Hi guys,
I'm trying to help out a friend that runs sound for a church (he has even less experience than I with live sound).
They recently bought a used Alesis 3630 and have a Soundcraft Spirit Folio FX8 (http://www.manualslib.com/manual/558564/Soundcraft-Spirit-Folio-Fx8.html?page=2#manual ).
I was think of just using an aux out/aux return but both are being used (one for a CD player and the other for a cassette player).
I was hoping there is a cable that would accept both and insert into just one of the aux returns (all of the channels are taken by microphones).
So I did a google for "2 stereo rca female to 1 male stereo quarter inch" but can't find one.
Is that because it's a bad idea to attempt this kind of jerry-rigging or is it that they're just hard to find?
If it is the former, what would you guys suggest I do?
The other option I suppose would be to burn all of the cassettes that he may need to CD and chunk the cassette player altogether.
Thanks very much,
Randy

Randy - here is the cable you're looking for:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/YPR102
 
you can customize your searches on sweetwater with their cable finder:
http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/cables/finder.php
 
as far as whether or not this is the best way to do this it really depends on what he's wanting to do with the compressor.  what will be it's purpose?

It will primarily be for smoothing out the dynamics of speakers at the podium or while using a lav mic.
I found plenty of cables like the one you linked but for the "configuration" I'm talking about would take two stereo female RCA to a single stereo 1/4 males to plug into the board.
I'm thinking the best solution would be to get rid of the cassette player (after burning cassettes to CD-R).
Thanks Beagle,
Randy
 

For compressing things like microphones the most common approach is to use the compressor as an insert on the relevant mic channel.

A compressor isn't usually used as an effect like reverb that is connected to an aux bus with the channel aux sends controlling level and the aux return receiving the output from the reverb. It needs to process the relevant signal completely to function properly (leaving aside more complicated parallel compression setups which I doubt are needed here).

Using the channel insert means the mic signal enters the channel then is diverted to the compressor via the insert cable and returned to the insert point. An insert cable looks like a Y with a TRS (stereo) jack on the downward leg and mono (TS) jacks on the other two arms.

The 3630 is a dual mono or stereo compressor depending on if you push the channel limk button on the front. This allows it to be used on two channel inserts at the same time with each mono "half" of the compressor working independently.

An alternative approach would be to put it across the mixer outputs before the amp, but that would then compress the entire mix which may be undesirable.

A word of caution - poorly setup compressors can be a major source of feedback. Compressors don't just stop the loud from getting louder, they pull up quieter signals as well which can turn into feedback unless the compressor is well set up. A compressor used with anyone who has pooor mic technique usually needs someone keeping an eye on the mix and the compressor.

g_randybrown
I found plenty of cables like the one you linked but for the "configuration" I'm talking about would take two stereo female RCA to a single stereo 1/4 males to plug into the board.

This comment stood out for me. Are you trying to combine two stereo signals into one using a cable? If so, that method can get flaky quickly as there is no control over signal level (or how they will "mate"). I tried this sort of jerry-rigging 30 years ago and it can go south quick. At that time, I just bought a cheap mixer from RadioShack to properly mix the signals (it honestly does not need to be "complex" but be able to mix the signal before it goes out, so you know what the output "truly" is).

Okay so that's probably the reason I couldn't find the cable (too flaky : )
Actually I think it may be just the signal coming out of the board to a laptop (for recording all audio) he wants compressed so maybe I should just put it in between the board and laptop yeah?
Thanks very much guys, good info!
Randy
 
 

Thinking about it I'd suggest riding the mixer channel faders to cope with different people's voices and mic technique (or lack thereof), far simpler and less likely to go horribly wrong than a compressor. Unless you have plenty of time to soundcheck that is. If hardware compression on vocal channels just for speech is what is required then I'd seriously consider a mixer like the Yamaha ones that have a "one knob" compressor on each channel, or a compressor that is simpler to use than having to set attack/delay times, ratio, control output gain etc. as separate functions. 
 
To be honest, if you're recording to a computer, and the recording is all you need to compress, personally I'd just record the incoming audio "as is" into a DAW (even a free application like Audacity) then do any processing in the DAW. Far easier to add compression and any other processing that way because you don't have to commit to the results until you're happy. Also much cheaper.
 
The compressor plugins that come with Sonar, even the Sonnitus, can do at least as good a job as a 3630. No, make that a better job. I have three 3630s kicking about and they're OK for some jobs but "smooth, subtle and uncoloured" they are not.
 
Just record 24bit and keep the incoming levels well below the red. 
 

I am not sure I fully understand the signal chain here (or the capabilities of the equipment), but is *seems* you are mixing multiple inputs then want a compressor prior to (or even on) the output? Can you simply put the compressor between the mixer and the PA?
 
I am confused how the aux send/return are coming into play here, but do not know that board at all, are you sending multiple outs with it (i.e. multiple speaker paths?). If so, the aux send/return might work to tailor the mixed signal from the output (to speaker signal) - just not sure how that board does this, or if can isolate channels this way. That board looks very capable, so am curious "why" inputs are not just feeding into the board channels.
 
Sorry if I muddied the water for you! Given what seems to be going on, I would put an input on each channel, then compress the output to whatever preamp (hopefully only one!) is driving the speakers.

It's a dual channel compressor so you can either use it as an insert on two channels or on the master output. 
I don't think the board will have master buss inserts so that means putting it in line ahead of the Power amp. 
I wouldn't do that myself. 
For recording it would have been handy 15 years ago but no point anymore, like Tim said, modern digital recording can be done at a safe level and cranked up latter in a Wave Editor. 
 
It will most likely cause feedback issues if used on podium mikes. 
Put it on the Kick drum and Bass channels,, that's about all I would have a use for it. 

In churches, sound is often mono.
 
In my experience, the big goal is to make it easy to understand the speakers.
 
Large buildings can make things pretty rough on the Ss and Ts.
 
So, a nice high end cut is a good idea.
 
If you aren't using monitors, it looks like you have an available send. So, send the main out to compressor 1 and another send to the sidechain for compressor 1. Use the EQ to pull out EVERYTHING except sound above 4K. This signal triggers the compressor to work as a D-Esser.
 
Sound the out of compressor 1 into Compressor 2 and apply some compression there.
 
Then you have a single return to your board.