no signal through compressor....

  • Thread starter Thread starter MCreel
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MCreel

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I plugged a condensor through my Presonus Comp16 and got nothing but a kid of fuzz and hiss. The compressor was at its lowest settings. As I turned the settings up the hiss got louder.

Mic worked just fine with the comp removed from the chain.

any ideas? Just a defective comp?
 
If I read this right, you're plugging a mic into a compressor, which won't work. The signal chain has to be mic-preamp-compressor.
 
MCreel said:
I plugged a condensor through my Presonus Comp16 and got nothing but a kid of fuzz and hiss.
A compressor ordinarily expects to get a line-level signal. If you plug a microphone directly into a compressor it typically won't work, or at least won't work very well.

Put the mic into a preamp (in your console, a standalone, whatever), then run the preamp into the compressor. If you have a console, you'd often do this with channel inserts.

There are some products (sometimes called "channel strips") which combine a mic preamp with a compressor + often an EQ + sometimes other things, like a De-esser, or and A/D converter. Those you can plug a mic into.
 
I'm a moron.

I knew that and yet didn't even think about it.

I should have gone Mic -> firepod frontface -> firepod out -> comp16 in -> comp16 out -> firepod direct in.

thanks for the mind check guys.
 
sjjohnston said:
A compressor ordinarily expects to get a line-level signal. If you plug a microphone directly into a compressor it typically won't work, or at least won't work very well.

The bigger issue is phantom power, which the condenser needs, and a compressor won't provide.
 
boingoman said:
The bigger issue is phantom power, which the condenser needs, and a compressor won't provide.

The condenser was getting phantom through the firepod.

I tried it again using the outs from the firepod and then running it back in through the line in. This wasn't working. So I am guessing that if I want to use an external compressor I will need to get a standalone MP.

The software compressor wasn't doing a damn thing either. I prob just suck at operating a compressor and need to take a tutorial or something.
 
MCreel said:
The software compressor wasn't doing a damn thing either. I prob just suck at operating a compressor and need to take a tutorial or something.


Well, at least you can take comfort in the fact that, as bad as you might be figuring out a plugin ... at least you know not to plug a mic in to a compressor.

Oh, wait. Never mind. :D

.
 
The Firepod has inserts on channels 1 and 2. That's where you can insert your compressor. A TRS cable from the Firepod that splits into 2 TS cables. Those go into the compressor in and out.
 
irishfolker said:
The Firepod has inserts on channels 1 and 2. That's where you can insert your compressor. A TRS cable from the Firepod that splits into 2 TS cables. Those go into the compressor in and out.

Yeah those inserts are what I used the second time around. Does it have to go into both jacks on the comp 16 ins and outs? I was only using one.
 
MCreel said:
Yeah those inserts are what I used the second time around. Does it have to go into both jacks on the comp 16 ins and outs?
Yes. The signal should be sent from your firepod insert jack out through an insert cable to your compressor and it will be returned through the same cable.
Firepod insert jack->insert cable->insert tip plugs into compressor in->insert ring plugs into compressor out->signal is returned to firepod through the same cable.https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i128/rlslattum/insertcable-1.jpg

https://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i128/rlslattum/cable.jpg
 
ha...nice "studer" you got there...that must be the rare 834234444444HDSKEB vintage studer...you don't see too many of those out in the wild... :D
 
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