Applying outboard EQ to already recorded tracks in Pro Tools 10

[Elkhan]

Hi Guys!!! I have a huge problem (I think), and I spent a whole day yesterday trying to solve it, but unfortunately all my efforts were unsuccessful. Here's my set up: I've got a Pro Tools 10, BFD2 (drum program) with a Mac, RME UFX as my studio interface and a Chandler Limited TG Channel MKll(Channel Strip with Pultec EQs). So the problem I'm having is this: when my guitar is plugged into a Chandler direct and I'm recording everything works fine: I see a very strong signal coming through my Pro Tools 10 faders and all my EQs on a Strip are working I can adjust the sound anyway I want to. But when I'm recording or already recorded the drum tracks and I'm trying to apply my Pultec EQs from an outboard gear which is my hardware box Chandler TG Channel MKll I don't hear anything, it just not responding. How my two boxes are connected are like this: I'm coming through an output of Chandler(XLR) to an input on a RME UFX(TRS). In Pro Tools I created two tracks an audio and aux track and was trying to do it in an insert section coming from audio to an aux track and back but still nothing. Does anyone has a solution for this issue or maybe dealt with it in the past I'd really appreciate your guys help. thank you

My Gear: Mac Pro, 3.33 GHz, 10.8.5, RME UFX audio Interface, Pro Tools 10 and 12 GB of RAM

[dr_daw]

Elkhan,

Maybe i'm missing something here. IF you are trying to patch out of PT into your gear, you need to setup the appropriate hardware Inserts in the I/O section. From there, you need to assign those in the insert section. Once that is done you need to take the appropriate output of your interface to the Input of your hardware, then the output of your hardware to the appropriate 'return' (input) on your interface.

STart reading page 1017 in the Reference manual included with your Pro Tools. Titled "Using Hardware Inserts".

Hope this helps.

[Elkhan]

dr_daw thank you very much for a response, I think I found a problem, you know I only made one physical connection from an output of my channel strip to an input on my interface, but I never physically connected output of my interface to an input of my channel strip in order to send an audio information to it. What I'm trying to find out right now and I want to ask you, can use a di line input on the front panel of my channel strip as an input in order to connect to an output on my interface, because I only have,1 XLR output and 1 XLR mic input, on the rear panel of my Channel Strip so it leaves me only one TRS di line input on the front. So I was wondering if I could use it as an input in order to send audio to EQ section on a Channel Strip.

thanks man

Elkhan

[dr_daw]

Elkhan,

No problem. I haven't looked at the details of that Chandler unit, but the outputs from your interface should be 'line-level' and the DI input of most hardware is designed for an instrument input (High impedance) and will then transform it down to a Low impedance signal for the amplifier circuit. Which would make the DI input unsuitable for line-level, it is designed for instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards, syths ect..).

I just pulled up the documentation on that unit. It indicates that the input section is Mic/line; meaning that there is a switch that will allow you to change the input level of that XLR input. When you're going out of your interface, use a balanced cable into the 'Mic/line' input on the Chandler, and push the switch labelled 'Line'. BAM!! that should get you proper impedance matching.

http://chandlerlimited.com/wp-conten...kii-manual.pdf

Goodluck, looks like a cool unit...you know pro tools has some good factory plugs that would probably do what you're looking for. Any particular reason for wanting to us external gear?

[Elkhan]

dr_daw how are you doing!? You know it still don't work, I don't know why, I mean I went out and bought a cable yesterday and hooked up an output from my interface to a line in input on a front panel of Chandler, created two tracks stereo audio and stereo aux track , assigned an insert on a audio track for an output of my interface where it's going out to Chandler.I mean I get a signal I hear it play and all, just the way it should be just like in a video tutorial of how to hook up hardware with Pro Tools on You Tube but my EQ still not doing anything to a recorded track. The only way EQ works is when I actually hit record button to lay down a guitar track and press EQ button on a Chandler, so it works only during recording process but if you want to apply it to unaffected already recorded track it's not responding.It's really strange you know it's like you hear and see and audio going through but it bypasses eq.

thanks man I appreciate your help

[dr_daw]

Hey man,

I'm a little confused, and don't quite understand what you're trying to do now. Are you trying to use the Chandler on a recorded track? In that case, it's not a stereo device. It's a mono device, so you should be creating a Mono track if you're planning on printing the processed track. EQ is generally not used as an effect, but can be. So if you're using it to shape the original recording then it needs to be set up as an insert, and should have nothing to do with an Aux track or Aux send. The insert would do exactly that, insert the processed signal back into the track, that makes it an 'insertion point' meaning that it processes 100% of the signal.

