Aardvark Q10 Monitoring with Cubase

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ryanmbeal

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I'm using an Aardvark Q10 with Cubase and have what I hope is a simple problem with my monitoring setup. I'm using headphones from the monitor output on the Aardvark and the mix in my headphones is panned almost all the way to the right, but there is some output to the left. If I pan tracks to far Left in Cubase I can barely hear them in the monitor, seems like an issue with how I have the aardvark configured.

How can I adjust this to get the correct mix in the monitor?

Thanks in advance.
 
ryan i dont know the q10. but one thing you might try is what i do. take stereo line out of the ardvark into a home hi fi receiver if you have one. and plug phones into the receiver. then try panning your tracks in real time as they play in cubase, and see if that works. for example as you pan a track around you should hear it pan in the phones. is this what you want ??
just an idea.
 
Tried running things through the reciever and had the same results.

I have the Monitor L and Monitor R outputs on the Aardvark going to the ins on my reciever. I can test both outs by setting the output to send a test tone and both the Monitor L and Monitor R tones are heard in the right side only.

Has anyone had similar experiences?
 
Hmm, at first I was suspecting a cable not all the way in or something.... but that is kinda wierd. Are the test tones generated on the aardvark, or is it something you're sending from cubase?

BTW, what's your opinion of the Q10? It's at the top of my list as an upgrade hopefully as soon as I can earn the money plus a little extra for other general use.
 
the aardvark has a control panel, basically a software mixer to control levels, preamps, and in/out routing, which is what is generating the test tone. I think I've thought of all of the loose connection, bad headphones, stupid mistake type of issues, maybe not though, I'd be happy if someone proved me wrong.

Overall I really do like the Q10, and I've given it a pretty good workout in the few months I've owned it. Its costly but I'd say well worth it. I've used it with a wide variety of mics and think that they are all able to show their good qualities, even some really abused 57s can come across sounding great. The pre-amps are smooth, I think as good as any of the simple tube pre-amps you could buy seperately. The box has great flexibilty with the combo 1/4 inch, XLR inputs, and phantom power on the first 4 ins, no power adapter needed. My only dislikes are my monitoring problem, and what some have praised as a quick and to the point user guide that I think could have been more detailed. You are tethered to your PCI card but I personally don't mind.
 
Yeah, it suits my needs pretty well. I've used one before at my uncle's house, but I'd get a lot better use out of it at home with the mics, software, and plugins I'm familiar with.

That monitoring problem seems quite odd... The fact that it does it still when coming out of something generated by the hardware straight into an independent reciever is wierd...

There's no sort of pan settings in your control panel that could be set funky?

Other than something like that, it seems a software setting is just about ruled out, so all I oculd think of is that it could be a hardware problem...

It's done that the whole time you've owned it?
 
ryan its either a setting in the q10 or a defective unit.
i would email tech support. that is weird to say the least.
are yoou sure your cables are correctly wired from the q10 outputs into the receiver ?
 
thanks for all the suggestions, I have definitely isolated it to a Q10 issue by removing cubase from the picture completely.

Hoping for a response from aardvark Tech support.
 
Havent heard back from Aarvark support after a week, does anyone know how responsive they are?

Also, I've noticed what might be another symptom of my problem. When plugging in my headphone jack into the headphone monitor out, I noticed that if I push the jack in just barely enough to allow output to the headphones (obviously not all of the way in) all of the sound comes out of the L then after pushing the jack all the way in the output switches over the the R. Not sure if that will spark any ideas or not.
 
ryan. i have a possible clue on what your prob might be but i'm not sure.
i have a question , these tracks you laid down in cubase originally were they mono tracks ? being mixed into stereo bus then out through the aardvark.
if they were mono - could you load up the project please.
and select one tracks properties. i need to know if the track was set up as a mono or stereo track. if you find that indeed you were recording a mono track to a track set up as a stereo track. this could be the problem.
not sure. PLEASE note , just look at the track waveform. you will see one side with signal waveform and the other side with just a line.
if you find this to be the case then the track was incorrectly set up with respect before you recorded.ie; THE RULE is when recording a mono track , and before you record MAKE SURE the tracks properties are set to MONO and NOT STEREO.
try this for me will you - and see if this works.
start a brand new project. on an audio track, set it up as mono before recording , then record a mono signal eg : talking into a mic.
once recorded , play back the track and start panning. NOW do you hear the track moving around in your phones as you pan.
i mention the foregoing because its a common mistake folks make.
if it doesnt work for you now following this procedure i can only think its some setting in the q10 control panel or maybe its just a defective unit.
ive racked my brains and this is all i can think of.
also . its been awhile since i used cubase , but i presume there is a stereo master output control. ie: stereo mix Left and right.
on master output control left and right - if there is a pan for both left and right make sure one is fully clockwise and the other fully counterclockwise.
ie: one pan all left. tother all right.
this is all i can think of. and i hope its not a blind alley.
but ive come across this same recurring problem before with some friends daws. hence thought i'd mention it.
 
I do appreciate your continued thought on the issue but I am recording mono tracks. For giggles just tried out stereo tracks also, 1 mic each track, same thing. No pan on the master out in cubase, just the individual tracks.
 
then ryan i just dont have any other ideas.
other than some setting in the q10 control panel.
heres an idea. awhile back prorec.com did a favorable review on the q10.
maybe try the discussio forum there ?
also one last idea. and this is a "take a flyer approach".
try another sequencer like ntrack which i know some folks are using with the q10 and see if it works. you never know. just import some tracks, mix - and see. or the free audacity. the demoes of these are at hitsquad.com.
another one to try that seems to work with lots of sound card solutions is multitrackstudio.com. if one of these works then it could be a cubase setting, and you will be furtjer ahead. if none of them work then i'm pretty sure its a q10 issue. at least it narrows things down.
trouble shooting wise.
 
ryanmbeal said:
Also, I've noticed what might be another symptom of my problem. When plugging in my headphone jack into the headphone monitor out, I noticed that if I push the jack in just barely enough to allow output to the headphones (obviously not all of the way in) all of the sound comes out of the L then after pushing the jack all the way in the output switches over the the R. Not sure if that will spark any ideas or not.
Click to expand...

Well, this is a big clue. It indicates that the problem is inside the Q10 device.
A bad jack (contact may just need to be bent), a bad connection to the jack, or your left channel monitor output has gone south.
 
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