Emu 1820M-Does the DSP "compressor" act like a hardware or a plugin type compressor??

GSpotSoldier · 8th January 2006

E-mu 1820M- http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU1820M
The big question is: Do I need an outboard compressor to compress the vocal signal from the mic, or does the compressor built into the card(which if I am reading correctly acts as a hardware compressor)act as a outboard compressor would?

With the 1820m sound card, does the DSP compressor in the card act like an outboard compressor. In other words does it affect the vocal signal from the mic, or put another way, is the signal chain something like this?
Mic - Compressor function in the sound card - from the soundcard to my Multitrack Sequencer(like Cubase SX3).
What i am trying to get at here is for instance does it have the same flow as outboard hardware. Like Mic - preamp - compressor - audio interface -
sequencer(Cubase).
Basicly, do I still need an outboard compressor?

You see, let me put it this way to. Does it act like a hardware compressor or does it act like a compressor plugin?
I know this is true for plugins
This is your signal path:

source - mic - preamp - ADC - computer - Multitrac Sequencer(Cubase SX3) -
plug-in - then back to the sequencer

If you think a little, there is no way a plug-in could effect the sound coming to the computer.

Many people get confused because you can monitor the compressed signal as you're recording (hm... live?). and you can hear it's compressed. and it is! you're right! BUT it was compressed after the ADC. so a plug-in could never give you any protection from overloading the ADC (clipping)

Again-
So in essence the big question is: Do I need an outboard compressor to compress the vocal signal from the mic, or does the compressor built into the card(which if I am reading correctly acts as a hardware compressor)act as a outboard compressor would?

mogWai · 8th January 2006

Yes.. you can use the DSP compressor like that. Cubase SX3 allows you use plug-ins on an input source and record the output. However, the compressor is a plug-in on the DSP chip and so always after the AD stage.. in fact its only being accesed by Cubase as a VST plugin.. although you can use it as an insert on your input channel before hitting Cubase in EMU Patchmix .. but no point doing that since you wont be able to 'see' the input level without switching screens.

FWIW, the DSP compressors on the EMU card are quite good. They certainly do their job and remind me of the cheap dbx compressors in sound (166, 266) not much character but quite brutal if you want them to be.

This isnt really the best way to compress a signal on input, since you are after the AD (the point of compressing in the first place!) and you have to have a really low latency to monitor in real time, so the strain on the CPU is quite hard. Better to keep all your input processing outboard and only use plug-ins for mixing,

hth

GSpotSoldier · 9th January 2006

Hey, thanks. Another quick question to add to this thread. I have read the manuals and looked in help on Cubase SX3 and It doesnt seem to have "capture a noise reduction profile" or "noise reduction", am I missing something here or what?

8th January 2006	#1
GSpotSoldier Gear interested Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Thread Starter	Emu 1820M-Does the DSP "compressor" act like a hardware or a plugin type compressor?? E-mu 1820M- http://www.zzounds.com/item--EMU1820M The big question is: Do I need an outboard compressor to compress the vocal signal from the mic, or does the compressor built into the card(which if I am reading correctly acts as a hardware compressor)act as a outboard compressor would? With the 1820m sound card, does the DSP compressor in the card act like an outboard compressor. In other words does it affect the vocal signal from the mic, or put another way, is the signal chain something like this? Mic - Compressor function in the sound card - from the soundcard to my Multitrack Sequencer(like Cubase SX3). What i am trying to get at here is for instance does it have the same flow as outboard hardware. Like Mic - preamp - compressor - audio interface - sequencer(Cubase). Basicly, do I still need an outboard compressor? You see, let me put it this way to. Does it act like a hardware compressor or does it act like a compressor plugin? I know this is true for plugins This is your signal path: source - mic - preamp - ADC - computer - Multitrac Sequencer(Cubase SX3) - plug-in - then back to the sequencer If you think a little, there is no way a plug-in could effect the sound coming to the computer. Many people get confused because you can monitor the compressed signal as you're recording (hm... live?). and you can hear it's compressed. and it is! you're right! BUT it was compressed after the ADC. so a plug-in could never give you any protection from overloading the ADC (clipping) Again- So in essence the big question is: Do I need an outboard compressor to compress the vocal signal from the mic, or does the compressor built into the card(which if I am reading correctly acts as a hardware compressor)act as a outboard compressor would? Last edited by GSpotSoldier; 8th January 2006 at 03:07 PM.. Reason: Title

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8th January 2006	#2
mogWai Lives for gear Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 733	Yes.. you can use the DSP compressor like that. Cubase SX3 allows you use plug-ins on an input source and record the output. However, the compressor is a plug-in on the DSP chip and so always after the AD stage.. in fact its only being accesed by Cubase as a VST plugin.. although you can use it as an insert on your input channel before hitting Cubase in EMU Patchmix .. but no point doing that since you wont be able to 'see' the input level without switching screens. FWIW, the DSP compressors on the EMU card are quite good. They certainly do their job and remind me of the cheap dbx compressors in sound (166, 266) not much character but quite brutal if you want them to be. This isnt really the best way to compress a signal on input, since you are after the AD (the point of compressing in the first place!) and you have to have a really low latency to monitor in real time, so the strain on the CPU is quite hard. Better to keep all your input processing outboard and only use plug-ins for mixing, hth

9th January 2006	#3
GSpotSoldier Gear interested Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2 Thread Starter	Hey, thanks. Another quick question to add to this thread. I have read the manuals and looked in help on Cubase SX3 and It doesnt seem to have "capture a noise reduction profile" or "noise reduction", am I missing something here or what?