diamondteeth, the 163 is not an FX device. It is a compressor and therefore should not be used within an " effects loop". It should be used at the output of the track you wish to process or, within the " insert patch" for that particular channel. Of course that is not possible with an all in one box that does not offer direct tape outs or inserts. In that respect, you're screwed. I also assume that you have already loaded up all of your tracks and have no tracks that are free where you could take that one channel, feed it to one output channel, into the 163, out of the 163 and into an alternate input channel to be printed to an available open track?

Your only option may be to do a mix and then with a pair of 163s that are "stereo strapped", compressed the mix which already indicated you don't want to do but which is a common practice of the mastering process after the mix is completed. In that respect, there is no reason not to add some limiting and/or compression to the mix.

All mixed up
Ms. Remy Ann David

How would I use the 163 to add compression on the whole mix??? I am mixing from the 388 into a 22-2. ^THANKS

Stereo outs of 388 to stereo ins of 163.

Stereo outs of 163 to stereo ins of 22-2

Monitor output of 22-2 only. Use 22-2s recording level controls for fade outs.

RemyRAD,

the 388 has tape out and inserts, does that help me out using the 163????

HELLO?

AM I INVISIBLE OR SOMETHING?

Wait... Don't answer that :lol:

Sorry about that Captaininvisible, RemyRAD said something about the 388 not having tape outs and inserts and it does have them. I was hoping having these would help me using this. The 163 only has 2 RCA jacks, 1 in and 1 out and I'm wondering how to hook it up. What would happen if I plugged it in the effects send and return? Nothing? The tape out on the 388 is a single RCA jack, then what? Where does it go to from there. THANKS

diamondteeth, the inserts I was speaking of are commonly found on each channel strip of most larger boards which allow individual channels to be manipulated with external devices such as a 163. The one you are speaking of exists only on the main stereo output bus, which would be fine for overall compression and/or limiting of the stereo mix. And now for your next hurdle, you'll need 2, 163's for stereo and they may not have a stereo strapoption? Stereo strapping of bus compressors/limiters are necessary to keep the stereo image evenly balanced. Without that, the stereo image will appear to shift from the left to the right channels and vice versa depending on what appears to be loudest in the opposing channel. So with only a single 163 and no way to insert a compressor on a single playback channel, your options are...... nonexistent. You can't do stereo with just a single unit, except to be able to patch that single playback channel into the 163 input and then that 163 output, into the channel on the mixer where it appeared before you patched in the 163, if at all possible? This is the disadvantage of the all-in-one boxes of the budget variety. Great little tools with limitations. You are now discovering why most of us here are " GEAR SLUT'S ". We just can't get enough of the stuff.

Size does matter
Ms. Remy Ann David

You don't need to use the tape outs. Any line level send should suffice. That includes the stereo outs (that you'd use to hook the 388 up to the 22-2 anyway).

And, what do you mean the 388 doesn't have tape outs and inserts!?

You see that row of 8 RCA jacks on the back marked Tape Out? What the heck do you think they are?

As for inserts... That's the row of jacks marked Access Send/Receive.