eeeh, What's up Doc?

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That's going to vary slightly depending on the exact mixing console and effect.
Can you link us to any information on the exact mixer in question?

Does the mixer have "Insert" jacks on each channel?

as DVDhawk said , it depends,
But generically speaking, it's:
Out -from Insert send
To - Input of device
Out -from output of device
To - insert return.

This is the generic form for things like eq, compressor, gates, limiters etc.
In the case of time based outboard things like reverb, echo etc. That's potentially a different can of worms.

The mixer is Sound Workshop 34 Series. Yes there are inserts on the patch bay.

Welcome to RO

That's going to vary slightly depending on the exact mixing console and effect.
Can you link us to any information on the exact mixer in question?

Does the mixer have "Insert" jacks on each channel?

I haven't seen one of those SW mixers for a looooong time. Some consoles have designated sends and returns on each channel, but if it has typical inserts - here's how the signal goes.

The Insert jack is a TRS female and simultaneously provides both an unbalanced send and an unbalanced return.

If it has Insert jacks on the channel you typically use a special Y cable.

The cable has 2 conductors + a shield. It Y's from TRS 1/4" on one end to two TS 1/4" on the other. So the Tip of the TRS is usually the Send (to the effects unit's input) and the Ring is usually the Return (from the effects unit's output).

And here's a little illustration of all that I cooked up to help you visualize the signal path:

I last used one of those SW consoles well before Otari bought them out, but unless I am confusing them with another model in the range, the patch panels on the 34 consoles had separate send and return jacks and a source selector switch in the channel strip. If that is the case, a pair of separate cables would be needed per channel rather than an insert cable.

However, to get informed advice on that particular desk, I would try asking the Sound Workshop group on Yahoo Groups.

Great graphic, Hawk, BTW.

Thanks Boswell,

Are the sends and returns balanced or unbalanced?

It was 1991 last time I laid hands on a SW console.

dvdhawk wrote: Thanks Boswell,

Are the sends and returns balanced or unbalanced?

It was 1991 last time I laid hands on a SW console.

Well, that's probably a lot later than my experience with one! I really don't remember whether those patch bays were balanced or unbalanced, but I do have a vague memory of being able to patch to external bus drivers, so my guess would be that the bay itself was unbalanced but the external bus drives were balanced.