Delta 66 - Only get right signal in monitor mix

[Jnnyquest]

I am only receiving right signals coming from my Mackie Mixer into my Delta 66 breakout box going into my computer. When I disable the Delta card and return to my old soundcard, I pick up both left and right channels of a stereo signal so the connections in my mixer seem right. I have the channel inserts halfway plugged in to the Mackie board and going to the Delta 66 inputs and have checked these by pulling on them while watching the computer monitor and I still only get a right signal. I have checked the Delta software and have all channels unmuted. I also checked the connection to the breakout box and to the computer and they appear solidly connected. Does it sound like my Delta card is bad or have any of you dealt with this before?

Any insight is greatly appreciated.

J

 

[seryozha]

HOw EXACTLY are you connecting the mixer to your soundcard?

This may seem stupid but, each input on the delta is one channel from the mixer. SO if you only have one cable going into the delta, it will only have one signal. (It won't "stereoize" the signal).


Does it say you only have a signal on the right channel in the delta control panel or in some software?

 

[Treeline]

Are you using TRS cables? TRS (three conducter) cables plugged in just one click on a monitor send will probably goof up. Try this with the cable plugged all the way in. The one click method is used to tap off an individual channel without interrupting the signal through the mixer, as a direct out. Either balanced or unbalanced cables should work fine from the monitor outs to the Delta 66 inputs.

 

[Jnnyquest]

The signals are going from the channel insert on the Mackie mixer halfway plugged in to the inputs on the Delta breakout box. My computer only shows a right signal and as it is playing through my quadraphonic speakers, the sound is also absent from the left speakers. I thought about it being a mono signal, too, but it should still play through all of my speakers, shouldn't it? When I recorded the track I only recorded a right signal track in Cool Edit when I tested it.

 

[Jnnyquest]

To Treeline,

I am not using any aux outs or monitor outs. I am using the channel inserts (halfway plugged in) going directly to the inputs on the Delta breakout bo so it's not a matter of switching left and right cables. The connections are like this:

Chan1 insert to Delta Input 1
Chan2 insert to Delta Input 2
Chan3 insert to Delta Input 3
Chan4 insert to Delta Input 4.

 

[Treeline]

Sorry; I had misread your question and then edited my response as you were answering it!

 

[Jnnyquest]

Quick note: For connections (channel insert to Delta box), I was using mono cables instead of aux send/return cables. Could this be the culprit?

 

[Treeline]

No, I can't see that as the issue. I would suspect your software settings. Is there anything (too) obvious going on, like a channel mute or something like that?

If you recorded only a right track, that is all you will hear back unless you change something. So maybe focus on the software record settings. What is the program expecting for a signal?

Also, what is driving the quad system?

 

[Jnnyquest]

I would think the software is expecting a left and right signal. I am driving the Mackie mixer with a Mackie 1200 amp (plenty o power and then some). I have unmuted all of the tracks in the Delta software and receive 4 signals (but they are all right based signals). The only thing I can think of doing is uninstalling the Delta card, switching the Delta card to another slot in my PC and reconnecting it in case the computer interface is not seated correctly (it appears okay, but you know how that goes).

 

[Treeline]

That's an idea.

At the risk of irritating you, do you have all the cables plugged into the left bank of the Delta 66? Not 2 on the left and 2 on the right?

I raise the issue because my Delta (installed two days ago) was suspiciously silent until I realized that following my efforts to reseat the card, I had forgotten to plug in the breaker box cable.

It sounded much better after that.

 

[seryozha]

Maybe i missed something but....I hope you are NOT connecting the amp to the delta. You're just connecting the inserts to the delta, right?

Heres a thought....try connecting the ST, or sub or some other stereo out and put that to the delta input on 1 and 2. See if you get anything.

I would try updating the delta drivers too. does the software you are recording pick up all inputs?

You said you are receiving 4 signals.....? But they are all right justified.....so you ARE receiving 4 signals....are they the signals that you expect?

All the signals will be mono so there wont be any pan justification. Input 1 will be Left 1 and input 2 will be Right 2, Input 3 will be Left 3, and input 4 will be right 4. I hope this doesn't uh make me look like a jack ass for going over some basics.

 

[seryozha]

Maybe you can post a screenshot of your delta control panel so that we may see the problem?
thanks.

 

[Jnnyquest]

Problem Solved

I remounted the card, rewired everything and put it through a patchbay and everything is working now. When all else fails, start from ground zero.

I was also confused by the way the M-Audio software showed the signals and when I saw one signal I thought it should have been two (as in a stereo signal), but alas it was not the case .

Thanks everyone for your ideas and input - I really appreciate it. Now if I can only figure out how to use Nuendo 2.0 more easily. It may be powerful, but Acid sure was a lot easier to work in!