i got a free compressor....what now?

[Lodger]

hey, all

i recently managed to salvage a DBX compressor out of the garbage at a place i was working. it works like a dream and have no idea why its owners decided to part w/ it. anyway, i was wondering if any of you could give me some suggestions as to how to use this new bit of kit in conjunction with what I already have. I use mostly cubase and reason, and have a rm1x for sequencing, etc. I am using an audiophile 2680. To your knowlege, is there any way that i can use this soundcard to have 2 audio outs in cubase- one to go to my monitor speakers, and one that i can use to send the signal out so that i can patch the compressor (or pedals, etc) as an insert effect? any help here would be extrordinarily useful. thanks!

-Lodger

 

[CubaseRox]

and have a rm1x for sequencing, etc.

Cubase is already a sequencer, you should get rid of the rmx1.

is there any way that i can use this soundcard to have 2 audio outs in cubase- one to go to my monitor speakers, and one that i can use to send the signal out so that i can patch the compressor (or pedals, etc) as an insert effect? any help here would be extrordinarily useful. thanks!

Do you have a mixer? One with insert jacks on it?

You can patch the compressor into those (of course you need insert jacks).

This way you wont have to worry about splitting the signal.

 

[mano 1]

Cubase is already a sequencer, you should get rid of the rmx1.

Ouch

Is it a sin to have 2 sequencers, and to use the hardware one?

Funny you say that, I am currently mainly sequencing using my MPC1000 - mind you, I've been a Cubase user for years, and had several setups from all-software to all-hardware, back and forth a few times.

I do multitrack audio recording on Cubase, however I do not use it for mixing (Creamware SCOPE instead).

Am I weird if I ended up realizing that I am way more productive on the MPC for sequencing my setup? (hardware, software, all from the MPC) ...

I think it really comes down with what each person is comfortable with.


Sorry the thread was definitely about something else, but I had to say something

 

[CubaseRox]

Originally posted by mano 1
Is it a sin to have 2 sequencers, and to use the hardware one?

Not at all, I was saying it in terms of being on a budget (which everyone here seems to be on, including myself).

He could sell the hardware sequencer and use cubase. That would free up some money to get some more stuff.

I have used and MPC a while back, now I just use cubase.

I am anal-retentive in that way, I dont like having 2 things that can do the same thing. i.e. 2 sequencers. I would rather much just use one and call it a day.

 

[Lodger]

hm so if i wanted to use external FX, would you suggest getting another audiophile? I have a factory soundcard as well, but am afraid that there will be too much distortion, hum, etc off of it to make it practical. Do any of you use external FX w/ cubase? if so how do you do it?

-Lodger

 

[Neekolas]

I have actually been trying to use external FX also and I think I have recently got it figured out. What you want to do is go under "VST connections" and add a specific mono output bus. This output should correspond to the physical output on your soundcard and go into the input of your FX unit. Now, in VST connections, you should add a mono input which corresponds to the physical input of the the device you are outputting from. Now you create two tracks. The first one is your source audio track, this should be setup to take the input of whatever and shoot it out for you to monitor. The second track you create should use the mono input which will be receiving signal from your FX device, this should output to your monitoring device. Now, go back to the first track we made and unfold the "sends" view. Click in here and have this output to the mono output we initially created. Get your levels all sorted and give it a shot. I'm pretty sure this is right unless I flubbed up.

 

[Cruel Hoax]

Hardware sucks!

Oh, and, uh, software sucks!

That said...

To answer the original question:

It's probably not too likely that you'll be able to split your signal and feed your monitors and compressor at the same time (unless you have monitors with digital inputs).

But that doesn't mean that you can't use your compressor with previously-recorded tracks. Hardware compressors often sound better than their software counterparts, and this is a system you can continue to use with outboard EQs, distortion boxes, hardware phasers, and so on, not just compressors:

For purposes of bouncing, pan Every-Damn-Thing in your mix to the right. Now pan your Track To Be Compressed (bassline? vocal? whatever.) to the left. Patch your left output to the compressor input. Patch the compressor output into your soundcard's input (right input, if you want minimum hassle). Adjust for good sound, and record a new track with the compressed audio.

Now you can pan your tracks back to normal and play with the compressed track in the mix.

Consider doing several tracks like this (on your drum tracks, for example). Compress the first bounce a bit, the second bounce more, and squash the hell out of the third mix. Now you have three different compressed mixes to blend with your drum parts. (Be sure to take care of induced delay by shifting the new parts earlier. Use your eyes and your ears!)

-Hoax