I had my first experience with a compressor last night - a small
Alesis model, very simple to figger out and operate.

However, the experience was a near disaster, but the saving grace was
that it was Thursday night worship practice - not Sunday, 5 minutes
till service. ; )

To the point, I connected the 'pressor as you would a reverb/plate
box, via the traditional aux-send box fx returns route. The
result: Monitors that were blaringly loud, loads of FB, and some
over-brightness in the FOHOW(front-of-house-of-worship!). Needless to
say, I learned my mistake.

What I'm asking is, is it ever okay to run compressors the regular aux
route, or should I have used the inserts, either on the lead vocals or
on the master out for global effect? I already know how to do an
insert(tip-ring-sleeve and all that), I just need to know the best way
to run a compressor.

Thanks,

ChrisCoaster

"ChrisCoaster" wrote in message
om...
What I'm asking is, is it ever okay to run compressors the regular aux
route, or should I have used the inserts, either on the lead vocals or
on the master out for global effect?

Depends on what you're trying to accomplish with that compressor. On the
aux buss if you want to mix a compressed signal back into your regular mix
for a number of channels. Inserts if you want to dedicate the compressor to
a single channel that needs the dynamics processing, on the master out if
you want to control the dynamics on the overall mix.

What is it you need to accomplish with that single compressor? If you don't
know yet, don't use the compressor. Decide what it is you need to use
dynamics processing on, then apply the tool. It's like saying you bought a
new pair of pliers and want to know what you should grab first... depends
on what you need to hold on to...

dik

"ChrisCoaster" wrote
I had my first experience with a compressor last night - a small
Alesis model, very simple to figger out and operate.

If you don't know what it does don't turn the knob.
Adding black boxes to your rack does not help your mix unless you understand
how they work.
Just because there is a knob doesn't mean you have to turn it.

As to your question. Compressors should only be used on inserts. Find some
reading material on how a compressor works and what all the knobs do and
spend some time experimenting with one when you are not at a live show.
Unless you understand all the paramaters you will find that using a
compressor usually makes your sound worse.

--
Anthony Gosnell

to reply remove nospam.

I kinda recommend using an insert versus an aux. I would think
you have in mind seeing what the compressor will do to the signal
it is applied to, and using an aux means that you have to combine the
original signal with the compressed signal. IOW, you might not see
or hear much change. It sorta' needs to become a part of the channel
signal path, not combined with it.

--
David Morgan (MAMS)
http://www.m-a-m-s.com
http://www.artisan-recordingstudio.com

"ChrisCoaster" wrote in message om...
I had my first experience with a compressor last night - a small
Alesis model, very simple to figger out and operate.

However, the experience was a near disaster, but the saving grace was
that it was Thursday night worship practice - not Sunday, 5 minutes
till service. ; )

To the point, I connected the 'pressor as you would a reverb/plate
box, via the traditional aux-send box fx returns route. The
result: Monitors that were blaringly loud, loads of FB, and some
over-brightness in the FOHOW(front-of-house-of-worship!). Needless to
say, I learned my mistake.

What I'm asking is, is it ever okay to run compressors the regular aux
route, or should I have used the inserts, either on the lead vocals or
on the master out for global effect? I already know how to do an
insert(tip-ring-sleeve and all that), I just need to know the best way
to run a compressor.

Thanks,

ChrisCoaster