Source>PRE>RNC>Lexicon>Tape

[thedude400]

I understand that the RNC is a stereo compressor and that it can only be used on one source at a time. This may be a rather elementary question but I'm having trouble finding an easy way to double mic acoustic guitar. When I tried running my 2 oktava mk-012's first into the DMP3 then RNC then Lexicon then to tape, Both mics are active on only the right channel, and one of the mics is acting rather strange ( when sound goes in, the mic's volume cuts until there is silence again).

When I use insert cables it works fine of course but then I'm not able to use the lexicon because the signal has already undergone A/D conversion. I'd rather not use the cards outputs to apply lexicon reverb because of the added summing noise etc. So what is happening here, and better yet how can I get pre-amp>RNC>Lexicon>Tape?

I'm using balanced cables and a patchbay. Am I in need of an adapter of some sort?

 

[FALKEN]

I would be more concerned about degradation from running everything thru the lexicon.

 

[TexRoadkill]

I'm using balanced cables and a patchbay. Am I in need of an adapter of some sort?

That's probably the problem because the RNC is unbalanced. If you plug in a balanced cable on the input it functions like a Send/Receive. You need to tell us exactly how you are routing things.

 

[fraserhutch]

Is there any reason that you feel the need to compress and apply effects on the way in?

 

[thedude400]

The reason I want to compress then apply effects on the way in is because I want to be able to hear the verb/delay/trem/chorus etc while tracking. And since compression isnt the best thing to do after reverb has been applied , I want to do it pre effects.

Falken, if running my signal through the Lex is degrading it, whats the alternative, SPDIF?

 

[fraserhutch]

The reason I want to compress then apply effects on the way in is because I want to be able to hear the verb/delay/trem/chorus etc while tracking. And since compression isnt the best thing to do after reverb has been applied , I want to do it pre effects.

I would be looking at the myriad other ways to achieve this than by applying effects and dynamics on your tracks.

You can monitor wityh the effects and NOT print them, you know.

 

[FALKEN]

what kind of music are you doing? are you recording on a pc or are you using a tape machine? if so, what machine?

 

[sjjohnston]

TexRoadkill is right about the RNC. It may function oddly if you use TRS plugs. Use TS plugs instead. I don't know exactly how you've got things hooked up in your patchby. Assuming you've got the RNC integrated into it normally -- i.e. that all its inputs and outputs are connected with cables to jacks on the back of the patchbay -- replace those cables with TS cables, and you should be fine.*

That said, the problem you're describing doesn't sound like an obvious result of using TRS cables to connect the RNC (it would affect both channels, for one thing). Then again, these things can be unpredictable.

Step 1, I think, would be determining which box in your chain is causing the problem. Maybe you've done that, but it wasn't clear to me. That's probably because I'm not understanding everything in your original post as well as I should.

At the risk of belaboring the obvious:

When I tried running my 2 oktava mk-012's first into the DMP3 then RNC then Lexicon then to tape,

I'm assuming you've got:
L mic --XLR cable-->DMP3 "A" input
DMP3 "A" output--TRS cable--> patchbay --TRS cable-->RNC Left In
(Replace the second TRS cable with a TS cable)
RNC Left Out --TRS cable--> patchbay -->TRS cable--> Lex L input
(Replace the first TRS cable with a TS cable)
Lex L output --TRS cable--> mixer channel, or tape deck input or something else

And about the same thing with the right channel.

If you've connected anything to the RNC's sidechain jack, it's remotely possible that that's the problem. That could make a mic's level cut ("duck"), though it should happen to both of them.

There's a decent chance the problem is the Lexicon box. What model is it? Do you have it set to a program that's "dual mono"?

A better first question: if you remove the Lexicon box from the signal chain (i.e. hook the RNC outputs directly the left and right of whatever you're hooking the Lex to now), do you still have the problem?

If you do, try removing the RNC from the signal chain, and see if that's where the problem is.

There's also a chance the problem is in whatever the "something else" is that you're hooking the Lexicon to, though I don't know what that is.

When I use insert cables it works fine of course but then I'm not able to use the lexicon because the signal has already undergone A/D conversion.

At this point, I'm rather at loss what you mean.

_________
*At this point, I think I'd leave the sidechain jack with nothing in it. At least until you've got everything working properly.

 

[sjjohnston]

On the other issue raised:

- I think it's SOP not to print effects like reverb when you record parts, but to apply them at mixdown. You should be able to monitor with the effects and record without them, though how you'd do that depends on what sort of mixer (or other signal routing setup) you're using.

- You'd typically not print with compression either, though you might want to.

 

[fraserhutch]

On the other issue raised:

- I think it's SOP not to print effects like reverb when you record parts, but to apply them at mixdown. You should be able to monitor with the effects and record without them, though how you'd do that depends on what sort of mixer (or other signal routing setup) you're using.

- You'd typically not print with compression either, though you might want to.

It's more common in the analog realm to print with compression, because there you're using the dynamics processing to get the best signal to tape as hot as you can.

Not so much in the digital realm.

 

[thedude400]

Here's a gear list if it helps:
Aardvark Q10 (8 outputs , inserts channels 1-4, SPDIF, MIDI,)
Lex MPX-500
DMP3
RNC
Benhringer Patch bay (balanced)



Thanks for the replies guys. I think I'm still a bit of a newbie when it comes to setting all of this stuff up in the most efficient and intelligent way possible. Thanks SJ Johnston for the breakdown. That's actually the signal chain I tried already and is how I ran into this problem. It wasn't until I went
Oktava>DMP3 A-out >TRS>channel 1 Mixer, theeen applied the RNC via an insert cable to channel 1 mixer that I actually got a working signal.
Sorry if I worded things in a confusing manner in the earlier posts.

Let's put it this way, can someone briefly explain how to put my list of gear to use while monitoring effects without printing (and laying down a dry track) and then how to apply the effects after the fact to the dry track. Sorry if I'm a pain in the rear. Thanks again guys.

 

[MOFO Pro]

Saw this sitting here for a few days and figured I might as well give it a shot...

Did a little research on the Ardvark and wasn't able to determine it's true routing capabilities... but it sounds as though you should be able to route your live (mic) vocal track (say channel 1) over to channel 2 and duplicate it there... send that output (2) though your Lexicon... then back into channel 3. You can then turn down the software monitor faders for channel 1&2, Print just channel one... and monitor just channel 3 (vocal w/reverb) from the Ardvark...

All this routing is setup in the software mixer that comes with the Ardvark...

Good luck... hope I've informed... more than confused