New to Live Sound and Behringer

[Matt Graunke]

Good afternoon. I'm in the process of learning to use the PA that i've put together, and I'm using a few Behringer products in my rack. I'm looking for some advice for a beginner on how to properly dial in things.

I have the Multicom Pro MDX4600, and the XR4400.

Ultimately I'd like to use the XR to gate my 4 drum channels (kick, snare, tom1, tom 2), and use 2 channels of the 4600 to Compress/Limit the kick/snare.

I've read the manuals and quick start guides a few times over, and think I may have the right idea, but what is the best way to 'dial' this stuff in? Are thre recommended settings to start with?

[John DiNicola]

Good afternoon. I'm in the process of learning to use the PA that i've put together, and I'm using a few Behringer products in my rack. I'm looking for some advice for a beginner on how to properly dial in things.

I have the Multicom Pro MDX4600, and the XR4400.

Ultimately I'd like to use the XR to gate my 4 drum channels (kick, snare, tom1, tom 2), and use 2 channels of the 4600 to Compress/Limit the kick/snare.

I've read the manuals and quick start guides a few times over, and think I may have the right idea, but what is the best way to 'dial' this stuff in? Are thre recommended settings to start with?

Hi Matt,

First off, you want to be sure your connections are correct: Ideally you will be using a mixer with an insert point for those channels. Typically you would use a TRS to Dual TS (Y) Cable to interface with your gate & compressor. For each channel, plug the TRS side of the cable into the insert jack, and connect the send to the input of your gate. Then take the output of your gate and connect it to the input of the compressor. Take the return connector and plug it into the output of your compressor. So now you have a signal chain of Mic Preamp > Gate > Compressor > Channel Strip on Mixer (EQ, Fader, etc).

To get started, I would bypass the compressor and dial in your gate. The most important control here is your Threshold, which determines at which level the signal gets through the gate. The second most important setting is your attack & release. By properly manipulating these, you can smooth out the effects of the gate, delivering the part of the signal that you want to hear. For percussion sources, you will likely want a very fast attack and release time that is short but not as fast as the attack. Try starting around 200ms for release and work back. If you wish to capture the overtones of a tom or the ring of a snare, you may want a longer setting.

Now for the compressor. The threshold control here works the same way as the gate, determining at which level compression will begin. With compressors, we add the "ratio" setting which is "how much" the signal is compressed relative to how much it crosses the threshold. For drum sounds, start with a ratio setting of approximately 3:1 or 4:1. Some compressors will also give you control over the attack and release setting, but this is fixed on the MDX4600. You are able to use the IKA Knee switch to toggle a "soft knee" compression, which is less audible and useful for program material. Remember to use the Output knob to add make-up gain to your signal to compensate for any gain reduction, which you can meter on the MDX4600. Remember that the peak limiter comes after the compressor, so if you add too much makeup gain you risk engaging the peak limiter "permanently".

I am sure others will chime in with tips, but I hope this helps.

Best of luck and thank you for choosing BEHRINGER!

Best,
John DiNicola
Senior Specialist, Product Support
MUSIC Group
BEHRINGER

[Matt Graunke]

Thanks John! I'm looking forward to trying this set up out. My XR4400 hasn't shown up yet, so I hope it's here before the coming weekend. But if it's not, I'll just use the built in gate on the 4600 I guess.

[Matt Graunke]

Should I expect to use the 'expander' feature on the 4400 at all with the drums? My plan is to run the Kick, Snare, Tom1, and Tom2 through the 4400. I apologize for all the questions, but I'm trying to come up with a good "baseline" setup as I'll be installing this rig and using it for the first time, with no 'trial run' before show time.