Multiple tracks problem in LE

  • Thread starter Thread starter Obi-Wan zenabI
  • Start date Start date
ttt

I've been completing my studio, so the firepod's been sitting fallow in its box, but wanted to keep this thread current so that I could write up which advice worked! Will have some time this weekend, I hope. :)
 
Obi-Wan zenabI said:
I've been completing my studio, so the firepod's been sitting fallow in its box, but wanted to keep this thread current so that I could write up which advice worked! Will have some time this weekend, I hope. :)

Record something allready! :D
 
Yes, two things when you first start cubase:

LE works like Cubase SX 1 did, where you have to select the input at the channel in the mixer. You can't select the same input to go to more than one track at the same time. To turn on all of your inputs, you have to go into the Devices menu, to VVST Inputs. Now, the key!

You have to expand that window, as it'll only show the first two inputs!

Click the "Active" button for each input.

Now, go to the mixer and select an input for each channel, it's the little pull-down just above the fader.

Now, record enable all of the tracks you need, and you're in business...

I think these should solve your problem, I have clients that use LE to do tracking at home, and the inablility to use all 8 channels on their firepod/motu/etc is the number one complaint. Of course, they can, once they get the settings right!
 
johnsuitcase, i just repped you but apparently i negged? :confused: :eek:

i don't know how that happened and my only explanation is that i'm drinking at the moment. :D

i'll try to tip your scales in the near future to make it right. :o

don't drink and rep kids.
 
finally!

ok... baby due any minute and christmas is upon us, but some friends came over yesterday and helped me out...

Here's what they did:

1. Control Panel>Sounds and Audio Devices>make sure that both the sound playback and sound recording were both set to soundmax digital audio.

(I had tried these settings during one of my iterations... so this was not the problem in my opinion... I had just left them set differently after trying everything in desparation)

2. hold down control and click on each track.

that was it-- just your basic windows keyboarding skills! I had really gotten everything set kosher, it was just deselectin track one as i punched track two &c.

thanks everyone for youer suggestions! :D

I now have a beautiful studio... one that works! :)

merry christmas!
 
Congrats! On all points!

I hate poor interface designs. In fact, I use Cubase SX all the time, and it has this little quirk. When you hit the "z" key, without any modifier or anything, it collapses all the tracks. I really hate that!

Maybe I can modify that in the preferences...

Glad to hear you're in business finally!

(of course, on my mac, there's no need to control click anything, so I guess I wouldn't have figured that one out!)
 
hold everything....

Here was the solution: You have to hold the shift (or wait, was it control... oh well, try both) when selecting another track....kind of like when you're selecting files in any windows program.

That will keep it from toggling away from the ones that you have already selected to record.

My friend came over this Christmas and figured this out for me. We had 8 tracks going, just testing with one mic sequentially in every port, and it was all good. I am recording my band tomorrow for the first time, and can report back how it goes. (going to be using the spdif port, I hope...!)

apologies for taking so long to update w/ the solution. thanks everyone for your suggestions.
 
ok let go...

um.

ok, so I went to record today and had zero luck. same thing. the control key was useful, but it was not the thing that was causing my original problem.

I eventually figured out the path to activating the other inputs, but heck if I can remember what I did to get to that menu. It wasn't the drivers, and it wasn't in devices->vst inputs, either...

When I figure out what I did to activate inputs 2,3,4 (each acts like a stereo input), I will post here, but that was the trick.

Actually got three songs recorded for my jazz band's demo. 8 tracks! Simultaneous!
 
Here's my best tip for Cubase:

1. Create a folder on your desktop called 'Cubase Notes'
2. Create a text file in that folder called 'Cubase Notes'
3. Create a shortcut to Paint in that folder for quick access
4. Every time you run Cubase, open the folder and leave it on the taskbar
5. When you come across a snag (most the time you'll probably figure it out on your own before someone answers you on a forum) write down the solution in the text file, give it a heading in words that you understand, and grab a screen capture if it might be useful (print screen button on your keyboard, then paint>edit>paste) and add a reference to the notes for the screen capture like 'sound card setup menu'.
6. Every time you do some thing in Cubase that you think you might forget, write it down (no matter how simple). It only takes a minute to write down. It takes a lot longer to remember or completely figure out again.
7. The next time you forget how you did something, open your 'Cubase Notes' text file and use edit>find if necessary.

I've told this to others here before and the reason I do is because 90% of my time spent in Cubase early on was over trying to remember how to do something that I did before. One day I started taking notes and rarely ever wasted my time figuring out how to do something in Cubase again.

