Attaching outboard compressor balanced/unblanced

  • Thread starter Thread starter nagol5178
  • Start date Start date
N

nagol5178

New member
I realize there are a lot of topics on this. But there is something confusing me about this situation. If my outboard compressor only has TRS Balanced and XLR balanced inputs and outputs, then how do I connect it to my M-Audio fast track pro?

I have read on here that you would get a Y cable, which is a TRS on one side that goes into insert 1, and then plug the TS unbalanced cables into the compressor. But since the compressor is balanced, would I still be able to do this?

This is my first time installing outboard gear. As I am building my first studio. Is there another method I should use or does the Y cable into insert one still apply even if these are balanced inputs and outputs and the Y cables are not on one side?

Thanks in advance for your help.
 
You connect using an insert cable plugged into the insert plug in the back of the M-Audio. An insert cable is shielded and has a TRS jack on one end and 2 x TS jacks on the other. One of the 2 TS jacks is connected to the TS of the single TRS jack, and the other TS jack is connected to the RS of the TRS jack. TRS= Tip ring sleeve, TS= Tip Sleeve. Short name is Stereo Jack to left and right mono jacks lead.

Don't worry about it being unbalanced, when you plug an unbalanced jack into a balanced socket it just becomes unbalanced, over the short distance of the wiring you have it won't cause any problems.

Cheers
Alan.
 
Thanks!

Okay, so with the fast track pro it has two inserts. This means I can have two outboard gears right? Compressor into insert one and I could do something else into insert two? The compressor is two channel compressor but I will only need to use one channel in my DAW right? Even if it's on a stereo track? I plan on using it on the mastering track and sometimes I pay use it after my tube pre directly in for some vocals. I'd rather use it like I plug in so I'm not stuck if I mess up and can change it around.

I could use the first channel as a plug in on the channel strip and the second channel of the compressor as a direct input if I wanted right? I'll be going to get my Y cable's today!
 
(A) Keep in mind, as mentioned, these aren't "Y" cables -- If you go in and ask for "Y" cables, you're going to come out with something completely different from an INSERT cable (which is what you actually want).

(B) Learn how to route everything so you aren't actually recording through the compressor. Add it later - in the context of the mix - where you can actually hear what it's doing. There's no "undo" on hardware...
 
Yes, I know it's a TRS to dual TS. I've already learned how to do this as far as inserting it in a channel strip and not recording through it. I practiced doing this and learned doing it another way. Which was using the inputs of the interface and a combination of different cables since I didn't have a Y cable. I got the device going into the interface, and the out of the interface and made a loop. Although it wasn't the proper way, so it could cause noise through the pre amps, and I had to use multiple adapters to do it. I use Logic Pro 9 so I had to learn how to select the in's and out's in the channel strip. I imagine the inserts will start showing up once I get the Y cable.
 
I have now went and bought a Saffire pro 40 for more inputs. I hear that putting outboard gear on this thing can be tricky. I tried it last night with no luck for it to be like I wanted it to be. Although I didn't use the Y cable which I will be trying today because of the way this set up looks. I have seen in the tutorial video that you can use the outputs of the channels as inserts. So, when I get home I will try doing it this way. I'm not sure if I will need to do anything on the saffire mixing software to make this work.

I understand the software after a lot of researching. It looked very confusing at first. Especially to someone who is just getting into recording at this level.

So, far I like it. I understand the software and how you can monitor zero latency with the software mixer. But I never really have had an issue with latency and my iMac. I do have a high end I mac with a lot of ram. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. But I've always been able to monitor via Logic pro 9 and have never had any latency issue, even using a headphone amp which I own.

So far it's the best interface I have ever owned and although I don't see myself using that mixer software much it might come in handy. I have seen that you can route it to be a "DI" box without an actual DI box with the mixing software. That is something I've wanted to start doing but have never invested in a DI box.
 
You will want to route you input signal to the interface. Then within your DAW, route its output/s to line outs of the SP40. From there into your outboard compressor, then back into SP40 input/s.
 
Well, I got it to working guys. Can't do the "Y" cable configuration on the saffire pro 40. To be able to have inserts on the saffire you have to go into the saffire mixer control panel to do it properly. I looked at the instructions on their website and figured it out. I was able to do it with just two TRS cables. I ordered a bunch of TRS cables when I started building the studio so I just used some of the small ones. I reserve channel 7 and 8 for the compressor. Keep it plugged in there most of the time.

I could route it the right way and it still wouldn't work until I went into saffire's mixer control software and told it to do what I wanted it to do. The software has a lot of potential but a lot of people new to the saffire line are going to have a hard time figuring that out. Everything has to run through that to really do anything like this properly. Where as other interfaces you can simply do it with your interface and DAW and there is no mixer software to make it route a certain signal somewhere.

I'm pretty excited because my outboard compressor sounded amazing. I did some test vocals and I looped it over and over while messing with the compressor settings to get it right. I then listened a ton of times without the compresser, and then with it. It was such a huge difference that without it, I'd be too insecure to put that vocal line out there.

This was a screaming vocal as I have a heavy metal back ground but I'm no singer in heavy metal. I was just doing it to test it. My voice was not consistent at all in screaming. The light parts and the heavy parts all got compressed together well and it sounded awesome. It sounded like a I was a professional heavy metal singer for a moment! LOL The scream was very pure and the lyrics sounded as if I was screaming loud and consistent and the original track with the compressor by passed, I was not, I sounded like crap.

I had one of those dumbfounded moments where I couldn't get the volume to go back up and I had my compressor volume all the way up. Yet it still lowered it too much and I realized I had to use the saffire 40's pre amp control to raise it back up.

I want to mention there was no noise heard in between them when I set the proper settings on the saffire mixer software and did exactly as the instructions on their website said to do outboard gear. I'm pretty stoked now!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top