414mkII Direct Recording question

[JD20]

I have been using direct recording (1-4) with pan set at 12 o'clock for each.

I had been mixing down with the tape cue mix/monitor out. I decided to start mixing down the "right" way with line out since the monitor mix doesn't allow post eq or panning (at least with Direct Recording).

When I try to mixdown with the line out (all tracks input set to TAPE), I only have audio coming out of the right output. Panning left of 12 removes the track from the mix instead of moving it left, and panning right boosts it in the right.

My question is, was I supposed to set the pan before recording and if so, how? The only panning tips the manual gives in relation to Direct Recording method is DR-ing one track (panned hard right) and using stereo left bus on the rest. Does direct recording make it automatically right channel only or do I have to pan hard left or something? Can I not do them all DR and have a stereo mixdown with line out?

If not and I have to use the stereo left/right bus....how do I know which record function to choose per track for my setup?
1-toms & cymb
2-strings & vox
3-kick
4-snare

Which would I set to L or R or direct input and how would I pan it?

In a nutshell I am having hard time understanding why the tape cue/monitor mix plays in both speakers fine while the line out mix doesn't. Thanks again for any tips and sorry if this is longwinded or confusing..

 

[andyhix]

Well, the good news is that you shouldn't need to re-record your tracks. The 4 tracks on the tape are mono, so as long as there is something on the track, it's on the track. There no Left and Right on track 1, per se. The panning knob pans the mono track during playback only.

However, I don't know what could be causing your problem, though. Unless you have a bad R. line out jack. You should be able to pan exactly as you are describing, so I don't know what might be going on other than this.

I own a 424mkii, and there are a few switches that control the monitor mix, that I always have to dink with to get things to work right - I have never been quite clear what exactly it is that I'm doing when I mess with those switches. Perhaps you need to try the same.

Make sure you have all the track 1-4 green knobs (the fx/tape cue) off (at 0), and that you are using the track faders to adjust the track levels. Otherwise you might be getting a mix of the monitor buss and the line buss together, which could cause problems (again, depending on how your monnitor switches are set).

I'm pretty sure this will be confusing to read, so I 'd better stop now.

 

[JD20]

Ok I think it must be a bad line out then. I can probably take it in and have it looked at but I want to try any suggestions first.

When I have line out hooked up, the only way to get playback is to set each track input to TAPE. No other switches seem to have effect on line out mix (like effect/tape cue slider or L-R/Effect 1/Tape Cue switches). The eq, master fader and track faders all work as they should but I just don't have the left output.

So I guess for now I just have to keep running monitor mix. I was really hoping it was just a pre-pan goof. I am running this into my soundcard with patch cables, I guess I could try hooking direct to a boombox or something just to see if its really dead. I'd hate to have this out of my hands again because the last shop took way more time than nescessary.

Thanks a lot I'll keep messing around.

 

[andyhix]

You're right that the aforementioned switches shouldn't effect your line out signal - you can probably ignore that part of my earlier post. I would check it with a boombox, or whatever, also, so make sure it isn't the cable or adaptors, or whathaveyou. Also, if the right is working, try switching the red rca cable to the left channel line out without changing anything else. If it's totally dead, then you pretty certainly have a bad jack connection. Good luck!