External compressor with PC - how to connect?

M

musicdavid

Member
I want to use an external compressor unit during the mixing of recordings made on a PC (with Cubase).

How do I go about connecting it? What is the chain from which inputs/outputs on the PC?

(I haven’t actually got a unit yet.)
 
My best advice is to skip the outboard gear and use plug-ins. Yes, you can connect an external compressor (or EQ or other device) to one track of a DAW. But it's a nuisance, and you lose the ability to recall a mix exactly later, and IMO there's no sonic advantage.

--Ethan
 
And you can only use hardware effects with a DAW that will bounce/export/render in real time. Even Pro Tools is finally going to be able to bounce as fast as it can process the data starting with PT11. I'm so sick of waiting for PT to bounce in real time that I'm happy to give up external hardware effects.

Besides that and Ethan's point about it being a nuisance, you have to spend quite a bit on hardware to make it sonically worthwhile over a plugin. And you only get the one piece of gear while you can use a plugin on as many tracks as your computer can handle. At any reasonable budget level plugins are the way better deal.
 
Oh, and you need a proper audio interface with more that two channels of output. Your monitors will need to use one pair of output channels so you need extras to use your hardware effect and be able to hear what it's doing.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Why so?
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Well, you can play the track and record back to another track, but then you're stuck with that setting and would have to play the whole thing again in real time to make a change. Generally when you bounce/export/render at full processing speed there's no audio output, and if there was it would be running at high speed altering the interaction between a compressor and the audio.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Well, you can play the track and record back to another track, but then you're stuck with that setting and would have to play the whole thing again in real time to make a change.
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Yeah, ok.
How is real time bounce any different though, and where is the compressors output being recorded while you're real time bouncing?

I'm not having a go; I genuinely don't follow.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Yeah, ok.
How is real time bounce any different though, and where is the compressors output being recorded while you're real time bouncing?

I'm not having a go; I genuinely don't follow.
Click to expand...

Either way real time takes the whole length of the song, so they're not different in that way.

When I bounce/export/render a mix it just goes to a file. I don't bounce back into the project.

If you want to be able to bounce the mix at full processing speed then you need to bounce to track anything with hardware effects. If you need to keep open the option of tweaking the compressor at any point then you have to accept real time bounce to file. If you don't want to deal with real time bouncing (of a track to another track or of the whole mix) then don't use hardware compressors or Pro Tools (up to PT10).
 
Sorry man, I still don't get what you're saying.

You output whatever you want to a comp and return it to a new track in real time.
How is bouncing involved?
Even if you do apply your hardware during a real time bounce, you'd still have to do it again in real time if you're not happy.

I'm not being awkward with you, BSG. I just figure I know a bit about this, and If I don't understand your point the OP might not either.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Sorry man, I still don't get what you're saying.

You output whatever you want to a comp and return it to a new track in real time.
How is bouncing involved?

Even if you do apply your hardware during a real time bounce, you'd still have to do it again in real time if you're not happy.

I'm not being awkward with you, BSG. I just figure I know a bit about this, and If I don't understand your point the OP might not either.
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Basically I'm just saying that using hardware effects defeats the advantage of being able to export a mix at full processing speed. One way or another you have to sit through one full pass just to get the compressor recorded (however it's done).

What DAWs are you familiar with? Pro Tools has been stuck with real time bouncing until PT11 but many DAWs can export a mix to a file faster than that so you don't have to wait the full play time.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Basically I'm just saying that using hardware effects defeats the advantage of being able to export a mix at full processing speed. One way or another you have to sit through one full pass just to get the compressor recorded (however it's done).
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Ah, fair enough. I thought there was more going on than that.

Cheers. :)
 
I understand the disadvantages of not being able to have the effect settings 'saved' as you could with plug-ins. I'm still interested in how a set-up could be achieved using hardware, though...

I have a very basic DAW studio, with only a stereo output. However, couldn't I get around that by plugging the output (speaker) channels into the effect's input, sending the effect output to the DAW's line-in and listening to the result with headphones?

