Question

RME babyface pro - interface

Studio one 6 artist - DAW

Stereo Analog Compressor

I have a recorded song, that I want to play OUT of the interface from the DAW,

I set up an OUT and IN in song setup, but my issue is that I don't know how to set up the playback correctly

I have to playback the song, and it's interfering with the signal from the compressor which I need to hear as well.

Answer 1

Send it out an output on your interface from your DAW. Either mono or stereo since you have a stereo compressor  Route that through your compressor. Send those back into your inputs on your interface. Arm some new tracks (or one stereo track) to capture the incoming signal. Hit record and as the main signal plays out of the outputs it will get routed through your compressor and the signal will be routed back into the DAW through the inputs and recorded to the new tracks (or one stereo track) that you set up.

Make sure you are monitoring the incoming signal so all you hear is the monitored signal. Make sure your outgoing tracks are set to go to the dedicated output channels only and remove them from the mains for now. This way all you will hear is the incoming signal. Solo the track to mute any other tracks if necessary.

Or route the processed signal through an outboard mixer to listen to the processed signal and then take that from the mixer back into the computer. So basically taking the output of compressor into mixer for monitoring and then send mixer channels to the input of interface to record.

If it's the entire final mix of a song then i would suggest using outboard mixer to monitor the signal. Once you have it the way you like it switch back to the DAW and hit record with the routing set up correctly. The mains may interfere with what you hear but now you know it sounds good and at this stage you are just trying to get the recording in.

You may need an outboard mixer for this. Unless anyone else has some tricks up their sleeve.

Ahha! One final thought. Render the file, bring into new project. Do what I said in first paragraph. Send the channel with the imported render out a dedicated stereo out and DO NOT send to mains. Route through as explained and then monitor the incoming signal, play until you like the taste and then hit record. That would erase the mains interference completely. But that would have to be done after you know the mix is the way you want it, otherwise any changes means you have to render again and reprocess.