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This is my first question here. Thank you for your help! Much appreciated!

I run a small online EDM radio station on a Mac mini running Radiologik DJ and NiceCast and I have been using the Behringer Multicom Pro-XL MDX4600 Compressor/Limiter/Expander to run my Røde NT1-A Condenser Mic thru Channel One and then Main Mix thru Channel Three (Left Main Out) and Channel Four (Right Main Out) from my Behringer DX2000USB Mixer with three Y TRS Jacks.

I need a full play-by-play including which exact cables to use with the new gear for the best results:

I have upgraded with a dbx 286s Pre Amp for the mic and a dbx 266xs Compressor for the Main Mix which is being picked up by NiceCast as USB Audio CODEC directly from the Behringer Mixer and then broadcast to my radio streaming service as NiceCast picks up Artist and Title from the playout software and publish it to listeners.

You can listen to my radio station here: https://tunein.com/radio/Dance100com-s261338/

Sorry for the n00b question and the below par Behringer setup but I am running the station on a tight budget (a Shure SM7B and a D&R Airlite is the next upgrade coming in 2018) Behringer DX2000USB

dbx 286sdbx 266xs

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The one thing to be sure of is that you have true insert cables, TS (one ring) on two cables and TRS (two rings) on the other. Some descriptions are crumby and are actually a split of a TS or TRS into two of the same, this won't work.

As long as your mixer can supply phantom power, your Rode mic should connect to your mixer channel 1. Your should then connect mixer channel 1 insert (50 in pic) to your preamp with a 1/4" insert(Y) cable. The Y end will connect to the input and output of the preamp. This configuration allows you to A/B your mic's sound straight into mixer vs processed by your external pre-amp. This is how I run my setup.

Some purists might connect mic directly to pre-amp w/ XLR and connect that output to the mixer because the pre-amp might provide cleaner +48v phantom than the mixer, but the traditional insert connection I described lets you easily diagnose hum and level issues with the gain in the pre-amp, should they arise.

Your inserts to the compressor will be the same way. (64) in your picture will be the combined connection then the Y end will pass through the input and output of your compressor. Note the send and receive end of your cable. Sometimes it will be written on the cable jacket. Send(think from mixer) goes to compressor channel input, receive(back to mix) goes to compressor channel output.

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  • Thank you very much, Evan. I actually had a disastrous breakdown that kicked my station OFF AIR. So I took the chance and installed the dxs 266xs with the Y 1/4" Cables that I already had installed between the Behringer Mixer og the Behringer Compressor. And now it works perfectly already. Thank you for you elaborate answer and guidance that made it easy for my to jump in and solve the issue. I guess I was a bit confused or hooked on XLR but TRS works well now. Dec 3, 2017 at 14:04

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