dbx compressor/gate question
reeltrouble1
Posts: 9,312
If your into doing Pro Sound, Band is looking to fatten the drums and bring the vocals up, drummer uses a sub-mixer and I use one also for the keyboards, both which go out to their own main mixer channels, guitars and bass are not presently run through the mixer, suspect that though would need to change. Microphones have been running straight to the main mixer.
So looking for suggestions on where and the best way/options to hook the dbx compressor/gate into the rack. We do not presently use any other outboard effects, just the ones in the main mixer straight out the main outputs to the PA speakers.
RT1
So looking for suggestions on where and the best way/options to hook the dbx compressor/gate into the rack. We do not presently use any other outboard effects, just the ones in the main mixer straight out the main outputs to the PA speakers.
RT1
Post edited by reeltrouble1 on
Comments
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holy crap nobody knows what the hell I am talking about.........screwed for sure.
RT1 -
Seems to be too many wires over my 2 channel needs buddy.
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hehehehe, yea, you need a bunch of wires and gizmo's to make the 2-channel which does not.........a true dicotomy. Back in the day we just played the instruments, then along came the Moog, and everything changed but for the better, well, at least for amplified instruments.
Long Live Rock n Roll.
RT1 -
Sorry I missed this the first time through, Ted. Been working out of town for several months.
What are you using for the main board? Does it have effects send & returns?
Although IMO, it's not ideal, (putting drums and vocals on the same compressor channel) it can work. (at least I think that's what you're asking...) What is the model of the dbx?(multichannel, or mono?)
In a live setting, and if I had only one channel of compression to work with, I'd choose to fatten the drums up with eq, and save the comp for the vocals.
It's hard to give a good answer without knowing the configuration. i.e: how the drums are mic'd, etc... -
The dbx has two channels you can run mono, or stereo, I am thinking mono, the mixer is a beringher, does have sub-groups, effects sends and returns, I can say just using the dbx on the overall mix was not all that pleasent sounding. you can use the over/easy or hard limit settings. has the normal threshold and ratio type settings knobs from 1-1 to 1 to infinity.
the drums are mic'd individually to a sub-mixer with its own effects (identical to the main mixer) then a snake to the main mixer. Vocals run straight to the main board.
well that is a start.
RT1 -
I can tell you how to place and setup a dbx encoder/decoder in a tape loop configuration but I don't think that is going to help your situation. Right?
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yes, Joe, different deal, but thanks. I can tell you one thing, I am deep into one of my more "playing" modes than listening. You have to listen to lots of music though to play music, still nothing like getting together with other folks, putting the instruments to work and sometimes the magic happens, when our lead guitar breaks into the solo for PF Time, its easy to get lost in the sound and forget what the hell your supposed to be doing.
RT1 -
reeltrouble1 wrote: »the drums are mic'd individually to a sub-mixer with its own effects (identical to the main mixer) then a snake to the main mixer. Vocals run straight to the main board.
well that is a start.
RT1
In that case, use one channel for each. I'd locate the dbx at the main board, and use a send/return from the drum mixer to the compressor. That way, you can send just drums, not cymbals, to the comp. Compressed cymbals are nasty.
That should let you use different ratios for vocals and drums. I've never tried this way, so hopefully no ground loops or other problems. Make sure you do an EARLY sound check. lol -
reeltrouble1 wrote: »yes, Joe, different deal, but thanks. I can tell you one thing, I am deep into one of my more "playing" modes than listening. You have to listen to lots of music though to play music, still nothing like getting together with other folks, putting the instruments to work and sometimes the magic happens, when our lead guitar breaks into the solo for PF Time, its easy to get lost in the sound and forget what the hell your supposed to be doing.
RT1
Ted, my mom and dad were both musicians and had two meets a week with their jam band when I was a kid. My dad played numerous instruments but in the jams he would play the piano but if one wasn't availible at the house they were jamming in he would bring this super high end accordian he had. My mom played the double bass. I use to attend all their jam sessions and it was absolutely awesome. There were usually a full drum kit, sax, trumpet, acoustic/electric guitars, sometimes an organ, plus what my parents played, sometimes a violin, etc. It was simply magic. They would play off each other and they would jam like that all night long. It was awesome. It one of the cherished memories that stays fresh in my mind. The coolest thing was it was all tubes! It would get hot as hell in there by the end of the session. I'm getting goosebumps just remembering it.
