Running Firepod into Behringer T1952 compressor help

[woundedknee]

Hello all,
New on the forums here. I have a firepod that I have been using for about two years and have just recently purchased the Behringer T1952 and I want to be able to use it when I record (of course). It seems that when I run it, the singal comes through to the T1952 but does little after that. There is no noticiable difference, with any number of turned dials, in the sound that the firedpod sends to my mac. So, I know the signal is going to the compressor, I just dont think it's getting back to the firepod then through the firewire. As far as I know, the signal path is correct but the results say otherwise. If anyone has a diagram or anything that could help me I would really appreciate it. I've looked around the net for help but haven't found much. Thank you.

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by woundedknee

Hello all,
New on the forums here. I have a firepod that I have been using for about two years and have just recently purchased the Behringer T1952 and I want to be able to use it when I record (of course). It seems that when I run it, the singal comes through to the T1952 but does little after that. There is no noticiable difference, with any number of turned dials, in the sound that the firedpod sends to my mac. So, I know the signal is going to the compressor, I just dont think it's getting back to the firepod then through the firewire. As far as I know, the signal path is correct but the results say otherwise. If anyone has a diagram or anything that could help me I would really appreciate it. I've looked around the net for help but haven't found much. Thank you.

How are you hooking it up? Are you using the correct cables?

http://www.presonus.com/media/manuals/fpmanual.pdf

[woundedknee]

Thanks for the file. As far as I can tell, I'm using the right inputs and outputs but I am just using simple patch cables to get the job done. Is there a different or better cable I should be using? Please forgive this next question, as im just recording vocals and stringed instruments right now (I plan to do drums later) will the compressor make a difference in the sound? Even the slightest. The t1952 has like a "warmth" thing on it and I know it changes the sound (I used it when it wasnt hooked up to my firepod) but still it doesnt get sent back to the firepod.

[Mish]

Originally Posted by woundedknee

Thanks for the file. As far as I can tell, I'm using the right inputs and outputs but I am just using simple patch cables to get the job done. Is there a different or better cable I should be using? Please forgive this next question, as im just recording vocals and stringed instruments right now (I plan to do drums later) will the compressor make a difference in the sound? Even the slightest. The t1952 has like a "warmth" thing on it and I know it changes the sound (I used it when it wasnt hooked up to my firepod) but still it doesnt get sent back to the firepod.

Lol you got a compressor without even knowing if it would make a difference to the sound?

Not taking a piss but, do you know what compressor is used for?

[guitar zero]

Originally Posted by woundedknee

Hello all,
New on the forums here. I have a firepod that I have been using for about two years and have just recently purchased the Behringer T1952 and I want to be able to use it when I record (of course). It seems that when I run it, the singal comes through to the T1952 but does little after that. There is no noticiable difference, with any number of turned dials, in the sound that the firedpod sends to my mac. So, I know the signal is going to the compressor, I just dont think it's getting back to the firepod then through the firewire. As far as I know, the signal path is correct but the results say otherwise. If anyone has a diagram or anything that could help me I would really appreciate it. I've looked around the net for help but haven't found much. Thank you.

Q: Are you running your signal through a pre-amp before it goes to your compressor?
A: If not, it's doing nothing.

[Mish]

Originally Posted by guitar zero

Q: Are you running your signal through a pre-amp before it goes to your compressor?
A: If not, it's doing nothing.

Not necessarily. I use my compressor as the first unit in my guitar's chain, party because of the tip in a home-recording manual. But it's true when applied to vocals. There'd be nothing to compress if there's hardly any singnal coming thru.

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by woundedknee

Thanks for the file. As far as I can tell, I'm using the right inputs and outputs but I am just using simple patch cables to get the job done. Is there a different or better cable I should be using? Please forgive this next question, as im just recording vocals and stringed instruments right now (I plan to do drums later) will the compressor make a difference in the sound? Even the slightest. The t1952 has like a "warmth" thing on it and I know it changes the sound (I used it when it wasnt hooked up to my firepod) but still it doesnt get sent back to the firepod.

I didnt check the manual, but I imagine the preamp outs go to the compressor's inputs, and the compressor's outputs go to the line inputs, all using standard 1/4" TS instrument cables.

A compressor makes quiet things louder, and loud things quieter. Compressor settings include a threshold, anything under that threshold is untouched. What guitar zero is saying is that if your mic isn't going thru a preamp, then it's SOOOO quiet that it'll never make it past the threshold.

You ARE plugging the mic into the xlr jack on the front of the firepod right? And you have enough gain on the signal to bring it up to a good working level?

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by Mish

Not necessarily. I use my compressor as the first unit in my guitar's chain, party because of the tip in a home-recording manual. But it's true when applied to vocals. There'd be nothing to compress if there's hardly any singnal coming thru.

You plug your guitar directly into a compressor? I'm suprised a guitar signal is significantly stronger than a mic's! What kind of compressor do you have?

