Insert I/O help.

[kyguy333]

Not sure if this is everyone or just me... The insert plug on a mixer confuses the crap out of me. I have a 32 track behringer board hooked up to a delta 10/10 rackmount. I bought 2 recording snakes (TRS) and used one for all of the inputs and the second for all the outputs. I routed the outputs to other tracks on the board. In order to send the signal from the board to the delta, i used the first TRS snake to patch each one of the channels (mics) through the insert plug, out and into the input on the delta. When i plug a mic into the channel it becomes useless because im sending the signal right out through the insert plug (not down to the fader).... and then through the delta 10/10 and my computer, and back out into a different channel on my board. But now through reading i have learned that the insert cable uses a send AND a return through the same cable and i dont need to waste those extra tracks on the board! SO.... I used one TRS snake and put a TRS to 2 mono ts cables and plugged them into the delta. But now im getting a delay routed back to the same channel. Is there a way to stop the delay? thanks

 

[ssscientist]

The insert plug on a mixer confuses the crap out of me.

Let's get the basic question out of the way first. Insert points/plugs are used for sending the audio from a single channel of a mixer into a processor which works on the entire signal - like a compressor or an equalizer. If you want to add something like delay or reverb that's done via the channel's effect send.

The insert points are not the primary way to get audio out of a mixer. Some can be used as direct outputs, but we'll save that for another post.

I recommend you set one of those TRS snakes aside for the time being and use just two cables of the remaining one to patch the main output of your mixer into the first two inputs of your Delta 10/10. Then use two more of the cables to patch the first two outputs back into, let's say, channels 16 and 17 on the Behringer board. Mute channels 16 and 17 to avoid getting feedback. Then plug a microphone into channel 1 and try making a test recording. Then mute the mic, unmute 16 + 17 and play it back.

If I've started at a 'too basic' level please post again and tell me so. Your post was confused enough so that I wasn't sure how much you know or don't know...

.

 

[kyguy333]

Thank you for the quick response. The reason I have not been using the main outputs is because in order to track something like drums, i want each drum to be able to have its own track via protools. Plus when i record with the insert points, it records raw and i can tweak each channel to whatever i want rather than recording with effects. But also, while it's recording, i can tweak the channel's playback. So essentially i can mix and record at the same time without effecting whats being recorded by the software. It works fine and i have no problem using it this way. My original post was to ask if there was a better way to send and recieve signal into one fader by using the insert point. Rather then using the insert point as only a send (what im doing now) and returning it into a seperate channel.

 

[mixsit]

There's a chance you could get the live mic and playback on the same fader if the mixer has two switchable input paths -that would be an in-line style monitor path.
If the mixer does not, doing it with special cables (if you could) would likely be not worth the trouble (different trim settings from mic to line level every time for one.
You have lots of extra mixer inputs and only ten returns..? Go split monitoring style like you are for play back.
If there no direct outs on the mixer chanels use the insert plug one click in so the mic signal still feeds the mixer.

 

[ssscientist]

My original post was to ask if there was a better way to send and recieve signal into one fader by using the insert point. Rather then using the insert point as only a send (what im doing now) and returning it into a seperate channel.

All you've got to do to avoid hearing a delay is monitor from the input side, and you would do this by setting up a headphone mix on a pre-fader (usually called 'Aux') send on the input side.

You have a 32 channel board which is more than enough for a 'split console' configuration in which the first 16 channels are used as inputs and the second 16 are used as returns.

When doing overdubs monitor the input of the channel you are using for the overdub as the playback of the existing tracks will not be delayed.

And as mixsit says, the insert points on the channels should double as direct outs by inserting a TS or TRS cable to the first click.