Problems with external compressor

Hi,

 

I'm having quite a difficult time getting my interface to send signal to my external compressor (and then getting the signal to come back in).

 

I've watched some tutorials on setting things up properly through the "utility" function on the selected track, but I simply can't get the signal out.

 

I'm using a Focusrite Saffire Pro26 interface, and I have the 3/4 out going to the input of my compressor. I then have the outs of my compressor going into the 3/4 input on my interface. I don't have anything muted by accident, and I simply can't get anything to show up on the compressor. Please see attached screenshot.

 

Thank you!

You know ... I have never used the I/O utility plug in on a midi channel before and my brain hurts when I look at that screen shot and try to figure out what Logic is doing.

 

I could suggest that you use a send, and place the I/O plug in on the Aux channel strip that will be created, and not on the instrument channel strip. This way you will be getting the best of both worlds using parallel compression.  If that works for you, you can then set the outs of the instrument and Aux channel strips to an audio channel strip to record the result.

Your routing and I/O settings are correct. The issue lies somewhere else. Try making a copy of that project, and try changing things one by one until you find the culprit. For example, if you bypass the I/O plug-in, can yo hear Alchemy? Have you tried using another instrument? Are you sure your external compressor is working as expected? Can you check that it works with another source? Etc...

Try an audio loop before you try it on an audio instrument

 

Are you in low latency mode?

Hey Guys, thank you for so much for all the feedback. Turns out that I did need to try this on a separate aux channel...now it's working. Thanks again!

Good to hear. You're welcome. 

Hey Guys, just wanted to follow up with a question regarding my initial issue...

 

So as I mentioned previously, I'm finally getting signal to come through my compressor, but now I'm not convinced that the compressor is really working on my tracks. What I'm most confused about is the fact that when I turn up the gain on the external compressor past 6 (out of 10), I very quickly get some sort of feedback sound, and I have to turn it back down immediately. I'm thinking that the problem lies in how I'm routing the tracks, but I'm not sure, and I'm not sure if I need to change a setting in Logic.

 

I've got my compressor hooked up to channels 3 and 4 for the ins and outs. Please see attached screen shot.

 

Along these lines, my metronome's beat during playback and recording also has this weird metallic ping to it as soon as the compressor is activated. Thanks!

I've never had a ping result of 0 samples. I've also never had to put the i/o plugin on an aux channel.

 

Are you monitoring through Logic or through your interface's software?

 

Jim

Hi,

 

I'm monitoring through Logic.

 

Thanks.

And I gather you have software monitoring turned on in Logic's preferences.

 

Still, that ping of 0 doesn't seem right. My RME interface returns a value of 1, and their drivers are generally considered to be on the better end of the spectrum. Have you actually clicked on the "Ping" button in the i/o plugin?

 

To test the compressor itself, you could bag the i/o plugin and just run your signal straight through the compressor while you record. In this manner you could rule out any problem with that component. Assuming that checks out ok, you'd know that you're dealing with a routing problem.

 

Jim

Hi Jim, thanks, I'll give that a shot.

Hi, I have a related but equally problematic issue here. I'd like to have my dry audio track coming out of the 3/4 from my interface into the compressor, and the output of the compressor coming into the 5/6 of my interface. When I change the output of my dry audio track to Output 3-4 (from the automatic Stereo Out), a new Output track is created from which I hear absolutely no sound. I'm not sure why this new output track pops up in the first place. I've created a second audio track with an input of 5/6 (coming from the compressor) and the normal Stereo Out in hopes of being able to monitor the now-wet track, but to no avail. Nothing comes through this track at all. Please see attached screen shots. I'm having trouble understanding why a new audio track pops up when I simply want to send audio to a new track that I create myself. Thanks!