Advice on Configuring an analog studio mixer+processors

[new phase]

Greets all ,

First I´d like to say that I´ve searched these forums a number of times for help in the past and this is the most straight up reliable place I´ve found for recording and audio processing , hence I´m posting my question here as I need help setting up these units properly,..

The mixer is a Crest XR20 ..
Its got insert option on every channel, aux and bus!! And carries:

*6aux ......... 1 stereo with pan + 4 mono aux 3-6
*5 bus/groups........ 1&2 3&4 and mono bus
Group 1-4 all have *outs, *inserts and *inputs ¼“ jacks

Main stereo and Mono have
*XLR out
*jacks inserts
*XLR inputs

I have stereo rca and/or jack input for tape and line <IN

The two other outputs I have go directly like this:
*Monitor out goes to my monitors
*Alt out goes to my sampler

Now here´s the outboard:

*Ensoniq DP4 4xFX
4ins/4outs (jacks)

*Drawner DL441 quad compressor
4in/4out (XLR)

*DBX 166A 2 channel compressor
2in/2out(jacks or XLR) +2side-chain

*Rane DC 24 dynamic controller/crossover
2in/2out( ¼“ jacks or XLR) + 2x side-chain input it can also be configured as a mono device

*Akai MFC42 analog filter phaser
3in(stereo +mono/or 2x mono) 2out (¼“ jacks or rca as outs)

*Mono analog filter/synth
1x jack in and goes directly into a channel strip

I don't have a patch-bay and the Crest is quite versatile with an army of ins and inserts so I´m hoping I can simply set it up in a satisfactory configuration without the use of a patch-bay ..

I could configure some of the side chaining directly from my samplers outs and I could save channels by only taking the stereo out of the DP and using the Rane as a mono unit and by putting two of the drawner channels on my main outs (bad idea?)....

but I´d rather hear some more expert advice on clever insert combination as solutions!

any smart advice is appreciated!
THX!

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Well, unless you want to be climbing to the back of your mixer all the time, I'd set up a patch bay as the central manifold for your setup. You can do without one, but every time you want to switch around your signal path (like moving the compressor to a different channel insert, for example), you'd have to get to the back and change things there.

G.

 

[new phase]

Hey Glen, thanks for the fast reply!

I know a patch bay is the most logical(and flexible) answer, but I seam to be so close to be fine without one, my channels are pretty much hardwired and I can easily switch what sound goes to what channel though the outputs of my samplers and synths (what my studio is mostly made of)...

so I don't need to switch any inputs directly on channels ..thus I´d be getting a patch-bay only for routing few channels of compression, seeing that 4x AUX would go directly into the DP4 and the stereo ins on the MFC can be in two channel inserts for my MPC (seeing its mostly used on the MPC)

that does not leave that much left and I was really hoping I could pull it off with some kind of combo with 5 groups and 2 more AUX´s ..

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Well, it's your call, of course. I'm just saying that no matter how versatile the mixer - and yours is plenty versatile - there will commonly be situations where whatever your "pre-wired" configuration, you're going to want to change it. Just wanting to move your compressor from insert 3 to insert 4, just for one example.

Now, you don't need patch panel to do that, of course; you can do that all right on the back of the mixer. But it sure is a lot easier, visually informative, easier on the mixer, and more professional-appearing to a client to not to have to climb over the top of the mixer or under the back of the desk and fumble around for the right TRS jack every time you want to do that.

And it's not that expensive. You can get a bay of 24 ins and outs for US$90 brand new, and a lot less used. Add a couple of small snakes for the wiring, and you're cooking with gas. Compared with the price tag for the rest of your setup, that would be a very small percentage add on that would give you the full potential of your gear with the easiest of use.

Just one IMHO.

G.

 

[new phase]

I really did not want to get a patch bay ... but dam you make too much sense..

I was though under the assumption that I would mostly drive my compressors on the buses rather than inserts on individual channels,

it seams the Rane can bring out some incredible bass and would be dedicated as a bass buss (bass kicks low toms etc) and perhaps use one of the drawner channels as an insert on that bus as it seams like if I send it to both units I always get bigger/phatter results (?) rather than sending it just one of the units...thus I was hoping just to set up some super compressor combos on the busses..

that might just be a whole other topic though ... you´ll have to excuse my ignorance but I´m a sound designer not an engineer and I have a lot to learn on the mixing front and most of the gear I´ve got are bargains I´ve picked up in the last 4years, this is actually the first time I set everything up in any serious sense

thanks for the support and your time ..

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

I was though under the assumption that I would mostly drive my compressors on the buses rather than inserts on individual channels
...
I´m a sound designer not an engineer

While you *could* bus everything, bussing something like a compressor is slightly different than putting it on an insert, kind of complicating the signal path more than is necessary. It's a bit longer way of skinning the same cat.

What worried me about using up auxs for that kind of thing was how that took away the possibility of their use for things like headphone/cue mix sends. But if you're doing mostly sound design and not so much band tracking, that may not be a concern for you.

It's just kind of a shame (IMHO) to have all those inset points and not take advantage of them. Again, is it necessary to do things that way? No. But, unless budget is a problem, which is understandable, I can't think of a good reason other than that not to take full advantage of all the options your gear provides as far as setup for any given project.

G.

 

[new phase]

Yhea I guess I should have stated it upfront, that I´ll mostly be using the compressors in parallel processing, using them as effects to boost/pump rather than to control dynamics (I hardly have to as most of my stuff is sample or synth based, I will though get a musician in once in a while but 95% of the time its electronic production so I don´t need to use the aux to drive headphone mixes).. yes I´m wasting some deluxe features on this great desk I know.. I bought it mainly because of the sound vs price ratio...

I do think I´ve found my ideal setup configuration..

BUS
DBX and Rane on groups 1&2 and 3&4

Mono bus to the MFC42 filter-bank mono in

AUX
1-4 to my DP4
AUX 5 to my TB303 in (yes its got a input!!yheee!
AUX 6 side chain on the Rane

my MFC42 filter bank on two inserts channels for my MPC

and the drawner is on 4 inserts (two for dedicated analog filters that can get a bit crazy when squealing, one for the TB ... and the third is not yet decided..

I still have a lot to learn here .. I read talk of glue bussing and stuff I never though of .. perhaps not that important for my line of work .. but things on the crest are puzzling to me like having inputs on the master channels (?) and all my auxes have inserts .. the possibilities are quite vast.. and way over my head at this stage ... guess I´ll be posting few more newby threads in here..

Anyway again thanks for your helpfull advice!