Any one else?
I have an 8 channel MOTU. It does not seem to matter what protocol I use (MME, ASIO or WDM) the first 2 channels are manorial. In the software for the MOTU I am showing separate channels – but it is always records as manorial in Ntrack. Does anyone else have something like this happening? Is there a setting in Ntrack that could cause this behavior? It is a new situation for me.
Thanks,
Bax
HEy bax,
when you go here:
Settings>Soundcard Settings> Recording format
what do you see?
In mine (with Mackie ONYX) there are two settings:
0 Stereo
0 Stereo-> two mono tracks.
I have the second one selected because I want all the input coming in on different channels to be on their own mono tracks and not paired with other channels on stereo wav. files.
The other setting was a PITA for me, if I use channel 1 for vocals and channel two for guitar I had to keep splitting the stereo track into two mono tracks to be able to edit each side individually, it’s just easier to have them already recording into mono tracks.
dontcare 
Thanks for the suggestion. I agree that is the way to do it.
Yes, I do the same thing - record on two tracks instead of one stereo track. But the MOTU pairs the 8 channels into 4 stereo. Channels 3-4, 5-6,7-8 are working as they should. And when I look at the console for the MOTU the meter shows that channels 1 getting seperate reading form channel 2. BUt when I bring it into NTrack either channel shows up one both channels 1 and 2 at the same time. Wierd? Of course, this is probably happening because I need to have all 16 tracks (the MOTU with 8 channels of ADAT fro my Digimax) available.
Remind me again - I like computer why?
Thanks,
Bax
I was reading about the software that comes with the Motu896 and it says there is a setting to pair individual mono tracks for stereo fading between the two, with two modes, Balance and Width.
it might be worth taking a look inside Cuemix and see if perhaps the first two tracks are paired accidentally in there.
cool setting, actually can be used sort of like a volume pedal to vary wet/dry mix on a guitar track with a single fader.
dontcare
Yep - that was the problem. They upgraded the software version and the unit reset to the “better” settings. Anyhow, that is working. Thanks for the assistance.
NJOw, if you are in the neightborhod, could you drop by the show we are doing tommorow and get the rest of the "^(*U) think to work.
After I record abotu an hour, some issue developes with the buffers, or soemthing - I am running test on the different was to set it up now - anyhow, it starts to produce an electric sound, sort of a zit sound for about 2 seconds and what appears random intervals. Never had anythiong like that happen before - of course, I never wanted to record for 2 hours before.
Any ideas on that one? It’s not a spike, and t he time does not change on the tempo/meter of the song, there is just this noise instead of the singer that I was recording. Really I used to lkie computer!
Anyhow, thanks for the help. I’m trying different was to sync the clocks between the Presonus Digimax and the MOTU to see if some combination might help things, But the only way I canget the cound from the Diximax to the MOTU is with ADAT and I fear that is where the problem is.
Hey, the show is going to be get fun anyhow. Benn years since I sang in form of 1100 people, and if I can’t get a recording I will be able to tell people how great I was for years to come!
Bax
Quote: (bax3 @ Apr. 17 2012, 12:29 PM)
After I record abotu an hour, some issue developes with the buffers, or soemthing - I am running test on the different was to set it up now - anyhow, it starts to produce an electric sound, sort of a zit sound for about 2 seconds and what appears random intervals.
Never had anythiong like that happen before - of course, I never wanted to record for 2 hours before.
Any ideas on that one?
It's not a spike, and t he time does not change on the tempo/meter of the song, there is just this noise instead of the singer that I was recording.
Really I used to lkie computer!
the first thing I can think of is a a midi anomily that occurs some times with midi controllers/faders when data packets are lost.
Some software and hardware has built in buffers that replace lost steps in data, some do better than others.
Anywho, it produces a sound like a zip, the way I avoid it during live performance is to make sure the computers midi preferences are set to a midi output that is not connected to any module and make sure Windows midi devices are disabled inside Ntrack.
The other thing that may cause weird sounds is the way in which the converters deal with peaks.
What is sounds like is happening is the vocal input is too hot at certain points and all the data over 0db is being lost (hence the zip).
The Motu has limiters you can put on the channels to avoid the zip you would get from data that is overloading the converters, from what I have heard they are very effective between 0 and 12db, however I'm not sure if they can be applied to the incoming ADAT signals since they are converted by Digimax converters already, so it will be best to have those set correctly or limited with another hardware device pre conversion.
voltage spikes and bass vibration messing with the USB/firewire connection are also a possibilities but my money is on the converters and peak level settings for the -zip.
dontcare
I think you may be on to something. I will do some checing tomorrow when I set up again. I was able to get things working today by using a different set up. I used the ADAT to carry sound, but I used the B channel instead of the A channel and a new ADAT cable. In that process I turned worn the sound levels, really hadn’t considered that because I was not showing a clip at the MOTO but there could shure be some internal stuff going on! anyhow, then I used the WORD clock instead of the ADAT to sync and I was able to get about an hour recorded before I had to stop and pack for the trip. So, I will turn everythiing on tomorrow and make certain I have the limiters set on both usnits and the inputs turned Way down. If thing don’t work, I think I will just plug inot the head phone jack and record what every the sound they theater sound man mix sounds like. I sure appreciate you suggestions.
Bax
HEy bax
I hope everything turned out OK at the gig.
I did want to add that clips (especially low frequency bass) do not always show up in the meters as a clip but they can still overload the converters giving you a zip.
If it was me I would probably send everything bass orientated through the MOtu since it has such award winning and effective limiters with a wide range (up to 12db) without clipping and put the rest of the higher frequency instruments through the digimax but still have a hardware limiter on them.
Digital recording is unforgiving, provided your signal chains are relatively quiet you can always boost volume later on a lower DB track without the noise going up too much, however if a clip overloads the converters that data is forever lost and you risk ruining the recording. 
dontcare
success!
Well sort of.
At least my equipment all worked and I was able to get an in sync recording.
unfortunately, it was one of those auditoriums where the sound is great if you’re not trying to amplify anything.
I don’t know how old the theater really is but it was beautiful and you could stand in the middle of the stage and be heard at the back of the auditorium.
The problem was that no one on the stage could really hear anything that you said if you were standing in front of them.
And, of course, we had the features singer standing downstage center so everything behind them was pretty much on their own.
Turned out that of the 32 channels available on the board there were really only 16 channels available, and those got used up before we could really Mic each of the singers and instruments on the stage.
Just a pretty complicated situation when you’ve got 12 people on the stage and everybody is presumed to be playing an instrument. So, we had two singers per mic, not very effective it turned out.
Oh well, I think the audience had a good time and we put on a pretty good show.
Just not as good as it could’ve been had we been able to work more closely together.
I’m going to try to take some of the video and put the sound I recorded with it.
That’s something I’ve tried before but nothing of this scope of course.
Anyhow, thanks to everyone who pitched in and gave me some advice on how to get this to work particulalary, to our resident curmudgeon, dontcare – thanks dontcare I’m glad you do.
Bax