[Mish]

Originally Posted by suprstar

You plug your guitar directly into a compressor? I'm suprised a guitar signal is significantly stronger than a mic's! What kind of compressor do you have?

I actually don't know if guitar's signal is stronger than a mic's! But I've read Bill Gibson's Home Recording Course where he says that a guitar should go directly into compressor, before stomp-boxes or pre's, and that's the way I originally connected it. I did try to run a signal into compressor after effect pedals, but the results were obviously worse so I changed it back.

I have rack-mounted Behringer Composer Pro MDX2600. Really neat toy, I especially like it's Gate/Expander.

[woundedknee]

Thanks for the feedback. Im only recording vocals and guitar right now all miced and, yes, it is through the firepod's xlr input. The inputs all have their own preamps and the compressor is run off of the preamp outputs for channels one and two. These are the only two channels I'm trying to get the compression with. I've compressed drums before in a studio at my college, the same studio where i was given this compressor, but never acoustics and that's where I'm having the problem. The signal is very hot going in so there is plenty of signal to work with, it just doesn't want to come out. Im beginning to think either the outputs on the compressor are bunk or the rear inputs in the firepod are bad and I'm simply hearing a bypassed signal. I appreciate your help here, still lost. The cables are standard 1/4 inch patch cables.

[Mish]

Okay, maybe it's just that it's 1:11AM over here and I'm slow at comprehending, but..

Can you explain how your signal path works?
You connect your mike into your firepod XLR (say channel 1), and then you use quarter inch preamp output that you run into the compressor.

Then you connect your compressor's output into firepod's line input of a different channel?

[JTC111]

Originally Posted by woundedknee

Thanks for the file. As far as I can tell, I'm using the right inputs and outputs but I am just using simple patch cables to get the job done.

I looked at the online manual and that unit requires balanced cables. If you're using TS instead of TRS, that's your first mistake.

[Slowjett]

Dont use channel 1 or 2 for effect sends/returns. Plug your mic or guitar into Chan 3 and up. The inserts on the back do something screwy and dont work right when you use the preamps on chan 1 and 2. Try it on channel 3-8. Report back.

-Josh

[woundedknee]

The signal path goes mic into xlr (channel 1) on firepod, then out the 1/4 inch from the preamp output (c1) into the compressor's audio in (c1) then from the compressor's audio out (c1) to the firepod's line input (c1). So the path only follows one channel.

There might be the problem I think. I'm not sure if they are balanced cables. I bought them a while ago for a different purpose (for pedal boards). Ill try and grab some this weekend when I travel into town and I'll let you know.

Also, I will try the other tip of running through inputs 3 through 8 this evening when I get off work and let you know if that helps. I've tried it before but, I'm willing to try anything more than twice.
Thanks everyone.

[Mish]

Originally Posted by Slowjett

Dont use channel 1 or 2 for effect sends/returns. Plug your mic or guitar into Chan 3 and up. The inserts on the back do something screwy and dont work right when you use the preamps on chan 1 and 2. Try it on channel 3-8. Report back.

-Josh

If he's not using pre's, then he'd have nothing to compress (as I understand he's using a mike for an acoustic guitar as well).

"The signal path goes mic into xlr (channel 1) on firepod, then out the 1/4 inch from the preamp output (c1) into the compressor's audio in (c1) then from the compressor's audio out (c1) to the firepod's line input (c1). So the path only follows one channel."

IMO there's a mistake right there. Technically you're using one channel for two different things, and your firepod probably just blocks the return signal. It's like you have a mixer, plug mike into channel one, send the signal into effects bus and then return into the same channel. How the unit is supposed to know which signal goes to the main out?

Send your firepod's channel 1 into compressor, and then send compressor's out into a different channel on the pod. Your uncompressed sound would be on channel 1, the compressed one on the other.

[TelePaul]

Doesn't the Pod have FX sends?

[Mish]

Doesn't seem so.

[Slowjett]

The outputs/inputs on the back act as effect sends/returns for that channel, but not on Channel 1 & 2.

Check the manual. Page 18 I believe.

[isfahani]

I'm thinking about getting one of these, do they sound good? I've read reviews that are on both sides of the fence...

Now it would seem to me that the most logical thing for the OP to do would to be using channels 3 (or up) and then using a TRS to 1/4in L&R cable out of the back to run the comp as an insert effect.

[woundedknee]

The problem with running the signal out of 3 - 8 and not 1 and 2 is that there is sends but no returns and the firepod doesnt recognize those returns if you ran out from 3 and back into 1 or 2. But, my problem has been solved. Turns out it was simply a case of balanced TRS cables. Looking through the manual, I saw that both units said they can accomodate TS cables and compensate for them but they still didnt work. So, over the weekend, I ran out and got some TRS patch cables, and sure enough, it works like a dream. Thanks for all your help with this guys. It is much appreciated. As for the firepod sounding good, I've been using it for about 2 years and I think it sounds great. I do wish it had sends and returns for every channel however.
Again, thank you.