connecting a hardware compressor

[joeym]

Hey guys,

I've bought myself a dbx 266XL compressor. I'm gonna be using it it to pre-compress lightly before the sound goes in the box. Should I connect it to my hardware mixer on a send or should I hang it between the source (mic, bass whatever...) and the channel input on the mixer?

I'd appreciate some advice, since I've never used hardware before...

Cheers
Joe

[suprstar]

I'd run it as an insert if your mixer has em. You need the preamp to boost the signal before it goes into the compressor. The XLR jacks are not preamps,the mic signal will be way too quiet for the compressor, there'll be nothing to compress as far as the dbx is concerned.. The insert takes the signal immediately after the preamp/gain, before the fader/eq/fx, so it'll always get a consistent signal no matter what you do on the channel strip.

If your mixer does not have inserts, there's other ways to do it, like running it off the fx send/receive, but you have to make sure you aren't using it for more than one channel then, or else you'll be compressing the sum of all signals sent to it, which is prolly not what you want..

[Massive Master]

First - I'd highly suggest leaving it out. Second - If you're going to use a compressor on the input, I'd use something "more substantial" (for lack of a better term) and then I'd *still* leave it out. Third -- Keep a very, VERY close eye on your preamp levels... Most (I shouldn't just assume "most" but it seems to be the case) people who talk of compressing the input stage are already overdriving their input chain by tracking too hot. Adding a compressor makes it even easier to overdrive the preamp and make everything sound horrible later.

90% of the time, just back off on the input and take care of the dynamics later. Any reasonable plug is going to sonically outperform the 266. And the added headroom at the input stage is priceless.

[SonicAlbert]

I agree 100% with MassiveMaster. Well, almost 100%, I do think that even a compressor like the 266 will have a coloration and dynamics action not attainable with a plugin. It depends on the tone you want, of course.

But yes, first set your levels so that you are not overdriving your input without needing a compressor. That said, a compressor is often needed with bass or voice because the dynamic range can be wide.

[Treeline]

Yep. It should be added fairly late in the signal path, if at all. My suggestion is that if you use a compressor, use it very gently. Need more compression? Use multiple compressors, again gently. Squash a signal and it'll never recover.

I use compressors a lot in live sound, so my needs are more for a limiter to help control runaway signal in a funky acoustic space. The one that saves my butt on a regular basis is located at the very last place in the signal line before the speaker amps and clamps down only on peaks that would trigger feedback.

Again - A gentle touch works.

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by Treeline

Yep. It should be added fairly late in the signal path, if at all.

I started a thread about this a while back, Massive Master said

"If there's a general rule of thumb, you want to handle corrective processes first (core EQ, sibilance & plosives, noise, etc.), dynamics next, modulation next, spacial enhancement last."

which makes sense if you think about it. If you use heavy fx that'd certainly change the way a compressor would act on it later, and probably not in a way you'd want or expect.. If you smooth out your signal first, you'll have fx applies to an even signal. If you do it later, fx that make the signal louder or softer will be evened out. If you want the fx evened out, it's prolly better to change the fx parameters than run it thru a compressor after the fact.

http://homerecording.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=261985

[joeym]

Hey guys,

thanx for all your valid advice.
Just to put put your minds at rest, I shall be using it very, very gently and only on bass and vocals. Also, I never track hot either on the tracks in the mixer or the ones in the DAW. I always leave enough headroom for the final mix.

This is gonna be a learning process for me and i don't expect it to work immediately, but if it doesn't give me what I want, it goes....

Thanx again!
Joe