About external inputs and their routing

Elektron Software Overbridge
#1

I find the way the DT and DN deals with external inputs when multitracking with OB a bit odd…is it just me?

So when multitrack recording in a DAW there is a dedicated track to record the external inputs, which is awesome.
DT and DN have a mixer page dedicated to incoming audio that allows to send it to the FX, which is also awesome.
Once you send the external audio through the fx, the dry signal goes through the master track no matter what…well that’s not awesome at all, that’s kinda crazy! :smiley:

When setting up OB for multitrack recording, the FX need to be used as send FX and the master track becomes a de facto FX-return track, that would work ok but the fact that applying fx on the incoming signal sends said incoming signal through the master track destroys its purpose as an FX return track.
Am I missing something? is there a different way of doing this (apart for not using the fx and process everything straight in the DAW)?

#2

Which Master Track? The plugin MIDI Track?

#3

All FX on the Digi boxes are return FX. The way around it is to record one track at a time, via the master, post-FX channel in Overbridge.

It’s not ideal, but I don’t see how else it could work with send FX.

Or you can just record all tracks together, dry, and use the master track as a guide. Then you can recreate the DN/DT FX in the DAW.

#4

I’m afraid the way I worded the post was far fromgreat :sweat_smile:

I’m very much fine with the fact that all the fx are send fx, what I’m saying is that, when working in multitrack, you cannot treat the external input like any other track. You can record it on its dedicated track but, if you’re using the fx, the dry signal pass through the master track, making it no longer contain only the fx, “ruining it” as a return track.

#5

I was talking about the incoming signal, the external in.

There is a dedicated track for it when you set up OB, but the moment you try using the internal effects on whatever you sending through DT/DN, the dry signal gets also sent through the master track (so in the daw it goes through both its dedicated track and the master track). Since the master track is supposed to act as a return when working multitrack, this kinda fucks that all concept up.

In other words, I wanted to multitrack record while sending an external signal through DT/DN’s fx, it was impossible since the incoming signal got mixed in the return track, which also contained the fx of all the other tracks in the machines.

#6

You can have all your individual Tracks dry (on separate Audio Tracks) and a dedicated FX Track that contains every FX applied to your Tracks. That’s the price to pay when working with Send FX.

#7

That’s what I thought, except it’s not exactly like that. Like I said, I know how to work with send fx tracks, it’s more than fine by me, been doing that for ages, that’s what I’m trying to do again but ONCE EXTERNAL AUDIO GETS INTO PLAY the same logic is NOT applied.

I don’t know if it’s something to do with new firmwares since I never tried this before but if you send external audio through fx there is no way of keeping its dry signal out of the return track.

2 Likes
#8

Do you found a solution to use Overbridge + external audio ?

#9

I stopped trying, as far as I can see there is no way of sending an external audio signal through the FX and keep the dry signal out of the master track.
Being this the case I would only do it when I don’t go for multitrack recording, but honestly I simply chose to avoid processing external audio with the DT.

1 Like
#10

Thanks for the answer ! :slight_smile:

#11

im also coming up against this issue. I dont think external inputs should be automatically routed to the master track?

I have two mono external inputs going into a digitakt that i want to record via overbridge on separate tracks with the fx recorded separately. This doesnt seem possible unless im missing something. Only trying overbridge for first time today.

What would be nice

  • being able to deselect external inputs from being routed to main outputs, just like we can for tracks
  • allow for two mono inputs for external inputs rather than only one stereo input.

ive sent a support request for this, however I now see that this has been brought up on the forum since 2016! so I’m assuming either Elektron cant fix this or isnt prioritising it.

2 Likes
#12

Hey, I’d love to hear an update on this. I also would like to use my master channel on the digitone solely as an fx-channel and still be able to multitrack/record my two inputs without having them run through the master now turned fx-channel.

It’s very frustrating, because it’s so close! =)