Issue inserting a compressor on the DP32

[Ryan Traynor]

Hi everyone, this is my first post here. Really nice to come across such a thriving community of people helping eachother out.

I just got the dp 32 After working on the 2488mkII for a number of years. I’ve read the manual and watched all of Phil’s videos, but I can’t seem to insert a compressor into a signal chain.

I have inputs a-h assigned to tracks 1-8, bring up the dynamics screen and try to insert onto track 4, or source d, turn on the compression, but when I start to manipulate the settings on the compressor nothing happens. I’m assuming I’m missing something pretty easy, but I can’t seem to figure it out. I don’t know if it matters, but I’ve imported these tracks from my 2488.

Can anyone think of where I might be going wrong?

Thanks for any help!

Ryan

 

[David Porter]

Hi Ryan - Welcome.

You say above that you've assigned inputs for recording - as if you were wanting to record/capture new performances. But then you also say that you've imported pre-existing track data (I assume you mean that you've imported track data using the "Import" function). This is a little confusing.

If you're sending any signal through the inputs and recording that - while you're recording in real time and the dynamic effects compressor is set to "on" - that input signal should have the effect applied to it. The "dynamic effects" ONLY affect input signals.

However - if you have imported tracks using the track import function and are simply playing back pre-recorded track data - the dynamic effects will not be able to be applied to that (there are other options for this).

Now I'm wondering if you might mean that you've "imported" tracks from the 2488 by playing them through the inputs of the DP. If this happens to be the case - you have to apply the compressor to those tracks while you're recording them into the DP in real time. (repeating) You cannot add the dynamic effects compressor to tracks that have already been recorded.

Hope this is helpful. Forgive me if I've misunderstood.

 

[Ryan Traynor]

Hi David, thanks for getting back so quickly! Sorry about the confusing wording. You are correct, I imported wav files from the 2488, they were not recorded on the dp32.

I thought assigning the sources to the channels was necessary in order to assign a compressor to it.

I did not know that effects cannot be added to a channel if they were imported rather than recorded on the machine. That sounds like my problem. You mention another way around this, any tips on that?

Thanks again!

 

[-mjk-]

Hi Ryan. "Channel" can be a bit misleading. Input and Track are the terms we need to work with to understand how this machine works. I totally understand that you mean though, and it's not meant as a criticism whatsoever. I'm just trying to make this impossible to misunderstand.

The Dynamic effects only work on inputs. The insert (Guitar) effects work on tracks, although when inserting Guitar effects on tracks, you have the option of setting the effect to work on either the Record or Playback path. You are limited to 2 instances of the Guitar effects however. But, that won't stop you from bouncing tracks with effects, and then selecting another pair of tracks and bouncing them with effects. I hope this helps.

 

[David Porter]

Adding to what MJK said:

There are a couple of options to add compression to pre-recorded track data.

Keep in mind that technically there are two different compressor effects in the DP series. One is the "insert" dynamic effects which we've already talked about. The other is the "insert" guitar effects compressor.

So you have the option of "sending" a pre-recorded track back to an input and adding the dynamic effect compressor - or you can add the guitar effect compressor to the pre-recorded track(s).

Keep in mind that the dynamic effect compressor is slightly more versatile in that it has more adjustment settings than the other. Also keep in mind that I've never used the guitar effects compressor - so I really don't know if there is a difference in quality.

 

[Ryan Traynor]

Thank you both! This makes a lot of sense, but is definitely a frustrating limitation. The 2488 allows you to add in compression to an already recorded track, which I grew very accustomed to.

So if I’m understanding this correctly, the only time that you can insert a compressor is during recording, it can’t be added after the fact unless you bounce the track and add the compression in then. Just to clarify, this is all using the dynamic effects, not the guitar effects.

 

[David Porter]

Correct... except for... you cannot add the dynamic effect compressor with a bounce - you have to "send" it out of the machine and patch it back to an input of you're choosing.

This is my preference - because I've done it repeatedly and have been satisfied with the results.

But like I said above - I have not tried using the guitar insert effect compressor. It may be just as good - I just don't know. If you do try it - please let us know if you are satisfied with those results - or not.

 

[-mjk-]

Ryan, you can use the more limited Guitar Insert Effect Compressor on Tracks and set the path to Rec or Play.

 

[Ryan Traynor]

Correct... except for... you cannot add the dynamic effect compressor with a bounce - you have to "send" it out of the machine and patch it back to an input of you're choosing.

This is my preference - because I've done it repeatedly and have been satisfied with the results.

But like I said above - I have not tried using the guitar insert effect compressor. It may be just as good - I just don't know. If you do try it - please let us know if you are satisfied with those results - or not.

Hi David, I’ve had some more time to mess around this weekend and came to a road block. I have a kick drum that I recorded
previously and imported to a track. I’m looking to send this “out” of the machine, and back in to another track so that I can add a compressor to it (like you mentioned doing) but it seems like I cannot add in a dynamic effect, only the other effects (reverb, chorus etc) How do you typically route something when you’re adding in compression? Sorry about the multiple posts on this, it’s the part that seems to be eluding me the most.

Thanks for your help!

 

[David Porter]

Hi Ryan -

You'll want to "select" the track that the kick drum has been imported to (by pressing the "select" button for that track of course). Then you'll want to open the mixer screen for that particular track (make sure you're looking at the Track mixer screen for that track as opposed to one of the Input mixer screens - it'll show you at the top of the mixer screen).

Then you'll want to cursor over in the track mixer screen to the Send box and set the Send 1 selector to either pre or post - depending whether or not you want to control the amount of signal going to the send bus (pre is probably the way you want to go). Then roll the Send 1 level control up to approx 100 and set the Send 1 master level to max (or there about). At this point you've routed that track to the send 1 bus.

Then use an appropriate patch chord and connect the Send 1 output on the back of the machine to the input of your choosing. Assign that input to an available track. At this point it's just like recording a live performance through that input on to the assigned track - so set the input trim appropriately. You should now be able to "select" the input channel that you've chosen and turn on the compressor in the Dynamic effects screen and and adjust to taste by "playing" the source track through the send bus and onto the target track and listening back so that you get it how you want it. Once you've got all the levels and compressor adjustments set to you're liking - it's just a matter of hitting record and capturing the kick drum track onto the new target track with the "dynamic" compressor effect added.

**Be sure that the Guitar and Send effects are set to *OFF*.

**Also want to add... this is generally not a problem - but it's worth mentioning: Keep in mind that when you send a signal out of the machine and then back in.... there is a millisecond delay of the signal as it's captured on the new target track. Whether or not this is a "problem" just depends on what you're trying to do. Either way.... this can be over come - or fixed - by using the track edit function which will allow you to shift the new slightly delayed track and get it to line up perfectly with the original.


I typed this really fast - so, other members here, please chime in if I've missed something.

 

[Mark Richards]

The only caveat I'd add to David's excellent post above is: make sure only the track with the pre-recorded kick drum (i.e. none of the other Tracks and none of the eight Inputs) has Send 1 turned on, something that's easily overlooked at times.

 

[-mjk-]

Oh yes, because if you have Send 1 enabled and the level up on the input you're sending to, you will really wish you hadn't done that!