Can onboard effects be true mono?

[trviolante]

Can onboard effects on VF160EX be true mono?

On a VF160EX deck, I need to use onboard effects in a right panned channel with no bleedover to the left. The left pan needs to be clean to hear a click track. The right needs to be wet for vocals. Is this possible or must I use an external processor via an effects loop?

 

[Rokket]

What software are you recording into and mixing with?

 

[trviolante]

Can onboard effects on VF160EX be true mono?

Thanks for the reply, Rokket.

I use Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 to record a click left and band track right, then dump onto the VF160EX. Then I record backing vocals and harmonies on subsequent tracks. What I've found is that the effects on the deck are rendered only in stereo, that is, the backwash is audible in the left (click) track so when my drummer listens to the click, he gets all the vocals' reverb overflow.

Can I isolate the effects so they only exist in the panned right final stereo channel or will I need to use an external effects box? This also begs the question how do you connect a Digitach 300 vocal processor to the VF160EX while using a phantom-powered mike for one recorded voice at a time? The manual doesn't very well explain where to connect external sends and inputs from/to the deck.

 

[gbdweller]

Try going to www.fostex.com. They have what they call a 'knowledge base' that answers alot of FAQ's. There is also a users forum that I have actually found to be more useful in getting answers for my vf160ex. You can also e-mail their tech support and get an answer in about 1 day. The manual is not that great for the unit but they do offer alot of help online. Good luck.

 

[Rokket]

Thanks for the reply, Rokket.

I use Cakewalk Pro Audio 8 to record a click left and band track right, then dump onto the VF160EX. Then I record backing vocals and harmonies on subsequent tracks. What I've found is that the effects on the deck are rendered only in stereo, that is, the backwash is audible in the left (click) track so when my drummer listens to the click, he gets all the vocals' reverb overflow.

Can I isolate the effects so they only exist in the panned right final stereo channel or will I need to use an external effects box? This also begs the question how do you connect a Digitach 300 vocal processor to the VF160EX while using a phantom-powered mike for one recorded voice at a time? The manual doesn't very well explain where to connect external sends and inputs from/to the deck.

The effects on most Fostex units are only virtual until you bounce the tracks down. I know from using the MR-8 that when I transfer the tracks to my pc, they are dry.
I believe that Cakewalk (I use Vegas 5.0) has effects plugins that you can assign to the individual tracks. You don't need to use the VF effects. Record on the VF160 and then transfer the dry tracks to your pc.
As far as the Digitech, I wouldn't use it at all, unless you are looking for an effect that you don't have in Cakewalk (search for VST plugins, you can find a lot of free ones that will do everything the Digitech will do).

I would record to the VF160 with dry tracks, transfer them to your pc and add the effects to your tracks that way. Then you will only get them on the track you want them on, and not in stereo unless you want them that way.

 

[carelessorc]

An unusual problem. If the basic thing you want to do is supply the drummer with a dry mix, then give him a feed using an aux output, this will be dry (no effect). Then of course he will hear no effects at all on the other instruments.
If you really must have dry mono click on one side AND effects on the other side, then here's one way to do it: Set up your stereo mix with effects but without the click. Take the stereo out of the VF160 and feed it back into two channels (set to source), keep the main faders down on those channels. Set the aux 1 to pre- fader on those two channels, then adjust aux 1 levels to get a good signal. At the same time, use aux two on the click channel (also set to pre-fader) to set the click level. You can then treat the Aux out as a stereo output - with a dry click on one side and wet mix on the other.

The VF has the flexibility you are looking for, with a little ingenuity.

Further to GBdweller's suggestions about fostex.com, you might try VF16.com board, which has a very high standard of debate.

Orc