Connecting Confusion

StarMan

Member
I have just picked up an old Behringer Ultra Q PEQ2000 EQ MONO. I am wanting to connect this to my interface which is ESU1808. The Behringer only has one IN and one OUT on back panel obviously since its MONO but the ESU1808 has 6 INS (numbered 1 - 6) and 8 OUTS (numbered 9 - 16) on back panel. My problem is which of the INS/OUTS on back panel of ESU do I actually connect the TRS cables from the Behringer EQ??
 
It is difficult to answer this because I don't know what you want to achieve.

Did you get the EQ for a specific purpose? Or did you get it because it was there, and now you want to figure out a use for it?

It may be possible to connect it as part of an input chain so that you can apply EQ to something on the way in. That would work by connecting its output to one of the ESU's line inputs and connecting a line leve input to the input of the EQ.

It may be possible to connect it as an output device so that you can apply EQ between ESU and speakers. But being mono, you can only do it for one channel.

But frankly, I can't really see any benefit from it. You already have access to EQ within your DAW, and that is going to be more useful than that unit.
 
What gecko said. There are better eq plugins in your software. That eq might be useful in a tape based recording setup or a PA system, but it offers little or no benefit in a computer DAW setup. The mic inputs on your interface don't seem to have inserts so all you can do is put the eq between a line source and the interface loop from an output to an input to use it as an insert in the DAW (which would be completely pointless since plugins are better). There's no "correct" input or output on the interface. That's entirely up to you.
 
Hey gecko thanks for you reply.

To answer your question, I got it because 1) I wanting to learn EQ the old school way with knobs and 2) I want to use it so that when I listen back to a track I want to use EQ to EQ the track. I'm only using it for demos really, for full proper recordings I'm using plug-ins.

When you say 'liner level input' on ESU I'm assuming you mean the front panel inputs of the ESU? Or do you mea one of the back panel INS?



It is difficult to answer this because I don't know what you want to achieve.

Did you get the EQ for a specific purpose? Or did you get it because it was there, and now you want to figure out a use for it?

It may be possible to connect it as part of an input chain so that you can apply EQ to something on the way in. That would work by connecting its output to one of the ESU's line inputs and connecting a line leve input to the input of the EQ.

It may be possible to connect it as an output device so that you can apply EQ between ESU and speakers. But being mono, you can only do it for one channel.

But frankly, I can't really see any benefit from it. You already have access to EQ within your DAW, and that is going to be more useful than that unit.
 
If you have a recorded track on your DAW that you want to go through the EQ so that you can experiment, you will need to select an output channel of the ESU. As the main mix of the ESU appears to go through Channels 7 & 8, I'd pick any of 1 to 6 on the back. You would then connect the channel you pick to the input of the EQ.

To hear the results of experimentation, you need the EQ to go back into the computer, so you would connect the EQ's output to an input channel. For convenience, because they are at the back, I'd pick any of 9 to 16.

The DAW I use is Reaper, and in Reaper I can add an output channel and set it to prefade. That means you can turn its fader down so that you don't hear the recorded track as it is. But you then need to enable track monitoring on the channel you have chosen to be an input channel so that you can hear the adjustments you make to the EQ.
 
Thanks for you help both Gecko and BolderSoundGuy. That was great help.

Ok, seems I have some problem inside my Cubase.

So I used OUT 3 of my ESU into IN of EQ. Then I used IN 9 of my ESU into OUT of EQ. Then I've gone into my CUbase Audio Connections tab, added a new BUS and routed OUT 3 & 4 (I tired to do MONO but the tab keeps automatically going back to Stereo?) and IN 9 & 10. I then created a new audio track and enabled the monitor button. Yet can't seem to EQ the track so something doesn't seem right?

Here are links of screenshots to see if I've mistakenly done something unknowingly.

1)OUTS https://ibb.co/J21NB4v
2)INS https://ibb.co/9ZQ9Bvq
 
Out of output 3 of ESU into Input of EQ, then Output of EQ into Input 9 of ESU sounds good and the screen shots look ok.

The next step is to check whether that path works ok.

Firstly, eliminate the EQ has a potential problem.

Disconnect the EQ, then connect output 3 directly to input 9.

Play a track. This should go out of output 3, into input 9, so if you arm a track and record, you should be able to record the track and monitor it.

If you can do this, it means the routing is secure, If you can't, then you have to figure out something that I can't help with, because I don't have Cubase and I don't kow how it manages its routing.

If the routing works, then repatch the EQ back in and try again. Check that the EQ is powering up ok. Check that the EQ is not in bypass mode.
 
Why you're doing this is a mystery. The notion of not having knobs was a reason in the early 2000s, but the advantages of doing it in the box are huge. If you find a setting on the eq you like for a song, you're going to have to write down every setting so you can repeat it on reloading after trying a different song with a different setting? That's enough to drive you mad. Sure pulling a fader with your finger has a kind of tactile thing, but I really cannot imagine going back to real knobs, ever! Experimenting with software versions makes learning much, much more worthwhile and fast.
 
Knowing how to route things to an external processor and back isn't a bad thing. Learning eq on hardware "because it has knob" is pointless.
 
Don't forget to hit record on the incoming EQ's tracks to be able to put in the mix.
 
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