Aux Send/Return

[Marcel78]

Hi there
I bought a used DM4800 with the meterbridge and FW CARD
I'm new to the digital mixing world
I want to use external effect modules
I connected them to an aux send with a psuedo balanced cable, send goes to the input from each effect and the return goes to the output from each effect
If I go to the aux 'block', i see the meters moving, but I don't hear any of those external effects
I checked the manual, but I didn't helped me out
What did I do wrong?

 

[Gravity Jim]

What DM channels are you using for the returns? There aren't any dedicated returns... You need to use some of your input channel for the FX return.

 

[captdan]

Just to be clear, there are the assignable sends and their respective returns. These are what I - and probably you - use for outboard efx boxes - if that's what the OP is asking.

CaptDan

 

[Gravity Jim]

I thought I had to use channel inputs as returns.

 

[Marcel78]

Thanks for the repies so far
I use a Y cable on the send
The tip is connected to the input and the ring is connected to the output
It also said it at the back on the DM
I also tested with a balanced cable connected between the output from the effect module and the return from the DM
Still nothing

 

[Gravity Jim]

What you're describing is an insert cable, which would work fine on an insert jack like the ones on the individual channels. The aux send jacks don't work that way... They're not capable of receiving the returning audio.

Now, when you set it up with two cables, you STILL won't hear the effect until you assign the returns to faders on the DM in your routing pages. Even the internal FX require their returns to be assigned to faders.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Captain D... I understand what you're saying. Yes, I use the send and return JACKS for my Lexicons, but the returns have to be assigned to faders so you can turn them up. Duh. Noun trouble in my brain. I was thinking "there aren't any dedicated return gain controls."

 

[Marcel78]

As far as I understand I need to use 2 balanced trs cables, 1 for send and 1 for return, also route each aux return to a fader, for example ch49 to 56 depending how many external effects i will use

 

[cmaffia]

You would configure your sends to AUX 1 and 2 and send signal from any channel then configure your assignable returns in the routing page to a pair of channels and send those channels to the stereo buss to mix them with your signal.

 

[Gravity Jim]

Yep. That's how it's done.

 

[Headroom]

Don't forget the Aux 1 and 2 busses. Turn up the aux 1 or 2 in any channel(s) that you want to apply the effect to. Then assign the aux 1 and 2 busses to asn sends and turn up the aux 1 and 2 master pods (or faders if flipped).

 

[Marcel78]

For some reason I can't make it work
Can someone help me step by step?

 

[Arjan P]

First of all it would be helpful to know what exactly you're trying to do. Are we talking two effect units, each with a mono input, or each stereo inputs? Stereo returns? etc. Balanced cables or not is not very relevant to the functionality of routing - but could complicate this conversation.

 

[Marcel78]

I've got a comp/limit and an enhancer (maybe more in the future)
What i want is to use it on 1 aux each (mono), for example the C/L on aux send/return 1 and the enhancer on send/return 2

I tried to route them but there's no signal back into the DM
If more info is needed, I will give it

 

[Headroom]

Do you get sound back from the C/L and/or enhancer when you plug the outputs into one of the line inputs on the DM?

 

[Marcel78]

If you mean if I connect them to an insert on ch 1-24, it's a yes
I managed to link the returns to ch 49-52 (49/50 and 51/52 for stereo)
On the assign assign screen everything's ch 49-52 are on st
Overall I'm getting signals everywhere it should be, but still don't hear any difference

 

[Gravity Jim]

What FX module are we talking about here?

 

[Marcel78]

Comp/limit and an enhancer

What am I doing wrong or what am I missing?

 

[Gravity Jim]

I have no idea. I still don't even have a clear mental image of how you have these things hooked up. Are they inserted in individual channels? (That's how you'd use a hardware comp/limiter, usually). Or are you sending a signal out through the AUX busses and returning them to the DM? And what I enact was, what make and model of device are these things?

 

[Marcel78]

In this case aux1 send is connected to the input of my C/L, the output is connected to aux1 return
I assigned the return signal to ch49 and in the assign screen it's on stereo, so I should hear a signal, but i don't

If i connect my C/L to 1 of the 24 inserts, there's no problem

Did you connect external hardware on 1 of the auxes?