How do i connect Alesis 3630 to Saffire Pro 40?

[Nightlinemusic]

Hello guys!

I have just purchased an Alesis 3630 and am having trouble connecting it to my Saffire Pro 40. My DAW of choice is logic Pro 9.

I have the relevant stereo / mono cables but How do i connect this to fully use the Alesis Compressor?

Many thanks for your help!

 

[bouldersoundguy]

The Saffire Pro 40 doesn't have inserts as far as I can tell so you would need an external mic preamp. But since the 3630 is a notoriously bad compressor you're better off using it as a wheel chock anyway. It's too light to use as a boat anchor for even the smallest dinghy.

Your plugins will outperform the 3630 and almost any other affordable hardware compressor. Unless you have a pricey boutique compressor that sounds special in some way just stick with software compression.

 

[Nightlinemusic]

Hi there

thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

I would really like to wire this up, as i have used one before and weirdly liked its results.

There must be a way to wire them together to be able to use it? the Saffire has 8 inputs 8 outputs, only 2 pairs/set of inputs are being used. I am not that technically minded so will need a good explanation

Could anyone look into it and let me know?

regards

 

[TyphoidHippo]

The Saffire Pro 40 doesn't have inserts as far as I can tell so you would need an external mic preamp. But since the 3630 is a notoriously bad compressor you're better off using it as a wheel chock anyway. It's too light to use as a boat anchor for even the smallest dinghy.

Your plugins will outperform the 3630 and almost any other affordable hardware compressor. Unless you have a pricey boutique compressor that sounds special in some way just stick with software compression.

I wouldn't even call it a compressor, lol. Just an "almost random weirderizer". I've never used such a weird...thing... as the 3630.

@OP - you can use it during mixdown by routing an unused output(s) from the SP40 to the input on the 3630 and back into an unused input(s) on the SP40. I don't know exact steps to do that in Logic for the software side, but it's not difficult to figure out in other DAWs. Basically assign either two mono busses to two outputs or one stereo bus to two outputs (depending on if you want to use the 3630 as a stereo or dual mono unit), then do the same for inputs.

That's a terrible idea, in my opinion, but it is possible... Not only is the 3630 just plain useless IMO, but what goes out of a saffire pro 40 is not what will come back in: The Ultimate Converter DA/AD Loopback Shootout Thread! - Gearslutz.com Extrapolating from that data against the units I've used, I'd guess that with only 1 pass out and back in, that interface nulls to about -30db. So you're gonna get (possibly audible) conversion weirdness plus (definitely audible) 3630 weirderizerness, but... go nuts!