W(write)TFM :p
 
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Here's your first couple of notes. Change it to whatever makes sense to you:

- Setup Sound Card Inputs and Outputs -

1. Devices > Device Setup > VST Multitrack > ASIO Driver box > (select your sound interface)

2. Devices > Device Setup > VST Multitrack > Control Panel button > (change sound card settings like latency, etc.)

3. Devices > Device Setup > VST Multitrack > Direct Monitoring checkbox (check for 0 latency, unprocessed monitoring)

4. Devices > VST Inputs > Active buttons (turn on / off to enable / disable sound card inputs) ****You may have to grab the bottom of the box and pull down to see all input options!****

5. Devices > VST Outputs > Click in box at the bottom of the pop up window and choose your desired sound card outputs. ****You may have to grab the side of the window and pull to see all Output busses!****

- Record Audio Track -

1. Project > Add Track > Audio

or

Right click in track area and choose Add Audio Track from the popup menu

2. In the track control area, choose your desired sound card input in the "in:" box and choose your desired output buss in the "out:" box. If you're monitoring thru speakers in the same room as a live mic, be careful of feedback (be ready to turn down monitor volume).

3. Engage the speaker button on your track (this is the monitor button which lets you hear whatever is connected to the sound card's input).

4. Engage the track's record button. If your setting in, Preferences > VST > Auto Monitoring > , is set to 'Tapemachine Style', your monitoring button will be automatically engaged when you engage the track's record button.

5. Adjust the gain level of your mic preamp so that you're signal is peaking well below zero in the tracks meter. Open the mixer to see the dbfs meters. Aim to be peaking around -18 dbfs in the tracks meter. If you need more monitoring volume, turn up your speakers or headphones volume control.

6. Press record on the transport.
 
TravisinFlorida said:
W(write)TFM :p

Best. Idea. Ever.


i did try grabbing the bottom of that vst inputs window, but I actually had to go out and mess with something in another menu -- I think it was in control panel > audio devices>...?..... i had to enable the inputs *there* first, then enable them in the VST inputs menu before it would let me.

But I got it allto work and did some pretty good recording! If only I could get my band to relax about getting the demo down now now now so I could hang my 703! Sucks to be stapling blankets into my new drywall when I have all that nice fiberglass sitting right there!
 
TravisinFlorida said:
5. Adjust the gain level of your mic preamp so that you're signal is peaking well below zero in the tracks meter. Open the mixer to see the dbfs meters. Aim to be peaking around -18 dbfs in the tracks meter. If you need more monitoring volume, turn up your speakers or headphones volume control.

I had read to aim for -6 dB...I did I do wrong? I didn't get any crackling or popping...
 
Obi-Wan zenabI said:
I had read to aim for -6 dB...I did I do wrong? I didn't get any crackling or popping...

It varies, I'd say -18 to -12 though.
 
why those numbers in particular? I know that it's not like tape and saturation and signal/noise, but I could swear that I read -6 on several threads.

Also, where I Ireland are ya? (sorry, I'm aware that all irish americans ask this type of annoying question. I did some work in the North and rode a crap bike form Belfast to Galway to Dublin in '98. Was a nice trip except you all drive pretty crazy.)
 
Obi-Wan zenabI said:
why those numbers in particular? I know that it's not like tape and saturation and signal/noise, but I could swear that I read -6 on several threads.

Also, where I Ireland are ya? (sorry, I'm aware that all irish americans ask this type of annoying question. I did some work in the North and rode a crap bike form Belfast to Galway to Dublin in '98. Was a nice trip except you all drive pretty crazy.)

Honestly, I can't say why those numbers exactly!

I'm in Dublin...you mean crazy driving like on the left hand side? I did some cycling myself, motorists can be pretty intolerant. Galway is real nice.
 
I click on the little mixer box and it appears... I expand all the little mixer channels and see the green yellow lines jumpin' away. Right at the top of each is a numerical readout, which reads infinity after you touch the slider, then reads out -21.3, -18.2 etc, in time with the peaks, and holds that number. I'm assuming it's in dBfs. Also it resets every time you touch the slider.

Dublin was nice. I didn't get much beyond the crowds at Temple Bar. at Galway I escaped the backpackers and hostels and took the ferry to those islands in the bay, and slept overnight in this campgroud. I swear I saw the biggest meteor ever that night. right from horizon to horizon. Neat place.

Oh, and the crazy driving is more the sort of rally mentality. I like it. At least people over your side of the pond drive fast and skillfully. Over here, we drive fast and unskilfully.
 
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