I just got my first hardware compressor. FMR RNC 1773. My audio interface is an m-track quad. I'm having trouble getting it all hooked up...

What I'm hoping to do is experiment running it at different points. It's pretty straightforward running from a mixer into the RNC to the inputs of the m-track. I'd like to try routing a signal that's been recorded so I can experiment with the settings...

Is it possible to use the inserts in the back. Leave the unit off and record, then turn it on and somehow have the signal routed through it?

Any help is appreciated. .

Thanks!

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All depends on what compressor, many hardware compressors can't be replace in sound quality by digital VST compressors. They may come close but you can still hear the organic analog sound quality, compared to the digital sound. But a good engineer and a good digital VST can close the gap in a mix, but outboard equipment will always give a bigger sound than VSTs because you process the mix outside the box, and that usually articulates and widens what you were able to achieve inside the box with VSTs, when you process mixes with hardware equipment.

Great thanks. I understand it's probably obsolete, but I still wanted to give it a go... I got it super cheap!

This method works, but I was hoping to use the "inserts" on the back of the m-track. The manual for the mtrack quad shows a compressor going into the back of the unit. I was hoping to get it functioning like a plug-in, where I could loop a section and play with parameters. Does that make sense?

@kday - that's exactly why I figured it was worth a go. I want to be able to have experience with both so I can form my own opinions! Seems like people are pretty divided on the VST vs hardware thing.

With that said... VSTs get +1 for me in the ease of use category!!! :) Hopefully I can get this thing working the way I want it...

In the effects bin of the track you want to compress, right click, and choose the option "Insert External Insert".
 
In the plugin window you'll see, you can choose any hardware output and any hardware input. Connect that output to the in on the compressor, and your selected input to the out on the compressor.
 
You also need setup the latency, so look up External Insert in the help menu for that. It works fairly well (most of the time).

mikebeam
@kday - that's exactly why I figured it was worth a go. I want to be able to have experience with both so I can form my own opinions! Seems like people are pretty divided on the VST vs hardware thing.

... which seems to me like a false binary. If you like it, and can get good results with it, then it's not obsolete. FMR are still in business making and selling these things, so obviously someone's buying and using them.

John T
In the effects bin of the track you want to compress, right click, and choose the option "Insert External Insert".
 
In the plugin window you'll see, you can choose any hardware output and any hardware input. Connect that output to the in on the compressor, and your selected input to the out on the compressor.
 
You also need setup the latency, so look up External Insert in the help menu for that. It works fairly well (most of the time).

I inserted the External Insert into my effects bin - hooked up the out to the compressor and then plugged the compressor into the back of the unit - however it doesn't give me options for the back inserts on the dropdown menu - it only lists the typical inserts on the front that I would have for say - inserting a mic.

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Right. I don't know anything about that interface. But in practical terms, is there any particular reason to use the back inserts? Why not use the front channels? An input is an input, generally speaking, and if you want to use this thing in Sonar, then you need to use the inputs Sonar can see.