Please Help Me Hook up my Compressor!

[Rozman]

This is a really dumb one. I have an older Mackie 1202 (not a VLZ) and an FMR RNC compressor. I can't find the manual for the RNC, but I did download the quickstart guide. However, I am apparently too ignorant to hook up the darn thing properly. I have a Hosa Y cable that is TRS on one end and TS on each of the two other ends. I plugged the TRS end into the appropriate channel insert on the Mackie board and plugged the two TS ends into the left and right outputs of the RNC, respectively. And, voila, nothing! There is no sound out of the mike until I hit the bypass on the compressor. Do I need a Y cable that is TRS on all three ends? There is some verbiage in the FMR Quick Start Guide that says you can't hook up the RNC to balanced lines with TRS 1/4" plugs. But it also says that you CAN hook up to TRS inserts on a console. I am SOOOO confused!!! Is my Hosa Y cable balanced? I have no idea. I can't even get off the starting line.

 

[TexRoadkill]

Try switching the in/outs on the RNC. You probably just have them reversed. An easier way to hook them up is to just use a single, regular TRS cable connected to the channel Insert on the Mackie and the RNC Input.

 

[ssscientist]

Is my Hosa Y cable balanced?

It's not balanced, but you do have the right cable.

Try Tex's suggestion -- if you want to use the insert path on ANY Mackie board old or new you need to plug the TRS end of the cable all the way into the direct out. When you figure out which is of the TS ends is in and which is out it would be wise to mark them as such.


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[JCM900]

uhhh.... am I the only one that noticed he said he plugged the TS ends into "left" and "right" "outputs"? one of the TS ends would need to go to an "input" and the other to an "output" of the same channel.

 

[RAK]

uhhh.... am I the only one that noticed he said he plugged the TS ends into "left" and "right" "outputs"? one of the TS ends would need to go to an "input" and the other to an "output" of the same channel.

That's what I was gonna say.
The TRS end that's in the Insert jack on the Mackie sends the signal to the input of the compressor, and returns it from the output of the compressor.

They way you have it hooked up now, you're not sending the signal to the compressor.

 

[RAK]

It's not balanced, but you do have the right cable.

Try Tex's suggestion -- if you want to use the insert path on ANY Mackie board old or new you need to plug the TRS end of the cable all the way into the direct out. When you figure out which is of the TS ends is in and which is out it would be wise to mark them as such.


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While you can use an Insert Jack as a direct out, I don't believe you can use a Direct Out jack as an Insert. I believe dedicated Direct Output jacks are only wired to Send.

With an insert cable, I believe it's usually the TS cable labelled Ring that Sends to the to the Mixer, and the Tip cable returns from the Mixer. But it might be the other way, it's been a little bit since I was dealing with insert cables every day, and I might have reversed it.

 

[ssscientist]

While you can use an Insert Jack as a direct out, I don't believe you can use a Direct Out jack as an Insert. I believe dedicated Direct Output jacks are only wired to Send.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'dedicated Direct Output jack', but the jacks at the top of the channel paths on all Mackie boards are first inserts, then direct outs using the ol' 'one click-two clicks' method.

And I failed to notice that the original post contained the phrase 'plugged into the outputs'...

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[dementedchord]

$ .02

hey sssss... what he's alluding to is that alot of "pro" gear has both an insert and a direct out... but realitively good "prosumer" gear have only an insert hence your idea about one click for a direct out.... by extension then a direct out only type jack would lack the requisite in for returning....