Reaper, Scarlett 18i20, audio routing to hardware outputs problematic!

[MightyUnicorn]

Hey there!

Windows 10 64-bit, Scarlett 18i20, Behringer P16-i, Reaper 5.24 here.

So... I am trying to use my brand spankin' new Behringer PowerPlay P16-i, which is an individual monitoring system. Each person gets their own little mixing board, and they can make their own monitor mixes. It's really slick.

The problem I am having is as thus: If I have a track in Reaper... Let's say it's "Click", on Track 1. Only the drummer wants to hear the click, so I want it to have its own individual output from the 18i20 interface. Let's say that would be "Output 3" from the 18i20.

I would then want to have the audio from "Click" (Track 1) coming ONLY out of output 3 of the 18i20. That way I can plug that signal into input 3 of the P16-i, thus allowing each of us to decide whether we want the click in our individual monitors or not.

Here's the issue: When I try to route Click (Track 1) to output 3 of the 18i20, no signal comes out at all. It has to go through "Master Send", or I get no audio at all.

Everything comes through the monitor system just fine, but ALL tracks being routed through "Master Send" show up in the monitoring system, even if I am running only one 1/4" cable from, say, output 3 of the 18i20 to input 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc of the P16-i. It always comes through as a full project mix, coming through whatever channel I plug it into.

I want to be able to say "Click (Track 1), I want you, and you ONLY to come out of Monitor Output 3 of the 18i20". And then "Stereo Drum Track (Track 9), I want you and ONLY you to come out of Monitor Output 5 and 6 of the 18i20", etc...

Can anyone help?

Thanks!

 

[Tadpui]

there should be a way in the Scarlett's routing software that'll allow you to route software output 3 (which is what reaper sees) to the physical hardware output 3. at least this is how RME does it with their TotalMix software.

As much time as I've spent with TotalMix, and I at least understand it at a serviceable level, that Focusrite mixing app confuses the hell out of me. I watched my friend use it and I was totally lost. So it'll be worth spending some time to really get to know it, especially since you're doing cue mixes for different band members.

 

[MightyUnicorn]

Thank you Tadpui, I really appreciate your reply!

I should explain further. I'm not trying to create individual mixes for the outs on the 18i20. I'm trying to use the Behringer P16-i individual mix system with it. This system has 16 1/4" inputs on the back of it. Each member of the band has their own little mixing board. You put in the individual signals you want to send to the mixers into the back of the P16-i, then you use an Ethernet cable for each mixer, and each person with a mixer gets to create their own mixes.

What I am looking to do is basically this: I want backing tracks only to go to 18i20 1/4" outputs 1&2. I want stereo drums only to go to 18i20 1/4" outputs 3&4. I want vocals only to go to 18i20 1/4" output 5. I want synthesizer only to go to 18i20 1/4" outputs 6&7. I want stereo guitar only to go to 18i20 1/4" outputs 8&9. I will then patch those 18i20 outs to the back of the P16-i using 1/4" cables. The P16-i then distributes those channels via Ethernet to each of the mixers, and the user gets to determine their own mix.

Could there be a conflict between the routing in Reaper and the routing in MixControl? Do I still route the signal with the Routing Matrix in Reaper? Or do I only use MixControl to route the signal to the proper output?

For instance, if I try to route the signal from a specific track to a specific 1/4" out on the 18i20 using MixControl and hit "file/apply", will that routing automatically be reflected in Reaper, or do I need to also specifically route it using the Routing Matrix in Reaper as well?

I'm sorry about being so new to all of this. It's really daunting, and I'm also feeling the pressure of having just spent $1,000 on a cool monitoring system (Behringer P16-i) that I potentially can't use.

Please do keep the replies coming... This new monitoring system is going to become more common as time goes on, and I'd like to keep anyone else who gets it from going through this process in the future if possible.

 

[ashcat_lt]

Reaper doesn't know or care what MixControl is doing. You go in Preferences|Audio, set first and last input and output, and Reaper uses them. But the "inputs" and "outputs" that Realer sees there aren't, apparently, actually attached to the physical holes. They are actually like virtual ins and outs which dump into MixControl who has the final day on which holes are connrcted to what.

Tell MixControl to just connect the fucking jacks to the channels it presents to Reaperand get the fuck out of the way! I hate those kinds of things. Manufacturer puts some fancy bullshit in between te DAW and the actual physical holes and you have to hunt down how to unfuck their default "look what I can do" preset just to use it. You'll have to ask the manual or somebody who's dealt with it how to actually do it, but don't let it do any mixing. Just pass things through, thanks.

Then it's easy in Reaper. You can add a hardware send to any output (or pair) from any track. You don't actually have to set up a hardware send on the Master if you really want to do all the mixing outside the box. I personally never use the Routing Matrix, and just use the I/O panel for each track right from the mixer, but it can work that way too.

 

[MightyUnicorn]

Answer found!!!

So... You guys aren't going to believe this.

Here's the deal with the 18i20. Route everything as you would with Reaper. The Key is as thus, in my particular situation.

In MixControl for the 18i20, from the presets, select "Mixer".

Now, here's the trick: CLICK "FILE / SAVE TO HARDWARE".

You can now use the Routing Matrix in Reaper to route individual tracks to specific outs on the 18i20.

That's all I've had to do this whole time.

But the fact is, this problem along with your responses have helped me learn a LOT about Reaper, and about signal routing. Thank you thank you thank you!!!