Connections - Im lost

K

ksmalk08

New member
OK - So Im getting a presonus firebox that has balanced outputs - and alesis M1 mkII active monitors that have balanced inputs. Now I know I can just go TRS to XLR between these two but the problem is I want to include my Alesis 3630 compressor and my Alesis Midiverb 4 in this chain. How can I do that while maintaining a balanced signal to the monitors? Can I output from the presonus aux outputs then back into and back out again from the main outputs? How can I fit it all together?

-Kurt - College radio tech director.
 
Well, you can't really. The Midiverb IV doesn't have balanced inputs or outputs.

You could use inserts on the channels, but I don't know if you have any on a Firebox. Don't really know what that is, but it sounds digital and doesn't sound like a console to me. Even if you had inserts, then you are recording wet, and you don't really want to do that. Inserts are used mostly for dynamics processing such as limiters and compressors.

Maybe some jüngen here can tell you what this old fart doen't know about the new digital stuff.
 
ksmalk08 said:
OK - So Im getting a presonus firebox that has balanced outputs - and alesis M1 mkII active monitors that have balanced inputs. Now I know I can just go TRS to XLR between these two but the problem is I want to include my Alesis 3630 compressor and my Alesis Midiverb 4 in this chain. How can I do that while maintaining a balanced signal to the monitors? Can I output from the presonus aux outputs then back into and back out again from the main outputs? How can I fit it all together?

-Kurt - College radio tech director.
Click to expand...

The short answer is you can't. The longer answer is you can kind of jury-rig it along the lines you describe . . . but you would need the compressor to replace the source signal, and you may not be able to do this.

More to the point, though, is why you would want to.

One reason is possibly because you have the compressor and reverb and you want to use them.

If you are recording stuff to computer, then keeping the signal path as short and as clean as possible is the way to go. You can add these after you've recorded material (with the benefit of being able to change your mind about it later). Most recording programs have reasonable reverb and compressor plug-ins.
 
Yes the short answer IS that I have them and want to use them. I don't do much of any recording its just playback. Could I go from the Presonus to the compressor to midiverb then to a mixer then back to balanced outs to my monitors? Will a Mackie VLZ compact mixer give me balanced outs even if I only have unbalanced inputs from the midiverb/compressor?
 
and yes Im aware I can buy a DI box - but if the input into the DI box is unbalanced and contains interference its not going to take that out. Id rather buy a compact mixer that I can use for mobile gigs instead of a DI box that doesn't have a whole lot of use.
 
Run the whole chain into the insert on the Mackie. I can't see any other way of getting balanced in and out with the equipment you have.
 
But the Mackie will give me a balanced out to the monitors? Even with an unbalanced in? (Ill be using very short runs for the unbalanced (1.5ft) at 97.5% shielding).
 
ksmalk08 said:
But the Mackie will give me a balanced out to the monitors? Even with an unbalanced in? (Ill be using very short runs for the unbalanced (1.5ft) at 97.5% shielding).
Click to expand...

OK, let me unconfuse myself here.

You have balanced in's on the Mackie, right? You have balanced out's as well, correct? (If not, then I'm not at all sure)
 
the only balanced outs im sure i have is that from the Presonus. The compressor and midiverb have unbalanced outs. the mixer im not sure. Bottom line all i want to do is be able to use all the the equipment i have at my disposal at the same time. I know i can go from presonus to monitors no problem but why not add the compressor and effects if i have them
 
well technically i don't have anything on the mackie because i don't own it yet - but i could buy it if it allows me to run balanced audio to my monitors. and yes it would have inputs (unbalanced ones coming from the compressor) im just not sure if it would translate that into a balanced out to my monitors.
 
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