I've never worked off a real console so maybe this is a dumb question, but normally wouldn't all signal come into the console and pass through it? Wouldn't that put it last in the signal chain (at the bottom) of the PC? I guess that is why last made more sense to me. I know I like the effect much better in the final position, when you play with the drive knob, your driving the entire signal.

Yes there have been many threads on this. I guess it really just comes down to what sounds best to the individual.

On a real console you plug in whatever goes into it (mics, DIs, etc), and the part of the channel you plug this into is the console preamp on the console channel channel. That signal goes to inserted compressors/gates/whatever connected at the Send/Return point, then to EQ, then to sends, then to pan, then to volume, then to the master section with its own processing, then out to tape/PA/whatever. Of course, you have all the pre-fader, post EQ, something something settings that allows you to change this up a bit, but unless there's something else than a mic or an instrument plugged directly into the mixing board/console, the first thing the signal hits is the console preamp, where gaining and all the good stuff happens

According to the developers of the CE, it mainly emulates the "summing part" of a console, hence they suggest to use it at the end.
 
Off course, we can put it anywhere we like, experiment etc.  But, in all the Cakewalk presets it is at the end, it is at the end of the default ProChannel, Noel (Cake's CTO) suggests to put it last, as does Craig A.  Seth and Brandon used it last in all the Webinars, etc., etc.

That's interesting jb101, like it says in the OP, the documentation says to put it 1st so I thought thats what it was emulating. If it's emulating the summing, then that's a different thing. People, inlcuding whoever makes the presets, seem to prefer it at the end. Maybe there's some poor communication somewhere?
 
The demo videos I've seen of the Waves console emulations, they put it first for the authentic sound. VCC, IIRC, they put it last in their demo videos. No wonder people get confused! Anyway, what ever sounds best is the correct answer really. I prefer to use my ears rather than to be right
 
Thanks for that info, buddy! Good to have that pointed out

Hi all,CE mimics the Large Console......in a mixer the input is at begin af the chain,then CE should be at the last couse the drive is the "fader" of console.
Simply speaking 
Best

Hmm... I thought it was mimicing the saturation that happens at the gain stage, as in the first point of the signal flow, where saturation usually takes place? After all, the Drive dial is not really a volume control... Care to elaborate?

I remember that discrepancy in methods back when I first started fiddling with it... however you have to consider WHY you might put it at the end of the signal chain of a PC strip. If you were using an external tube pre or compressor in a hardware situation you'd likely have that BEFORE the board, nest'ce pas? It could also be looked at from the angle of how a board with internal compression/EQ and the like handles an input. Like will the signal go through the EQ section BEFORE it starts humming around inside the board? Where exactly would sound the CE creates actually come from within a hardware board?
 
So you might want to look at the ProChannel itself a little differently. What modules would you consider to be something you'd use as an external pre-input effect, what would you consider to be an onboard effect (and where would it sit in the signal chain within the board) and finally what would you consider to be effects that are being fed by the output of the board.
 
Obviously it doesn't need to be overly complex but once I started looking at the CE in those terms I found I could manipulate it more logically and get better results. I personally use it in kind of non standard ways anyway. Like on some tracks I find it sounds really good but on others it kind of sucks the life out the sound or makes it seem lo-fi while other times there doesn't seem to be any difference at all. So instead of throwing it on all the channels at the start I'll get a rough mix together then try it out solo'd on each track and then in the mix. Sometimes I'll even mix and match. Then I'll do the finer mixing with the modules in place.
 
Also putting the CE at different points in the PC chain can have some very different results especially with compressors and tube modules in play. Actually screwing around with how it's placed in relation to the FX bin loaded up with some heavy duty distortion or other really noticeable effects gives a pretty good example of what happens when you drive the CE with the signal as opposed to just turning the CE drive knob.
 
I have even tried doubling up the CE on certain channels or buses which can be interesting. I guess that could be looked at like tracking with one type of board then mixing through another. Many many possibilities.
 
Other people however say they can't hear it doing anything... so maybe I'm just crazy. lol

Oh and another consideration I left off is old hardware style board inserts. When looking at a specific PC module, FXChain or the contents of the FX bin where would that sit within the signal chain in relation to the board?
 
Just pretend all that stuff is hardware gear and figure out how you would set it up if it were sitting in front of you. Now where does board fit into it all? That's where your CE should go if you are trying to stay true life IMO.

I hope that you trust him......
 
http://blog.cakewalk.com/...-in-sonar-x2-producer/

GIM Productions
I hope that you trust him......
 
http://blog.cakewalk.com/...-in-sonar-x2-producer/

I find Craig's way makes the CE more noticeable. Still I think either the first in line/last in line debate is really just a basic starting point for those who don't want to mess with it as much as I do.
 
If I just want to have it affect my entire signal as those methods are supposed to I use it on the busses, not the tracks. I may have to turn up the drive a little bit to get it humming but it works and it's easy. Also even though summing supposedly takes place how many channels would you have in a hardware situation anyway? For those who have really high track count projects all that summing may not be emulating a hardware board as accurately because... well how many studios have boards that have like 100-200 channels?
 
I think it's a much more nuanced concept than either Cake or Craig originally described when the module first came out.
 
Of course, as always, that is just my opinion and I could be horribly wrong.