In what order should I put those units in a signal chain for home recording?

C

Chrille1979

New member
First of all, thanks for letting me be here and I hope you will understand what I write even though I´m not english :)

I´m going to try and record some music at home, mostly acoustic guitar, harmonica and maybe sometimes keyboard and there will probably be some bad singing too... I will use my computer and some recording-program, probably the most simple one I can find for free, maybe Audacity. I do have some 19 inch units, made by Behringer so nothing fancy at all but probably it will work out to my satisfaction anyway but only one big problem, in which order do I connect the units to eachother for best recording result soundwise? I do have to learn how to use some of them I guess but it would be very appreciated if someone could help me out with the order of where to put them in the signalchain?

So all of them are as I said 19 inch rack units:

12 channel Mixer (built in effects I don´t really like that much) (has inserts on almost every channel and send/return)
2 channel Exciter
2 channel Ultramizer
2 channel Multieffect
2 channel 15 band Equalizer
USB Interface (has integrated compressor, de-esser, enhancer, expander/gate)

Will be using a Phanton powered Audio Technica AT2020 for guitar and voice.

Anyone who´s kind to help me out in this question?

Best Wishes / Christian.
 
Most likely you can do without any of that gear except the USB audio interface. Decent recording software will have better versions of any effects you need. You might possible use the multi-effect on a guitar in special cases, but otherwise, don't bother with that stuff.

The mixer and some of that gear might be useful for a live show, but don't just use it because you have it. Learn what it does and how to operate it first.

What USB interface do you have?

Audacity works, but it's clunky. It's not really a proper DAW, it's just a decent free audio editor. You'll be much better off with a DAW. Reaper is free to try and pretty affordable to buy, and it's much, much better than Audacity.
 
Hmm, that interface has a lot of features, but they're mostly unnecessary since they could be done in software even better. Unfortunately, it has no proper output for studio monitors. I suppose you could use the headphone output to drive studio monitors, but that may be less than ideal.

How did you end up with this odd collection of gear?
 
I’ve never seen that interface before, and while I’m a fan of behringer I dont quite get that interface at all, it’s focussed on input to the computer. Why would a device not have outputs?

what you’ve done is sort of replicate how it used to work, not how it does now. In the old days to use the equipment you’ve bought, the mixer needs multiple sends on each channel, so you can either use those, or have the kit in a rack with a patch bay, and insert the exciter on one channel, the ultramizer on another the. The multi effects on a send, with the graphic patched onto a channel as an effect, or the stereo bus as a global setting. I’d not want to return to that now, it’s so limiting. Sadly, not a single item you have bought would be useful to me now, and as a system, frankly, it’s a real mess. All the exciting things now happen in the computer, and for the price of that interface, you could have any of the heavyweight daws, which have every feature those hardware devices are offering you. Even the cheaper one have 90% of them.

the 2020 is a useful mic, I have one, but it’s not a favourite because it’s a bit bright for me, but perfectly usable.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Hmm, that interface has a lot of features, but they're mostly unnecessary since they could be done in software even better. Unfortunately, it has no proper output for studio monitors. I suppose you could use the headphone output to drive studio monitors, but that may be less than ideal.

How did you end up with this odd collection of gear?
Click to expand...
I did buy all of this for almost no money from a guy apparently in need for fast money. At first I thought they might have been stolen but the guy could show me receipts for everything, othervise I wouldn´t buy them. Sadly they seem to be of no use in a home-recording studio :(
 
That interface has a surprisingly good specification, but it's really designed to act as a channel strip, and then feed into something else - the usual interfaces are a sort of hub for the computer. All the ins and outs in one place. You will get sensible money for it - it's a specialist bit of kit. Selling it would get you a very decent interface and some software.
 
Chrille1979 said:
Thanks for your reply :) The interface is this: https://www.thomann.de/se/behringer_uv1.htm
Click to expand...
It doesn't look like to be an interface to me. More like a voice processor with an interface feature and it would be more appropriated for for live performances. For recording a small dedicated interface would be better. Things like compression, de-esser, etc, you will do into the computer with VSTs in your DAW software. Those hardware racks are kind of a thing from the past and unless you are after some specific vintage sound or effect I would stay away from it. It's too much better to do things with software. Mostly of studios that still have those equipment only keep it because they look cool and professional and will impress people. I really doubt that 99% of them still use it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top