troube hooking up a compressor!

  • Thread starter Thread starter nik the barber
  • Start date Start date
N

nik the barber

New member
I have never hooked up a compressor, and I can not figure it out. I have a Dbx compressor and I'm trying to run it through the board. What is the correct way to hook up a compressor to a board so that you can add compression to a track after it is recorded. What I have done. Is I have runned the board into the compressor from a track with a XLR cable and the out on the compressor into the mic. I'm prettty positive that is not the right way you do it. Another question is when I did this I think a regualr mic would work. But I can't get phantom power to run through and run my condenser mics. I'm sure it has to do with how ou hook it up. In conclusion....

Where do I need to hook my compessor up on the board. So that I can add comprssion pre/post recording.

Ps. The equipment is a Behringer MX3282A Eurodesk Mixing Console (Wich I I belive does not have a effecs send. But I think mabe you the AUX or something I don't know.)
And A
DBX 266XL*Compressor

PLEASE HELP BEFORE I KILL MYSELF!
 
You need to get yourself an insert cable and plug the compressor into the insert of the channel you want to compress.
An insert cable looks like a 'Y' cable with a 1/4 inch 'stereo' (TRS) coneector on one side and two 'mono' 1/4 inch coneectors on the other. The TRS plus into the board and the other 2 are the in and outs on the compressor.
Please don't run phanom power into your compressor again.
 
So here is the example:


Board (insert channel on what ever track)-----------<in and out on back of
compressor

So the one mono plug into the in and the other mono into the out on the compressor?

Another question where on the board would the insert channel be. Is it located on each track or is it somewhere else on the board? And will I have to unplug it from the insert channel and plug it in to another insert everytime I want to put compression on another track. My last question I promise is. Will the compression work pre and post when it is pluged into the insert channel.
 
It isn't an insert channel, it is a channel insert. Each channel should have an insert jack next to the mic and line inputs. There should be one on each channel.
Your example is correct, you just have to make sure you plug the correct mono plug into the correct in or out on the compressor.
 
How do I know wich one is the corecct mono plug to plug in on the in or out on the compressor. And does it work pre and post?
 
If you it does not work on way switch them out - Thats what I do.
 
Ok ok ok thanks for the help. This is my thought On what to do. By a Y Cable with one stero 1/4 inch and 2 mono 1/4 inch . Plug the Stero 1/4 into the channel insert. Wich should be located by the XLR and Direct input, and it is the same size as a guitar jack input. Then take the 2 mono plugs on the other side of the cord, and plug one side into in and the other side into out. ok So another thing since The compressor is a stero compressor and has another set of in and outs. I should be able to Buy 2 insert cables, ad use the compressor on the seperate tracks?
 
Yes, you can link them if you are using it in a stereo application (overheads, keyboards, etc...) or you can use them on 2 different things when the compressor is unlinked.
 
The insert is pre fader. You can do post fader with an (Post Fader) Aux Send.
 
reshp1 said:
The insert is pre fader. You can do post fader with an (Post Fader) Aux Send.
Click to expand...
Or you could send it to a buss and compress the buss
 
Farview said:
Or you could send it to a buss and compress the buss
Click to expand...

This is what I do live. I've got a good comp inserted on each group ready to go. Being able to group up instruments can help a mix greatly, so can effecting them similtaneously. Careful compression on a whole drum kit, or group of vocalists can really bring em all together, and an extremely conveinent way to do this are the buss inserts. Im talking live primarily and it depends on what kind of band/rig/room Im dealing with, but It can apply to recording just as much.

Also, don't forget that once you've got that insert point open, you can stick more than one outboard effect in the chain...... Drum buss>insert>compression>reverb>back to insert point.
 
Farview said:
Or you could send it to a buss and compress the buss
Click to expand...

This is good for live feeds or levelling/normalizing your mix to control the dynamics of a particular group of tracks. Utilizing the processor in a specfic channel via it's inserts allows you to also control the signal's dynamic perf.
Another configuration is to run a particular instrument (such as a bass) direct thru a comp (& depending on the quality of your processor) to produce certain efx that may appeal to you by providing a unique sound to your track.
 
MISTERQCUE said:
This is good for live feeds or levelling/normalizing your mix to control the dynamics of a particular group of tracks. Utilizing the processor in a specfic channel via it's inserts allows you to also control the signal's dynamic perf.
.
Click to expand...
On a small mixer, compressing a channel sent to a buss is the only way to compress post EQ.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top