RNC Hookup

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bmeador

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I got a great gift for Christmas, an RNC for my home studio. I’ve been playing around with it and am looking for some advice on the ideal setup given my equipment. If anyone here could help I would greatly appreciate it.

Obviously I'm a newbie to this, so go easy on me...

I’ve got a Yamaha MD4 4-Track MiniDisc Recorder. It has a single channel AUX Send with a dual AUX Return. The RNC has got two output and two input channels. The left channel is used for mono connections.

Now, it’s pretty easy to figure how to apply compression to one track at a time using this setup – I just run AUX send to the mono input on the RNC, then run a single channel back to my recorder. This is working great when I want to apply compression to one track at a time. However, in an ideal world I’d like to use the RNC to compress all tracks at mixdown. Is there a way to do this with only one AUX Send out of my machine or, for mixdown, am I going to have to run my stereo outputs from the MD4 into the compressor and directly into my master recorder? Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.

To complicate matters further, I’ve got an Alesis MidiVerb4 thrown into the mix - I’ve tried running from the MD4 AUX Send to the Left (mono) Alesis Midiverb4 input. Then using the Alesis stereo outputs into the RNC and back to the MD4, but I’m not getting the results I want. Plus, I think that, ideally, I’d like to have the compressor first in the chain so that I’m sending compressed signals to the effects box rather than the other way around.

Hopefully this is not too confusing and I’ve given enough information. I’m relatively new at this recording thing, but I think I’ve got a fairly nice set-up for an amateur and I want to make sure that I’m getting the most out of it.

For further information, I'm mostly recording acoustic guitars and vocals, and I suspect that 90% of the time I'll use the RNC post recording, though sometimes I might want to apply some slight compression to vocals as I record them.

Thanks for the help,

Brad.
 
Use your aux sends and returns with the midiverb as this is pretty much what they're designed to do and put the RNC in line between the outputs of the multitrack and the input of your two track machine. The ideal way to use a compressor though would be to apply it to individual tracks so as to compress only things that need compressing and not the entire mix. To do that you'd need an insert point on individual channels of your machine. I took a peek at one on a web site and it doesn't appear to have inserts on it. I see it does have direct track outs which are ment to send tracks to and external mixer which depending on how flexible the mixer section is on that thig, you might be able to accopmlish the same thing. Experiment.
 
Thanks and Another Question

Thanks, Track Rat, for the quick reply. Given your response, I have another question...

Tell me if this is an option for applying compression to an individual track AFTER THE ORIGINAL TRACK HAS BEEN RECORDED: I continue to use the AUX send and AUX return on my MD4 to go to the compressor, set equalization to zero on the track that I am compressing, turn the AUX control for the individual track all the way up, turn the AUX Return level control all the way up (to insure I'm receiving a 100% signal from the compressor rather than mixing with the dry signal on my track) and bounce to a new track, the new track should be the 100% signal from the compressor I'm looking for. Right?

Assuming this is a decent alternative, does something like this work during recording of the track as well, or do I need to find a way to rig the signal from mic preamp to compressor to MD4 to insert some compression pre 4-Track.

I like the idea of the direct track out - I'm going to play with that one some more.

Thanks for lighting a candle to illuminate my darkness.

Brad.
 
This is what I was talking about with the direct track outputs on that unit. Lets say you have an acoustic guitar on track 1 that you'd like to apply some compression to. Take the direct track out for track 1 and send it to the input of the compressor. The output of the compressor would be patched to the destination track. Adjust the compressor to taste and set the levels for the input on the new track.
 
Okay, so if I have my mic running through my old Peavey mixer, which does have an insert underneath the XLR connection, I want to plug that into the left in on the RNC, and then the left out would go to my Layla24 breakout box? Or am I actually "inserting" the RNC into my signal, therefore needing only one cord between the RNC and the mixer, and then taking the mixer mains out to the Layla ins?

Sorry, but I don't know much about connections. I also wondered about this insert patch because of the different ways you plug it in...i.e. ring,tip,sleeve. Etc. Can anyone explain these to me in laymans? Meaning, what does send, return and ground really mean. I know which one is supposed to be which, but I don't know the real definitions of send, return and ground. I could make "logical" deductions, but I'm almost always just a little "off"--enough to not really be doing things right, I'm sure.

I too, don't know much about recording, but have tried to buy some nice amateur gear. Don't tell my boyfriend or my parents, please. I'm hiding this little extravagance...insert smiley here.

Kirstin
 
A SEND is the connection to 'send' the signal TO the input of external gear (compressor/EQ/effects).... the RETURN is the connection to 'return' the signal FROM the external gear back to the original source.

In your example, you would be 'inserting' the RNC into your Peavey mixer's INSERTS.... how you get a signal form the mixer to your soundcard is up to you... you certainly can take the output of the compressor directly into your s/c (this would be of benefit in keeping with the minimal signal path ethic).
 
The ideal way to use a compressor though would be to apply it to individual tracks so as to compress only things that need compressing and not the entire mix. To do that you'd need an insert point on individual channels of your machine.
Click to expand...

Track Rat and or Blue Bear;
For compressing individual tracks:
What would be the difference between using an insert point (on an insert equiped board) and just running the preamp (or DI) into the RNC before hitting the 4-track?

I am still trying to figure out the best patch bay signal routing for my 4-track and this is what I was planning on doing.

Mic/Instrument > Preamp/DI>4-track tape.

Then use Aux outs and returns for effects (reverb etc).
 
Scooter B said:
Track Rat and or Blue Bear;
For compressing individual tracks:
What would be the difference between using an insert point (on an insert equiped board) and just running the preamp (or DI) into the RNC before hitting the 4-track?
Click to expand...

Essentially no difference, other than convenience.
 
True. No difference BUT if you're tracking with something like a porta studio and it doesn't have inserts you can't feed the mic into the compressor first and then to the input of the recorder. It would have to hit a preamp first and with no insert, you have a problem.
 
True. No difference BUT if you're tracking with something like a porta studio and it doesn't have inserts you can't feed the mic into the compressor first and then to the input of the recorder. It would have to hit a preamp first and with no insert, you have a problem.
Click to expand...

Well I am tracking with a four track cassette but I never use the built in pre's
so its not a problem as much for me. I use my DMP3, Joe Meek VCQ6, Sans Amp Bass DI....

Heck the last time I did vocals BEFORE I picked up the the two budget pre's I used an SM 57 > Sans Amp Bass DI before I would use the built in pres' of a 4 track cassette!

I am not recomending this technique BUT it was better than the built in pre's.:D
 
Yo, Trackrat and others, I have a related issue. The signal chain involves an Avalon AD2022 with balanced and unbalanced XLR outs, no inserts. Then, RNC, and to a Roland VS1824 that's looking for a TRS plug. According to the manual, I have to go into the RNC from an unbalanced line with a TS jack. That's no problem. Do I go out of the RNC with a TRS cable to the board, use a TS, or do I depend on the headroom of this kickass pre to save my ass from clipping, and compress during mixdown?
"Jim, I'm a songwriter, not an engineer!"-Richie
 
Richie, like I always say, it's not that I'm such a purest but I'd compress at mix time. After all, you're tracking at 24 bits so you have the head room. On the other hand if you want to compress or limit while tracking, run it unbalanced and daisey chain through the RNC. As long as the cables are as short as possible I think it be fine.
 
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