Ducking Feature

[Light Console]

What I refer to, is the fearure on my Behringer Composer Pro (page 31, point 7.4 in the manual)

The overview/application:

Background music is playing in a village fete. Speaker then needs to anounce something, I might not be at mixing desk, and music may be too loud = muffled anouncement.

Story so far:

Plugged up as it says, and read and re-read manual.

The Problem:

Nothing happens, the gate looks like it is opening but no sound from the mic. I use SC MON and I can hear a rather muffled mic.

Has anybody got a clue what I have been doing wrong? Has it ever worked for any of you?

[paulears]

not sure which composer pro you have, but looking at the manuals I have for mine, the diagram seems a little confusing. It's quite clear that the sound source that needs ducking goes into the compressor and the output goes to a line level input on the mixer.

 

 

What's confusing is that the side train trigger is connected to a socket labelled line out. This actually depends on the mixer you have. in most cases, I'd feed it via an aux, group or direct out. A mixer labelled with a line out from the channel you have the mic plugged into is rare. without a direct out, you'll have to route just the mic you wish to duck to a line output somewhere on the desk.

 

Hope this makes sense, but if not - can you post how you've wired it?

 

The sc monitor should let you hear the ducking source cleanly - if not, the correct level or even correct signal isn't getting to the SC input - that's why it won't duck - it needs a fair bit of level.

paul

[Light Console]

Cheers Paul,

Model is MDX2200, I got it in 2000 or maybe 2001.

I dont have the wiring diagrams in my manual! so I will nip off to their site in a moment.

My mixer does not have direct outs, so sending to a Prefade Aux, at 0dB loudest. From there, it is sent to the SC Return, which I assume is the same as SC input you mentioned.

The rest of the compressor is working as normal, on insert points of CD player channels on mixer.

Ah wait one, just re-read your post,

"source that needs ducking goes into the compressor and the output goes to a line level input on the mixer"

looks like I send CD Direct to compressor, and out to mixer I'll go and try it now.

 

Edit 1/2 hour later.

Right reconnected so cd straight into Comp, out to line in. Mic via aux to SC Return and perfect quality is heard on SC Mon.

Downloaded manual and same things but different order, is now point 6.4 on page 26!

Never the less, I can't get the darn thing to do as I want, no matter what conbination of buttons are pushed!

So, I think it is wired correctly, but which buttons and pots do I need to move to get the thing going?

Cheers, Rob.

[paulears]

right - I've wired input to left channel, output to desk.

 

I've applied a side chain signal to sc return (the right socket, viewed from the rear)

 

pushed the sc ext button and with no sc signal, the in goes to the out. on mine, threshold is 9 o'clock (-30) and ratio is fully clockwise (infinite) applying sc audio ducks the through audio fine. the amount of duck is controlled by the ratio and the attack and release are adjusted to taste.

 

works fine.

how about yours?

 

paul

[Light Console]

I followed your post to the letter, Still no sound. ;)

 

Then I rewired via bigger mixing desk, and moved a pot in the wrong place on the desk, Aux send to Compressor on the CD channel, and it worked, the CD turned down :) :) :) :)

 

What I hadn't realised was that the mic has to be sent via main outputs on desk as well as send to SC. I thought it would appear on the outputs of the compressor mixed with reduced CD level. ;)

 

Thanks again Paul.

[paulears]

Oh, I see. Glad you got it sorted. It was pure luck I was sitting next to a load of comps in a rack, all I had to do was plug it up and try it out. no sweat.

p