Connecting Outboard Compressor to Saffire Pro 40

[DoubleBlade]

Hello people,

I've just recently got a outboard compressor and so here is my routing.

1) Saffire Pro 40 Out 3 to Compressor Input channel 1 (TRS line inputs)

2) Saffire Pro 40 In 3 to Compressor Output channel 1 (TRS line inputs)

I'm using Cubase 5 and this is what I have done so far in my DAW.

1) Options => VST connections => External FX (routed as per above)

2) Created an FX track in Cubase 5 with the external compressor plug in on stereo

3) Go to the "E" logo and clicked "Sends"

4) Send to external compressor bus.

So basically right now I'm only able to control the external compressor via the fader given.

I want to mix some of my audio tracks using the external compressors with the external perimeters (knobs) on the outboard but Ican't because I'm only able to control the entire compressor signal through the fader.

Am I missing out on something? Like get an insert cable or something? My outboard compressor has a "send" and "return" output in both of it's channels.

From what I've read, my Saffire Pro 40 has a "flexible routing" linking system which some say does not need an insert cable to patch outboard gear to it. I might be wrong here though.

Hope to hear from you people soon.

Cheers

 

[DoubleBlade]

By the way, I can't hear the difference between my keyboard sound without the compressor effect and my keyboard sound with the compressor effect after adjusting threshold, attack, ratio etc perimeters. They just sound the same to me. I tracked the "effected" keyboard sound and the "non effected" keyboard sound and the soundwaves look the same to me.

My compressor can detect my input keyboard signal by the way, but it's just that I can't hear the difference between the "effected" sound with the "non effected" sound.

 

[grarrgrarr]

Firstly, youre sending your audio signal to your outboard and it is working as you mentioned it can detect your keyboard signal.

However, you need to rerecord the output from your compressor which is going into Line In 3. (hopefully routed correctly to your FX track).

Are the levels on your FX track moving?

 

[DoubleBlade]

Nope no levels on FX track.

 

[grarrgrarr]

Sorry i misunderstood your routing... firstly it should be used as an Insert instead of a Send. so try that and see if your sound cuts out totally..

Remember that you need to click a button to ping the latency of the outboard.


There is also a mono/stereo mismatch because it seems you only have 1 channel of physical routing set up to your compressor, yet youre using it on a stereo bus....

Do check this article:
http://www.eqmag.com/article/steinberg-cubase-5/January-2010/105601



Keep in mind that your minimum monitor latency now includes 1 more in/out cycle, so it will probably be unusable for live-keyboard playing now if you are passing it thru ur compressor : )

 

[DoubleBlade]

Thanks for the link. I will try it out later when I get home.

The way I was taught is that you create an Aux track and link your external plugin to that Aux track and then you control it via the fader but that is for Pro Tools.

I know Cubase works in a different way but yet the end result is still the same. Just got to get used to Cubase's style of workflow.

But just want to confirm my cable routing is correct right?

Compressor output => Interface input

Compressor input => Interface output

 

[grarrgrarr]

Yes, but a compressor generally is used as an Insert, so you need to do so in cubase. You mentioned you were using it as a send.

 

[DoubleBlade]

Hmmmm tried what was stated on the website but to no avail.

 

[grarrgrarr]

Did you try to use it as an insert?

 

[DoubleBlade]

Yup I tried using it as an insert and the sound cuts out totally.

 

[grarrgrarr]

thats great! that narrows down your problem alot. Basically that means your sound is going to your compressor and nothing is coming back out. in a working setup it will have sound in insert mode.

You can be sure that your setup is working when you get sound in insert mode. Perhaps your compressor is not set up properly.

could you take a screenshot of your cubase setup, and take photos of your physical cable routing and compressor settings?

 

[DoubleBlade]

Okay here are the pictures.

Hopefully that's sufficient.

By the way, the lights on the outboard aren't blinking when the track is being played.

 

[grarrgrarr]

My compressor can detect my input keyboard signal by the way, but it's just that I can't hear the difference between the "effected" sound with the "non effected" sound.

I believe you are getting ahead of yourself and trying to put the effect on a full track before understanding how your outboard compressor is supposed to help you.

You were almost there when you mentioned that your compressor can detect your input signal.

Can you get back to that setup, but place the compressor in the Insert chain instead of the Send?

Your physical routing is fine, so any problem is either in your cubase routing or some serious error in your compressor settings on the unit itself.

 

[DoubleBlade]

Sorry my bad, the lights blink even when there's no playback or input signal. The lights are there, they even "move" when I adjust the threshold etc.

Oh I connected my keyboard to the input of compressor and then output of compressor goes to input of interface. No sound no signal detected.

But it just that it isn't syncing with the DAW. I think I'll get an Insert cable tomorrow and see whether it works with an Insert cable or not.

 

[grarrgrarr]

What makes you think that it works with an insert cable? Do you even know how an insert cable looks like? I already told you your physical routing was okay. Dont randomly do stuff if you dont understand what youre doing.

If the lights blink when theres no signal, and move when you adjust the threshold when theres no signal the unit is probably faulty.

 

[DoubleBlade]

Thanks for the last sentence.

Thanks for your time.

Cheers

 

[grarrgrarr]

Sorry my bad, the lights blink even when there's no playback or input signal. The lights are there, they even "move" when I adjust the threshold etc.

luckily you mentioned it : )