IF you're not printing that track to a stereo mix, you would want to set up another audio track and set the input to the same input that the insert return is designated for, then arm that track and record your processed track. This would give you two tracks, the original and the processed track. Both of which with this unit should be mono. To further complicate things you may have to adjust the delay compensation to ensure that you maintain phase...meaning that taking a digital signal converting to analogue, then back to digital takes time. This time difference will result in a phase shift, if your delay compensation is out things are gonna get sloppy.

In the end...If you have Pro Tools 10; there are tonnes of plugins out there including some great ones within Pro Tools. In which case, you wouldn't have to worry about any of this. If you love that unit, and what it does...track through it, make your changes and commit them to tape. I would also, use another input with a DI and record a dry track...that will solve all this monkeying about.

In the end you would end up with a dry track that you could mess with and a processed track.

I'm not sure of your skill level. But, if you have only worked in the software domain, using a hardware insert may be a difficult task. A good understanding of signal flow and the use of analogue gear will help glue these concepts together.


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[Elkhan]

Dr_daw thank you so much for clarifying the whole picture with a Chandler to me, it became so clear what to expect and how to approach the unit now, cause apparently I was doing a wrong thing with it all this time. Now it should work with two mono tracks and to be honest I always preferred mono as opposed to stereo, so it's better now. Yes you're right what I was trying to accomplish all this time is to record for example unaffected dry original acoustic guitar track and then try to apply EQ from a Chandler to it. So like you described it should work with two mono tracks. I'm sorry to ask you if you could explain in example this part I'm not so technically proficient:

" So if you're using it to shape the original recording then it needs to be set up as an insert, and should have nothing to do with an Aux track or Aux send. The insert would do exactly that, insert the processed signal back into the track, that makes it an 'insertion point' meaning that it processes 100% of the signal.

IF you're not printing that track to a stereo mix, you would want to set up another audio track and set the input to the same input that the insert return is designated for, then arm that track and record your processed track."

My interface output and input are on channel 3 so I insert it on channel 3.

Thank you very much dr_daw for all your help I really appreciate it

take care

Elkhan

[dr_daw]

I'm not sure i'm following you. What do you mean?


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[Elkhan]

For example I create a mono audio track with input 1-2 and output 7-8 ( my physical input and output are through 7), and just record a dry acoustic guitar track. Then I create a second mono audio track with an input 7-8 and output 1-2, press EQ button on Chandler, arm that second track hit record. Am I doing everything correct so far?

thank you dr_daw

Elkhan

[dr_daw]

I'm having a hard time understanding. This is what I think you're trying to accomplish:

1 - Record a dry Accoustic track
2 - Record a processed Guitar track through the Chandler

DOes your interface have a instrument input or Mic pre?

To record your dry accoustic:
- Plug accoustic into a DI box
- Plug the XLR out of the DI box into your Mic input 1 on your interface
- Create a Mono audio track in Pro Tools
- Assign the input of the PT track to Input 1
- Buss that track to you subgroups or Master fader (however you have your mixer setup)

To record your Chandler:
- From the DI box, plug the Instrument out (to amp) 1/4" out, into the Chandler
- Engage your EQ
- Take the output of the Chandler XLR to the XLR input 2 on your interface (Line level)
- Create a Mono audio track in Pro Tools
- Assign the input of the PT track to Input 2
- Buss that track to the appropriate output buss

Arm both tracks, and start rocking! That's how I would do it, if I wanted to avoid trying to mess about with processing outside of Pro Tools.


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