Just bought some new outboard equipment and need help..

[scottboyher]

I bought a new dual channel mic pre and a dual channel compressor/gate (not a 3630)

Which comes first in the chain?

Mic > pre > comp/gate > mixer ?
Mic > comp/gate > pre > mixer ?

[RobertN]

Its probably mic>compressor>mixer

[SonicAlbert]

This one:

Mic > pre > comp/gate > mixer

[scottboyher]

Originally Posted by SonicAlbert

This one:

Mic > pre > comp/gate > mixer

Excellent! Thanks..

Now it is Mic > Pre > Comp > Mixer.

I go from the mic to the pre with XLR...

What do I want to use to go from the Pre to the comp and the comp to the mixer?

Stick to XLR all the way through the chain or switch to TRS somewheres?

[Track Rat]

How about this
Mic> Mixer> Compressor patched to an insert. If you're using a mixer, it has mic preamps.

[scottboyher]

Originally Posted by Track Rat

How about this
Mic> Mixer> Compressor patched to an insert. If you're using a mixer, it has mic preamps.

The prob with that is the cheap mixer, it doesn't have inserts and the pre's are terrible.. It is a cheap Alesis Multimix thing...


I only record alone so it only has two XLR and two stereo line in's. So I am adding a Comp and a Pre between my two cheap condensers and the mixer .. I think?

[scottboyher]

Ok, I have to go Mic > Pre > Comp > Mixer because of the phantom power.



Now do you go down this chain with XLR or do you switch to a balanced TRS somewhere along the line?

[xstatic]

Stay XLR until your equipment forces you to go TRS. You want to go from the compressor to the Alesis through a line inout though so that may be where the switch to TRS happens. If you go in XLR to the Alesis you may be hitting the mic pre on the Alesis as opposed to the line input. That can still work, but probably won't be as clean and you may have a large gain mismatch. It all depends on how the Alesis treats line in's.

[scottboyher]

Originally Posted by xstatic

If you go in XLR to the Alesis you may be hitting the mic pre on the Alesis as opposed to the line input. That can still work, but probably won't be as clean and you may have a large gain mismatch.

Yep, never thought of that... Question answered.. Thanks!

[SonicAlbert]

Take a look at the Alesis signal flow schematics as well. It is quite possible that you are going through the preamps even when jacking into the line inputs.

[scottboyher]

Originally Posted by SonicAlbert

Take a look at the Alesis signal flow schematics as well. It is quite possible that you are going through the preamps even when jacking into the line inputs.

Yep, they are going through the pre's in XLR and TRS...

[SonicAlbert]

If the mixer has inserts you might be able to bypass the preamps by jacking into the inserts to the first click only. If the connector can hold the jack solidly enough this would work.