HELP: how do I connect my RNC?

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Roger2004

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Hello everybody!

How do I connect a compressor (FMR-RNC) to my gear in both studio and live sound setting? The RNC manual is not very specific and says that it shound receive an unbalanced signal.

Studio:
1) mic => pre-amp (Sytek) => Lynx TWO sound card

Live Sound:
2) mic => pre-amp (Sytek) => mixer
or
3) mic => mixer

Pls let me know where would the FMR-RNC should go in each one of those three configurations.

Thank you very much!

Roger
 
The compressor would typically be plugged into the insert if you have one...so the question is - do you have an insert on your board?
 
Don't worry about an insert (you can use it if you have it...), put the RNC between the preamp and board/soundcard.
 
DigitMus, what about the fact that RNC requires an unbalanced input?
 
Well, what about it? Are you saying you don't know how to balance or unbalance a connection? FMR has all the info you need at their website - you DID check that before coming here and posting your question, right?

:)
 
DigitMus, my original question was about the position of the RNC with regards to the preamp (before or after). In the FMR website there is no specific mention about this.

I have to confess that I was a little confused about the balanced and unbalanced thing and after reading more about it in the FMR website, I now understand it a little better. Thanks for the suggestion.

So, according to your post and to the specifications in the Sytek manual, I should connect in the following way:

Mic [xlr(F)-xlr(M)] Sytek [xlr(F)-1/4"]* RNC [1/4"-xlr(M)]* Soundcard

* these cables must have the XLR cold/low pin connected to the ground of the 1/4" phone plug, which, I believe, is the standard.

Am I missing something?

Thanks
 
Can you run Quarter inch out of your preamp as well as quarter inch into your soundcard? Not familiar with your hardware
 
DigitMus said:
Don't worry about an insert (you can use it if you have it...), put the RNC between the preamp and board/soundcard.
Click to expand...

In the studio you'd be tracking with compression if you set it up this way. It'd give you more flexibility if you could get your signal in without compressing it and then route back it out to the RNC when you've decided on how much compression you need. If your soundcards got lots of in's and outs you can plug your RNC in to a spare input and then plug one of your outputs in to the RNC. You can then route audio through it using whatever software your recording with.

If your soundcard only has 2 inputs and outputs, it might be trickier. I'm thinking aloud here but I guess to do this you'd have to stop your soundcard from sending what's coming in the input to the output for monitoring otherwise it would feed back. If this is possible you could do pretty much the same thing as above but you'd have to physically plug and unplug your inputs and outputs when you wanted to route audio through the compressor. It would be easier then to do this using either a patchbay or your mixer (if your mixer is cheap, a patchbay would probably give you better quality results).

Like I say, I'm just talking off the top of my head so anyone feel free to chime in if I'm wrong or they can think of a better way.

Cheers

Tim
 
No foreverdown, all my other connections are balanced XLRs.

My pre-amp is a Sytek with 4 channels and my sound card is a Lynx Two with 4 ins and 4 outs.
 
Great points Timmy,

I am not sure I know exactly how to do it but it make sense to track without compression. In theory it should be possible with my system because my sound card has 4 ins and 4 outs. Anybody?

I am trying to dig a little dipper and I am not pleased with what I have heard so far about my recent acquisition: the FMR-RNC. People have been telling me that, in a studio setting is a waste to convert a solid balanced signal to an unbalanced one just to go through the RNC. Any thoughts?

I am starting to question myself for the need of a compressor given that I will be recording mostly concert instruments (stereo) and vocals. Maybe, I can deal with that in Sonar or soundforge later...
 
Roger2004 said:
DigitMus, my original question was about the position of the RNC with regards to the preamp (before or after). In the FMR website there is no specific mention about this.
Click to expand...
The site probably doesn't mention it specifically because it can be regarded as common knowledge that the signal goes through a preamp first (if the signal needs to be boosted at all) and then through the compressor.
You'd have to have your signal at line level before a compressor can do its job.
 
lemme guess the next question or two: What is compression, when do I need it and how do I do it? What is phantom power and the phase switch for on my sytek?
 
Very good perception, sweetnubs. However, you would add more value to the forum if you could try to provide answers that people may want to hear and not only the questions. As you smartly realized by my only 10 posts and by my basic inquiries, I am not only new to the forum but also new to all this recording/live sound gear stuff. By the way, I know what compression, phantom-power and phase-switch are.

Given the great experience that you seem to have, could you mention something about how would you compare compressors (such as the RNC) that have to use an unbalanced signal with others in the same price range (like the dbx 166xl for example) that uses a balanced signal all the way through.

Thank you
 
sorry rog, I didn't mean to make you cry. Since my nubs are feeling rather more sweet than salty today I'll help you with your dilemma. Good gear is good regardless if it is balanced or not. Although I'm not a big fan of the Rnc it definately sounds better than any recent dbx product. Lots of classic, great sounding gear was unbalanced in design, not even class A for goodness sake! Of course a balanced design is desired, but not an indicator of overall quality. I've not heard any recent high end dbx gear but they designed such crap for years I'm completely turned off by them. Although I do have a pair of old dbx VU compressors which I love for certain applications. I hope the tissue i supplied wasn't too rough of your baby smooth delicate skin and you've gleaned a little wisdom by suckling at the teets of sweetnubs. Pretty soon my baby boy will be moving into his own apartment!
 
I really can't believe how rude people are on the Microphone boards, not only in this thread, but in others.

It's really a drag to see all of this nonsense.
 
sweetnubs said:
sorry rog, I didn't mean to make you cry. Since my nubs are feeling rather more sweet than salty today I'll help you with your dilemma. Good gear is good regardless if it is balanced or not. Although I'm not a big fan of the Rnc it definately sounds better than any recent dbx product. Lots of classic, great sounding gear was unbalanced in design, not even class A for goodness sake! Of course a balanced design is desired, but not an indicator of overall quality. I've not heard any recent high end dbx gear but they designed such crap for years I'm completely turned off by them. Although I do have a pair of old dbx VU compressors which I love for certain applications. I hope the tissue i supplied wasn't too rough of your baby smooth delicate skin and you've gleaned a little wisdom by suckling at the teets of sweetnubs. Pretty soon my baby boy will be moving into his own apartment!
Click to expand...

Hiya Nubbie. Just as sweet as ever, aren'tcha?

Just what do you prefer over the RNC? I'm looking around for an outboard compressor and the RNC has been recommended as respectable yet affordable.
 
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