Then, I simply record a new track of the music which would have the effect on it (in real time, which I'm ok with - an advantage, in fact, as it does allow you to monitor and adjust the effect).
 
musicdavid said:
I have a very basic DAW studio, with only a stereo output. However, couldn't I get around that by plugging the output (speaker) channels into the effect's input, sending the effect output to the DAW's line-in and listening to the result with headphones?

Then, I simply record a new track of the music which would have the effect on it (in real time, which I'm ok with - an advantage, in fact, as it does allow you to monitor and adjust the effect).
Click to expand...

You'd need separate outputs:
Think about it. You need to send the master to the main outs for compression. It's also going to go to the headphones.
Now, to hear the effect you need to send your new input track to the headphones and, by default, to the master.

The new effected track is going to create a feedback loop now.
You'd need to have your main mix going to 1+2 while you monitor the return on 3+4, for example.

You could send your mix to the compressor and temporarily monitor directly from the comp. (compressor line outputs straight into speakers/speaker amp).
Once you've got a sound you like rig the compressor up to your DAW and mute the new track while it records down.

I'm with Ethan though; I really wouldn't bother.
 
I don't think it's purely a question of "better".......it's mostly that from hands-on observations, analog hardware can sound *different* from digital....and that becomes obvious when comparing some hardware directly to its software version.
Sometimes the two come pretty close...but many folks can hear the differences.

Then there's the whole thing about real gear that you can touch VS software that you mouse-click.
For a lot of folks, the hardware is still king, 'cuz if it wasn't, the majority of commercials studios wouldn't still be using it *even though they also have all the software plugs they could ever want at their disposal*.
It's mainly on the home-rec front that the favor leans heavily toward software...and that is mostly a budget-forced choice. Given a wide open buget...I can bet that even most home-rec folks would end up with a studio full of hardware.

I mean...we're talking about audio *gear*. To me, that's usually 3-dimensional stuff I can see, touch....it has buttons, knobs faders...etc.
Sure...there's great digital software, but it's not always an apples to apples comparison with analog hardware....and I still feel that anything in a computer is ultimately "vaporware"....but I know my guitar amps and rack *gear* will still be there. ;)
 
miroslav said:
Sure...there's great digital software, but it's not always an apples to apples comparison with analog hardware....and I still feel that anything in a computer is ultimately "vaporware"....but I know my guitar amps and rack *gear* will still be there. ;)
Click to expand...

and they work for live work too where plug in and DAW latency may be impractical or for where you don't want to use a computer at all
 
Hi , You can use a compressor very easily if your interface has an insert point on it but sadly not many do these days , if your hardware has an insert on it ( Alesis , older m-audio and so on ) it will be on the back marked insert !!

If you have a compressor and an insert point I would suggest trying it so that you know what it's like and what it could be used for.

However if you don't have an insert it will be very very tricky to put a comp in the signal chain. Likewise with a comp , if you haven't got one I would advise not even bothering , just record your source well and get the signal levels nice and balanced then compress afterwards ( Using a plug-in ) to gently smooth anything out that might have been recorded if the singer or player gets a little too enthusiastic during tracking.

Bear in mind also that to get a hardware compressor anywhere near as good as a decent plug in one you will have to spend big.........real big !!!

Hope that helps
 
jpb123 said:
Hi , You can use a compressor very easily if your interface has an insert point on it but sadly not many do these days , if your hardware has an insert on it ( Alesis , older m-audio and so on ) it will be on the back marked insert !!

...

Hope that helps
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The OP wants to use a hardware compressor during mixdown. An insert on the interface won't help with that.
 
I to am trying too connect the L & R outputs from behind my M - Audio preamp interface into the L & R inputs of my 1400 MDX Compressor so I can turn the gain up to my completed work. Record to tape and play it back and record it back on the computer so I have that full tape sound.
 
I have never encountered an interface with inserts.

The best way to do it is set up a hardware insert in your DAW. OP, what DAW are you using and what interface are you using?

Cheers :)
 
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