Sending signal to effects rack

[TascamJimi]

Hey folks, back again with another silly question.
I now have all 8 tracks ( sounds funny with 'only' 8 tracks nowadays ) recorded dry on my Tascam DP-02. I'd like to send them through my effects rack, basically a DBX166A > Alesis Midiverb2. Yes, I'm using 'ancient' gear but........ Anyway, the DBX is dual mono and cannot convert a mono in signal to stereo out. My question is, can I use the line outs of the DP-02 to go to the rack, then return the stereo signal ( from the Alesis ) back through the effects return ??? The other option is to just run the ( mono ? ) signal from the effects send into the DBX 166A then into the Alesis (for the stereo split) and back into the effects return . Hope this makes sense,,, it's only 7 am here and I'm hoping I'm explaining this clearly !! :O)

Jim

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Do you want to apply the effects to the whole mix or just individual tracks?

 

[TascamJimi]

@bouldersoundguy
At some point I might want to add to individual tracks, but I'm not sure you can do that w/o individual outs for each track ? I'm still ' learning' how to use this DP-02... ( I know, 20 years too late for this machine but it's new to me ! ).... Anyway.... right now I'm interested in running my entire mix through the effects . Again mostly to see and hear the process. I'm interested mostly in compressing my whole mix just to hear what it does as I've been following a lot of forums and it seems 50/50 on people compressing there entire mix vs. using a compressor while recording individual track. I purposely recorded all 8 tracks bone dry so I can really hear the difference when I start messing with effects.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly and for any advice coming my way.

Jim

 

[FrankD77]

You could use a powered splitter ?
I'm using a JHS for my guitar rig. Don't see a reason it would not work in your situation.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

If you use the mono effects send, any panning in your mix will be lost. The reverb will be stereo, but I don't think that's what you want. The idea of using a stereo splitter might work. So send main out to effects to splitter to return and monitors. You would not want the effects return to be coming back through the main out to avoid a feedback loop. I don't know if that's possible.

You could run the mix through the effects and capture the results on a computer. Or just transfer the mix to a computer and apply compression and reverb in the box.

Typically, compression is applied at multiple stages of production. It's not either on tracks or on the mix.

 

[FrankD77]

Sometimes even multiple stages of compression in one channel

 

[TascamJimi]

As always THANK YOU for your suggestions !! Looks like I have a few options to experiment with !! @bouldersoundguy , being 58, I'm kicking and screaming to stay away from computers. I know they make things so much easier, but I still like to work the old fashioned way. I know, masochistic, but it's just how I did it when I was younger. I'm trying to prove to myself that good , semi-professional recordings can still be made using very simple techniques. No cut and paste for me !! Play it again until you get it right !! LOL
Thanks again guys !! Appreciate your input as always !!
Jim

 

[FrankD77]

54 and learned it on analogue consoles and tape.
I love working in the box but only for routing.

I'm still using a x32 and a rack with FX gear
Somehow i need to tactile feel of a console. And old gear is super cheap and sounds awesome

 

[ecc83]

From my limited understanding folks usually "mix/balance" the multiple tracks, adding compression etc individually and then put a comp' on the final stereo mix bus as "glue"?

And! I don't want to be rude but, routing and transferring audio signals (with regard to levels, preserving S/NR, response, distortion etc) is something peeps should be learning on day one!

Dave.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Perhaps you have some other non-computer recording device you can use. I suspect looping through outboard effects and back to the DP-02 won't work, at least not in stereo.

 

[FrankD77]

@ecc83
It's weird
My first company was a recording studio
I learned to mix/master on a console and tape and 2-3 FX units.

When i switched to a daw after 17 years of no music i immediately started using busses and send the busses to my channels on the x32.

For example drum bus in logic can have a complete kit but they come together in a bus which is send to the x32. So i created 16 stereo busses and can control everything on the x32.

On the busses i have several send busses for external FX and on the Channels inserts.

I showed this to someone and he almost got a stroke. So difficult and complicated. but he did confess that with 24 tracks he already lost track

Somehow I'm still routing to busses and in the past this was 8/16 for tape. Now it's 32 which is the max of the x32. When it's setup it's logical, fast and saves a boatload on cpu power


Compression can be used in many different ways
I have a Behringer mx1000 which already colors my drums when it's just on. And it's awesome

But my symetrix i use on bass only compresses it doesn't change anything.

Add to that compressors that can work in bands and side/center and you can use them in parallel

There is no real rule I think. If it sounds good with 2 compressors congrats. If you need 4 thank you for plugins

 

[ecc83]

@ecc83
It's weird
My first company was a recording studio
I learned to mix/master on a console and tape and 2-3 FX units.

When i switched to a daw after 17 years of no music i immediately started using busses and send the busses to my channels on the x32.

For example drum bus in logic can have a complete kit but they come together in a bus which is send to the x32. So i created 16 stereo busses and can control everything on the x32.

On the busses i have several send busses for external FX and on the Channels inserts.

I showed this to someone and he almost got a stroke. So difficult and complicated. but he did confess that with 24 tracks he already lost track

Somehow I'm still routing to busses and in the past this was 8/16 for tape. Now it's 32 which is the max of the x32. When it's setup it's logical, fast and saves a boatload on cpu power


Compression can be used in many different ways
I have a Behringer mx1000 which already colors my drums when it's just on. And it's awesome

But my symetrix i use on bass only compresses it doesn't change anything.

Add to that compressors that can work in bands and side/center and you can use them in parallel

There is no real rule I think. If it sounds good with 2 compressors congrats. If you need 4 thank you for plugins

Er, right! I was merely referring to the electrical processes of transferring signals. Obviously one can apply effects any way it takes one's fancy.

As I said "no offense".

Dave.

 

[FrankD77]

Er, right! I was merely referring to the electrical processes of transferring signals. Obviously one can apply effects any way it takes one's fancy.

As I said "no offense".

Dave.

Sorry if it came over wrong
It was just meant as a "funny" story about how we think differently depending on what we used and learned "it" on.

The power in sites like this is i think seeing how everyone solves the same things totally different. Didn't mean to go too far off topic.