Routing question.....

D

DukeDauphin

New member
I have just set up a new studio which is rather nice and im trying to get my head arund the best and easiest way to run everything....

Heres my setup.

Macbook with logic pro, and a mbox pro....

Mackie 1604 vlz with a fostex r8.

Im using the pre amps on the mackie desk as i think they are better than the mbox (possible first mistake as this seems to be making things harder for me...), from the direct outs into the r8 inputs, r8 outputs into the track line inpits 9 and up.... running the sub outputs into the aux ins of the mbox so i can track everything through the r8 and straight into the computer without messing around with anything. Heres my problem. When i record into the macbook, through the mbox, i only get track on one side, left, when im going into the mbox via left and right aux in signals. Im coming out of the mixers 3 and 4 sub outputs, so what am i doing wrong? im recording 2 tracks into tracks 1 and 2 of the desk and when i try to seperate them in logic, the panning doesnt work and they stay to the left.

Im not the most intelligent with this sort of thing so please, treat me with kid gloves, im sure the answer is obvious.

Thanks in advance for any one who reads and can give advice... Perhaps this isnt even the best way for me to work?
 
At first glance (and it's early, so feel free to clarify), it sounds like you're trying to record mono sources to stereo tracks.

First things first - Don't do that.
 
Hi John,

Thanks for the reply!

No, they are both mono signals that now strangely are panning, where they wouldnt before.... Im going to spend some proper time reading the manual and see if that sheds any light, not that ive read it a thousand times anyway but here goes again.... Ill be back with any findings!
 
I agree. Each input on your MBox us mono, if you want stereo, you would need to use two of them.

Signal flow and routing should be treated like a sport. I'd love to watch people competing for speed and simplicity making the best routes from place to place. That being said...

Are you using the R8 to add a 'tape sound' to the tracks before they get recorded digitally? Perhaps you could get rid of the second pass through your 1604 and plug the R8 outputs directly into your MBox?

Use the Pre on the 1604, Direct Out to the R8, R8 output to the 'Line In' on your MBox Pro. Tweak level going into Logic with the knob on the Mbox.

Would that be workable? Are you trying to record more than two tracks to Logic at once?

Hopefully we've been helpful in some way... If possible, a few pictures would help us/me in sorting out a solution :)
 
Hi sr71rules,

Again, thanks so much for the reply. Will post pictures once i get back there.....

Going straight into the mbox pro is an option but ive only got two ins as you state, and sometimes yes, there are up to 5 tracks if im recording drums. Im kind of in that stick as many mics on as possible stage and then split and pick the best combination so need more than two tracks to indulge myself. Im using the r8 to get a tape sound yes, i much prefer it to the cold straight into the soundcard tracks ive been getting.

What ive also experienced is that if i put different channels from the r8 into logic seperately and try to mix later, they are all playing at wildly different tempos and are impossible to sync up. I do have a mtc-1 unit that was passed down to me by a friend, and wondered if that could help in some way, but seeing as its a midi device, i doubt it.

Ideally id like to get a way i can use all the available insert channels on the desk that are free (1-8), going into the mbox as digital signals so that i have no fluttering issues. Then once all my tracks are in logic and im happy with my mix, bounce to tape and then back to digital. The only part im stumped at is how to seperate tracks in the first stage using the mixer going into the mbox, as i only have two channels going in..... Ah im answering my own questions it seems as im going along. I just have to bouce everything into a group and use the sub output into the mbox rather than trying to split everything. One day ill have a beautful 24 track desk or something like, but for now, my 2 channel input will have to do!

Hope fully im right.....;)
 
So, to confirm, you have an Avid Mbox Pro? Should be mostly grey and connects to your computer via Firewire? Does it have MIDI ports on the back? If so, the unit can record up to 8 channels at once into Protools, but with the gear you've outlined you can only do 6. 4 of them are on XLR or 1/4" connectors and two are shown on the back of the unit in a stereo pair of RCA connectors. Their are various ways to wire things up to get the most out of your Mackie.

The R8 may not be playing back 100% accurately which could cause you sync issues. Sometimes the speed the machine runs at can fluctuate so tracks can be a little slower or faster.. or both! More likely though, the issue is because the units are not 'syncing' to each other. Pressing play on one and then record on the other will only get you so close.. and will leave you with lots to edit later.

I have a similar setup to you, a Digi 002r and a TSR8, 8 track tape machine. I sync the two together using Midi Time Code, also called MTC, and a quick Google search shows me that the MTC-1 you have is not that dissimilar to what I have.

Basically, I record time code onto track 8 of my TSR8 using a MTC to timecode converter. I press play in Protools and have it send out MTC over the MIDI cable. That signal feeds into my converter and it generates timecode that gets recorded onto the TSR8, I use track 8. Once that is done, I sort of reverse the process. I put Protools into 'Online' mode and tell it to listen to MTC coming in through my convertor box. I feed the timecode from Track 8 on my TSR8 into the converter box and when I press play on the tape machine, Protools chases the machine and they stay (more or less) in sync. It uses a track on the tape, of course, and I also leave the track next to the timecode open because the signal can bleed over but it works pretty well for me all the same.

As you can see, it's not trivial to do and I mean you disrespect when I say you may want to call up the friend that gave you the MTC-1 and ask him to help you making the right connections. :D

Also, to make something as clear as possible: If you have a 24 channel mixer board and you submix tracks and then record that submix into Protools/Logic/whatever, you cannot separate the tracks again once you get them into your program. They will always be submixed together. It's a real pain to spend time and money getting something setup only to find out later something you assumed was possible is not. The only way they could be separated would be if you, for some reason, recorded two mono sources as a stereo track, one panned hard left and the other hard right. Save yourself the time and trouble though just record them mono.

I'm afraid I may have only added to your confusion at this point... :confused:
 
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