How to use insert? (hardware)

[scottie(the)goonie]

I typically run a mic (PR-40) to processor (dbx-286s) to mixer (802-VLZ4) to interface (Scarlett 2i4) when it comes to recording.

 

Is there better way to do this? I use the aux out bus on the mixer to control what is sent to record, versus what is sent to cueing (listening).

 

Am I losing somewhere by not using an insert function somewhere? Both my mixer and process have this baked in.

 

My goal has always been to avoid using my CPU for processing, which is why I have this hardware behind the mic.

 

 

 

[Deft]

I don't know those pieces of equipment and am too lazy to Google. But, an insert is just a send/return loop which can be routed to a mixer channel. The way you have your setup now means only your mic can use your processor. If you hooked your processor to your mixer effects loop, then you can route any of your mixer inputs out to your processor. Kind of what a mixer is meant to do - help you route things around (and mix them together). It also might give you some control over the levels you send and return to/from your processor.

If you have nothing else hooked up to your interface (i.e. it's just used for capturing the mixed output from your mixer) then ultimately you should be able to do all your routing and monitoring from your mixer.

[dextrous]

It depends what you're trying to achieve. Do you prefer the pre amp on the dbx processor or the Mackie desk. Given the dbx has pre-amp built in I'd say this is the only real deciding factor.

Inserts are generally used for processing that needs to be pre fader ie compression. If you were feeding post fader then the fader will affect how the compression is working giving you strange effects.

 

The only trick you may be missing could be using the aux bus of you mixer to send/return to the Scarlett for live DSP - but this will obviously affect your CPU overhead and you'll be dealing with latency etc.

[scottie(the)goonie]

I see. So I could insert the processor directly into a single channel (pre), or I use my mixer's send/return for multiple channels (like an EFX-500)?

 

The way I have it setup right now is to use my aux bus to send only my MIC and SOUNDBOARD to the Scarlett. I feed the Scarlett output into Line/7/8 so I can mix PC and MIC sound in the headphones. Control room outs to speakers. My PC then records MIC and PC sound separately.

 

I prefer using the dbx286s pre-amp and keeping the Mackie at unity gain, but I've never actually tried it another way. I noticed the Mackie did color the sound a bit compared to when I was just running the dbx286s so maybe that's why I held off. I have an insert cable sitting in a box at home.