Hopefully my Last Aux-Bus FX question

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Alanfc

Alanfc

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hello-

So I'm experimenting and getting it, but one last question-
with some others tacked on

I'm using the Cake FX Compressor for a group of 5 guitar tracks. These are all separate runs of the same part panned 2x at 80% L/R, 2x at 45%, and 1x dead Center. I'm thinking a tiny bit of compression on the group will unify them a bit (even though my doubling-quintupling is OK)They sound a little scattered. By design, I am using different amp settings and pickups for each pair and yet another for the Centered guitar. This may sound like my whole problem, but I have at times achieved the perfect blend and crap its not working on this particular tune.

I noticed that when I put it all into the Compressor it sounded Awesome! Oh, but thats because it got ALOT louder. OK, so I pushed down the Return volume on the Aux1 to bring the guitars down to their proper level. (I have not Grouped them)

Finally, the questions-
1)does the Aux 1 give some gain?
My send level on the tracks are at 0.0, the send on the Aux1 is 0.0. Pre-Fader is the setting. But I must put the Return on the Aux1 to -12.0 to make it the proper volume again. The Makeup gain on the Compressor is at 0.0, and the amount is small, like 1.5:1.

2) If I have to cut back on the level of the Return, aren't I cheating myself of the glory of the Compressor?
I have the Send on the tracks at 0.0 and the Send on the Aux1 at 0.0 , so I can get the full benfits of the Compressor (right?). My follow-up guess is that I could keep both Sends on 0.0, and then put the Return back up to 0.0, then cut back the track volumes themselves for each guitar track individually.

3) Cakewalk FX compressor's quality or lack thereof is a mystery to me, but I do have an RNC - would you say that the quality of the RNC surpasses that of the Cake FX Comp? This is a whole new ball ' wax getting into the outboard stuff, which I'm learning how to do now. But if its worth it I will make it so.

Thanks, any guidance would be greatly appreciated
-Alan
 
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Just to make sure, five panned guitar tracks are feeding a compressor on Aux-1? If the track volumes are at zero and the track aux sends are all in 'post' position, then what you would be hearing is just the volume of the compressed guitars from the aux return.
But if the track volumes are still up, then you would get the original track's sounds plus the compressed sound. (+/- some phase delay maybe? Not sure about that.)
Just wondering too, if you solo the aux return, are the compressed guitars all still there in their original panned locations?
Wayne
 
mixsit said:
...Just wondering too, if you solo the aux return, are the compressed guitars all still there in their original panned locations?
Wayne
Click to expand...

Nah. How could they? 'Bet one aux isn't enough to send stereo info to the comp.
How 'bout assigning the guitar tracks to a new V-main, put the compressor there?

Hey! I'm talking to myself.
...Can they do that?
Ohhh boy.:rolleyes:
 
OK
thanks for listening-
I don't know if I know how to ask what I'm asking (!)


On 5 tracks/channels in track view

I have :
1 guitar 80 % Left
1 Guitar 80% right
1 Guitar 45% Left
1 Guitar 45% right
1 Guitar Dead Centered

each Track has the Aux1 green light on, and is at 0.0 (not -INF). I assume 0.0 means full pure gain.(?)
They are all set to Pre-Fader

The AUX 1 at the bottom of the screen has the compressor in the FX bin. The Send control is also at 0.0 (not-INF) and the Return was at 0.0 (not -INF). The volume difference was significantly hihger. When I pull down the Return level to -12.0 the volume for the group of guitars was back to normal.

I went through this with a Reverb Aux Bus question and some brainy Norwegian reminded me to make the Reverb 100% wet and 0% dry. That was my problem and that solved the issue of the huge volume difference in that case.

However, in this case , with a compressor, I don't see any parallel to the relative wet/dry issue, so , where is the volume getting whooped up at? and, to get the full Compressor experience, which volume shall I manipulate:

1. each track volume itself
2. the send from each track Aux1 control
3. the send down in the Aux1
4. th return down in the Aux 1

OK I hope that made more sense

thanks alot
 
You don't normally put eq or compression on a Aux Bus. Reverb and delay, yes; but compression and eq, no.

The reason is that in using eq and/or compression you want the entire signal to go through the plugin. Think about it, what would be the sense of eq'ing or compressing part of a signal. That's exactly what you are doing in the setup you describe above.

You could set the Aux Bus to pre-fader and run the individual track volumes all the way down to infinity, that way there is no direct signal and everything is going through the Bus. But personally I would either put the compressor(s) on the tracks themselves, or do as mixit suggested and put one on its own VMain and route the guitar tracks to that Vmain.
 
With reverb, you want 100% wet mixed partially in with the dry track, but with compression, you generally want all of the sound to go through the comp. Comp'ed signal (at '0' = unity = no gain, no cut) PLUS the original should add together, ie; more volume.
I'm guessing you would want to turn the track volumes down so they don't add. (If the aux sends are 'Pre-fader' they'll still send signal to the plug-in.)
Then I think you might also end up with a mono mix comming out of the comp. No sure, but it would seem so.
Wayne
 
OK I see

Thank you very much


Do you have any feelings one way or the other on the Cakewalk FX compressor vs. the RNC ?

thanks
 
Alanfc said:
OK I see

Thank you very much


Do you have any feelings one way or the other on the Cakewalk FX compressor vs. the RNC ?

thanks
Click to expand...
Yes. I feel that one is software and one is hardware.

What is it you want to do?
 
dachay2tnr said:
Yes. I feel that one is software and one is hardware.

What is it you want to do?
Click to expand...


Can I read , what you're saying, is that software and hardware can be tricky to compare? I understand.

What I want to do:
I want to try different things, like on vocals, drums, guitars - and since I have no experience/reference for really good units, I thought the RNC is held in high regard for its price and its hardware so hey- I'll try it. For affecting tracks already recorded.

So in the big picture I'm thinking if the results are fairly equal, I'd just stay with the software and keep using the RNC for vocal tracking like I am now. But if the RNC is superb compared to the Cake FX Comp, I'd like to know-even if its all subjective/opinion.

thanks
 
Of course software can't used for tracking, only after tracking.

And in order to use the RNC after tracking, you would have to subject your material to a complete set of D to A and A to D conversions. (That is assuming you want to bring the compressed material back into your computer.)

I would use the hardware for tracking, and the software for mixing/mastering. So, personally, I would try comparing different software packages (Cakewalk, Waves, etc.), rather than trying to compare hardware and software. YMMV.
 
dachay2tnr said:

And in order to use the RNC after tracking, you would have to subject your material to a complete set of D to A and A to D conversions. (That is assuming you want to bring the compressed material back into your computer.)
Click to expand...

yes this is major..I don't want to go there until I get my Lynx

thank you my decision has been made
 
Hey Alan!

What Lynx-card are you getting?


I'm hoping to buy the LynxTwo next year (at 50% of the price, my company is buying alot of them, and I'm hoping to join in the deal). :) :)
 
Whaaat !

Half off ? Crazy, congrats

I'll be getting the Lynx 22 which is the the guts of the Lynx 2 with fewer inputs/outputs
 
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