Interfaces Help!

[MikeS]

While recording my BGU Labs challenge, I was mucking around with my mixer ( Presonus StudioLive AR8 USB) and I screwed up 2 things that I can't seem to un-muck up.
1) I tried recording in Audacity (Track playing in Audacity and recording guitar through my mixer, Now I seem unable to get anything to record directly to the built in SD card on the mixer.
2) I messed around with panning (On both the mixer and in Audacity) now I can't seem to have everything in the center.)

I really should learn to get things working then LEAVE MAY DAMN HANDS OFF IT!!!

 

[MikeS]

I don't think #2 is a mixer issue. when I play through the mixer, and listen through the headphones, I can pan Left or right just fine.
SO either the mixer is only sending 99% of the audio to the Left and 1% to the right or something on my PC is causing it. Checking other recording software now. Seems to be something on my PC but I don't have a clue where I could have set the recording PAN.

It looks like the audio on my pc is set right too. It looks like this for both Input & Output:

 

[MikeS]

I'm thinking that my problem is in Audacity because I just tried to record in the Presonus Capture software, first Panning Right then Left and I got sound on both channels (R&L), but Audacity seems to look ok too... I'm stumped...
THere's also an image of the Audacity wave form..

 

[Marv]

Re #2:

If Presonus Capture hadn't worked, I'd suspect cabling related to the right channel. Maybe you have an intermittent problem there and it happened to work during the latter test, but that's unlikely.

I know you want to understand it and get it right, but maybe you can band-aid for now. Unless you really need stereo, split the recorded stereo track into two mono tracks and delete the right one. You'll at least come back to center.

(Pull down the Audio Track menu and select split stereo to mono, if I recall correctly.)

 

[PapaRaptor]

Your Interface Host setting should be Windows WASAPI and not MME. I can't even make MME work on my computer.

Do you have the 1&2 send button activated on the main mix control? That will send the main mix to Audacity on the 1/2 position and you can use the pan pots. Otherwise, I think you need to select 7/8 for the recording input.
Setting the 1/2 USB send button will make the mixer send the main mix to Audacity (or whatever program you choose) and you lose the ability to record more than two discrete channels. That won't be an issue in Audacity, since you can only record a stereo pair, but it could affect any other DAW software that records multiple channels at once.

EDIT: You don't need to use the USB Send. You should be able to select SL-AR8 Main L/R as your input to gain the ability to use the pan pots (and the rest of the EQ in the mixer) without setting the 1/2 USB Send button.

 

[MikeS]

Changing to WASAPI didn't really do anything, but the USB send did.
I could swear that I had not had the USB Send set to ON and was still able to record Channel 1 on both L&R in Audacity. Apparently not. With USB Send off I get Mixer Channel 1 in the Audacity Left channel and Mixer Channel 2 in the Audacity Right channel.
With USB Send ON as you said I get a mono mix of all Mixer channels.
Thanks Guys.

 

[aleclee]

#2 sounds like a channel got set to stereo so the input is recording only to the left or right side and is thus unable to pan.

 

[PapaRaptor]

#2 sounds like a channel got set to stereo so the input is recording only to the left or right side and is thus unable to pan.

After reading this I had to go back and check. You're absolutely correct. Mike's Audacity was set up to record stereo.

Attention @MikeS: After looking at Audacity again, I realized it might even be more simple than setting up the USB 1/2 Send.

I looked again at your screen captures. You were set up to record stereo, which automatically assigns odd channel (1) to the left and even (2) to the right. This will result in input #1 going to the left signal stream and the #2 input going to the right signal stream. On a stereo channel, the pan pot doesn't actually pan. It acts more like a left/right balance control, setting the relative levels between the stereo pair. Pan it all the way to the left and you'll only hear Input #1. Pan to the right and only #2 is audible.

If you set your record to Mono, as shown below you will capture the #1 input only. In mono record mode, the pan pot will really pan left to right.

You can still export a "stereo" mix, even using mono inputs.

 

[MikeS]

I'm not sure what I did, but it seems to be working as expected now. Mixer -> Audacity, channel 1 goes the left in Audacity and channel 2 goes to the right.

 

[PapaRaptor]

I'm not sure what I did, but it seems to be working as expected now. Mixer -> Audacity, channel 1 goes the left in Audacity and channel 2 goes to the right.

It's becoming pretty obvious the StudioLive series offers you several different ways to skin the same cat. I love questions like these because it makes me dig in and do something outside my 'normal' routine. I've had this StudioLive for well over six months and have yet to record anything using the internal SD card recorder. Maybe that will be my next adventure.

 

[Marv]

Wow, this is really useful because I've been trying to figure out what to do with our cat.

 

[PapaRaptor]

Wow, this is really useful because I've been trying to figure out what to do with our cat.

Don't do it! I'll call ASPCA!

 

[MikeS]

It's becoming pretty obvious the StudioLive series offers you several different ways to skin the same cat. I love questions like these because it makes me dig in and do something outside my 'normal' routine. I've had this StudioLive for well over six months and have yet to record anything using the internal SD card recorder. Maybe that will be my next adventure.

The only thing I don't like about recording to the SD card is that it doesn't give you the option to record to discrete tracks. Other than that it is as easy as hitting the record button.