Signal Routing question w/ RNC/RNLA combo....ideas?

[ott0bot]

Hey everyone I just picked up a racked RNC/RNLA combo and I'm wondering what the most effective way to integrate into my system.

Here's my home set up:

I've got a 16 channel XLR/4 trs return stage snake that I run into my "control" room from my living room for drums, my back closet for vocals or sometimes my bath room for some natural reverb. It actually works quite well. I run channel 1 or the snake into a Universal Audio 710 Twin Finity preamp, and channel 2 into an Art TubeMP project series then those are sent into analog 1 & 2 of my Digi 003. The other snake channels go into the 2 and 3 of the 003....then I skip 4-8, then 8-16 go into a Presonus Digimax D8 which the ADAT is going into my 003. I'm using the trs returns as headphone sends from my head phone amp.

Since I don't have a board (yet) and no insert capabilities where it would normally be more convenient to put the compressors, I'm trying to figure out the best way to route the signal. Also I don't have any rack space left so until I buy or build a new rack a patchbay isn't an option.

So I'm thinking about these options:

1) Run the line out of the UA 710 to the RNLA and use the RNC as an insert. That way I can use both compressors if I want or bypass the RNC and just use the rnla. One question.....can the rnc be used and the rnla bypassed in this setup?

2) Run the UA 710 into the rnc and the Art into the RNLA or vice versa and run those into the analog 5 & 6 of the 003 since they don't have pre amps.

Any other routing ideas with the current set up would be appreciated? I'd prefer not to spend anymore money right now.

And if i'm saving for the future which option do you think is most helpful?

option 3:
Buy a board already and use the inserts!!!!! Plus you'll have the preamps and eq's for every channel. Ahhh but what board do you recommend?

and option 4:
Dude quit being cheap and get a patchbay.....it's the only way to go.

thanks for any input.

[kayagum]

and option 4:
Dude quit being cheap and get a patchbay.....it's the only way to go.

[chuckfurok]

why do run your preamps into the preamps of the 003? Why not run them into the line ins? Can skip a gain stage that way.

And yes, patchbays are super useful.

[ott0bot]

and option 4:
Dude quit being cheap and get a patchbay.....it's the only way to go.

Hehe. The only bummer is my snake is XLR....so I gotta get a cable snake with female XLR to male TS plugs (or should I go TRS). It can be pretty short....but thats probably another 50 bucks I gotta drop....plus more chance for signal degredation. It'd probably be ok signal wise, but there's really no other way to do it right?

So what kind/brand of patch bay would you recommend?

Should I look for a XLR to TS or XLR to TRS cable snake?

Should I get a TS patchbay or a TRS patchbay?

I mean...heck I've used them a ton in the studio....but never actually set it up completely myself.

[ott0bot]

why do run your preamps into the preamps of the 003? Why not run them into the line ins? Can skip a gain stage that way.

And yes, patchbays are super useful.

Well I ran the ART into the pre amp because it just puts out a weak signal. I couldn't get a clean signal that was loud enough out of it. And I suppose I set up the twin finity that way at first too, but it has way more headroom and has plenty of volume. I've been testing it myself...but I'm not using it to record overdubs till friday...so I was hoping to get it situated by then.

So...do you think if I avoid the focusrite pre's on my way in to the 003 and went with the line in it would be a better/cleaner signal? I'm think i'm answering my own question...

[Nate Dort]

I'm not sure how it is with the 003, but on a lot of interfaces the line in jack still runs through the same circuitry as the mic in jack. It's just padded down about 20dB or so.

[ott0bot]

I'm not sure how it is with the 003, but on a lot of interfaces the line in jack still runs through the same circuitry as the mic in jack. It's just padded down about 20dB or so.

Yeah...that seems likely but I'm not sure. Using the XLR input makes the pre's a bit too hot to have much range...it's either quiet or too load with a slight turn of the knob.

I'm now sending the pre's to analog 5 and 6...the channels without the pre's and it's working pretty nice for the UA pre...but the ART just doesn't have enough clean gain to be usable without the focusrite pres. The focusrite pre's are pretty transparent so even with the UA pre on analog 1 in the 003 there wasn't any extra noise by passing through that extra gain stage. It just gave a little more oomph if needed. I'm probably going to switch the ART back to working in conjunction w/ one of the 003's preamps and see how the UA does alone.

thanks for the input ya'll

[Nick Sevilla]

ott0bot wrote:

option 3:
Buy a board already and use the inserts!!!!! Plus you'll have the preamps and eq's for every channel. Ahhh but what board do you recommend?

Allen & Heath GL Series. Awesome preamps and very useful EQ, as well as great routing options.

You can also set the direct out post Fader Post EQ Post Insert, for using the fader to control the direct output, for controlling recording levels to tape with the channel's fader, and use the EQ to get your sound to tape. I love this feature.

You'll need a patchbay to really get all the functionality from this board.

Cheers