US-122 Effect Sends?

[guttapercha]

The instruction manual makes no mention of how to use the effect send jacks on the front of the unit. Are they even sends? Let's say I wanted to add an outboard compressor. Anyone have a clue?

Thanks,

JD

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by guttapercha

The instruction manual makes no mention of how to use the effect send jacks on the front of the unit. Are they even sends? Let's say I wanted to add an outboard compressor. Anyone have a clue?

Thanks,

JD

They are inserts. You need an insert cable to run an effects loop. So, yes, you can add an outboard compressor.

[guttapercha]

So what then is the difference between going: mic -> comp -> regular input
versus doing that? I don't understand where in the signal chain the effects are going basically if you use those. Also, it seems that if you want to add effects to something mic'd then you lose the ablilty to use the XLR inputs on the US-122. Did I totally miss the boat on this somewhere?

JD

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by guttapercha

So what then is the difference between going: mic -> comp -> regular input
versus doing that? I don't understand where in the signal chain the effects are going basically if you use those. Also, it seems that if you want to add effects to something mic'd then you lose the ablilty to use the XLR inputs on the US-122. Did I totally miss the boat on this somewhere?

JD

Running a mic directly into the compressor won't work very well, because the signal isn't strong enough for the compressor to do anything (and if it's a condenser mic, it won't work at all, b/c the compressor won't supply phantom power). So, you plug the mic into the Tascam, the signal gets bumped up to "line level" and, then sent out on the "tip" of the insert cable to the input of your compressor. The signal returns on the "ring" of the insert cable back to the Tascam. Here's what an insert cable looks like, in case you aren't familiar with them:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/...se_pid/336120/

[guttapercha]

That explains everything. I figured that it was a regular 1/4" mono plug, so nothing made any sense. Now I see that it's actually a 1/4" stereo plug and that the send and return are really going through the same cable. Very very cool. Muchas gracias!


JD