[longken]

music source --stereo input of mixer

Mic--mic input of mixer

Monitor from mixer --input of compressor

Aux post fade --to sidechain of compressor

output of compressor--to amp & speakers

hope this helps.

[Steenamaroo]

That clears it up.

You have the compressor after the mixer.
That means it'll compress everything that comes out of the mixer, including your vocal.

Take a look at my picture. It's basically the same except the compressor is before the mixer and the mic doesn't go through it.

Another way to do it is to have your music on (Say) channels 1+2 of the mixer and have the compressor in their insert points.
Mic still goes straight to 3, bypassing the comp.

Same thing but slightly different. Either way your mic can carry on to the main output unmolested.

[longken]

music source--to stereo in of mixer

mic --mic in of mixer

monitor--input of compressor

aux 1-- to sidechain of compressor

output of compressor ---amp & speakers or computer

[longken]

okay. Have just tried your suggestion. music source into compressor--compressor to mixer. aux to sidechain. Bingo. it works. But-- I was hoping to duck any mixer channels using the one compressor. Is this possible? thanks for your replies.

[Steenamaroo]

Hmm, that's a tricky one. I guess you could have the 3630 after the mixer.

Everything except the mic would go to an aux send which you'd return to two spare channels.
Maybe that's where you were coming from before?

The mic and the 2 spare channels would be the only ones that go to master output.
I don't know if your mixer is capable, but does that make sense?

[longken]

many, many thanks for your help. I have to go out now but will try again tomorrow.

[Steenamaroo]

Be sure to let us know how you get on.

[Dogbreath]

what about just riding the fader?
That's what I used to do when doing live commercials on the radio.

[longken]

Hi, I am back again. I think I will give up on this ducking lark. which ever way I connect compressor to mixer, I cannot get what I am after. Here is what I have noticed. With nothing connected to mixer apart from microphone, when I turn up the aux send, the volume of the mic decreases. when I connect compressor up via the side chain, it does indeed duck the music but as the mic volume is lowered by turning up the send, I can't get loud enough with voice. Hope this makes sense.

The side chain of the compressor is a single TRS with a send and return.

[David O'Donnell]

you can always clone the track and send one to the master and the other to the sidechain and do the ducking post.