Is there any visual way how to check audio level (peak or RMS) for the mixer? Specifically for external audio input. I’m chasing some unwanted saturation.
Another related question is, if there is some kind of built-on limiter because I think I can hear some ducking which I can’t explain. Is it possible that a too loud track can duck audio coming from external input?
I think the answer is no and no, but if you’re getting saturation and unsure of the source, how are you gain staging the input? Is the majority of the volume coming from the source audio or is it coming from the mixer input level?
Also, I’ve never heard anything about an inbuilt limiter but sometimes too many sounds occupying the same frequency range can sound like they’re causing each other to diminish or as if there’s some cancellation occurring, maybe some kind of phasing issue.
Is it possible that there are a couple of sounds which may have some overlapping eq? Even dissimilar sounds that occupy the same space sonically might be impacted.
If you can confirm that the saturation you’re hearing is not present in the direct headphone mix of your audio source I’d probably turn up the source and turn down the syntakt input gain, however you might also want to try different cables (or jack adapters) or look at any other factors which are easily overlooked but which might have an impact.
I almost had my plans foiled by the wrong cable just the other day and it’s always easier to troubleshoot something when the person doing tech support isn’t the same one chasing down the problem. It just means that sometimes little stuff goes overlooked.
Anyhow, not sure if that will help get you anywhere but good luck with this either way.
Something you might try if you suspect that there’s some cancellation at play, is hard panning the suspicious sounds left and right and see if the phasing effect disappears, if it does then it might mean you need to shelf the eq on one of the sounds and then work from there to see if you can find a way for them both to live in the same space.
Another tip for unmasking some sounds is to give one of them a little more attack than the other. This is surprisingly effective. A difference of 2 or 3 can be enough, if they’re both meant to be snappy sounds.
Both of these sound like effects coming from the FX track drive to me. I’m not saying that’s necessarily what’s happening, but the analog FX track does give extra saturation and when multiple sounds are routed through the drive, they can cause some pseudo-ducking behavior as they compete with each other. Might be worth double checking your routings. The external input routing is easy to miss on the FX Track Routing screen since it’s tucked in the bottom right corner.
As an aside, I would love a simple VU meter on the side, maybe toggle-able in settings.
Maybe something like this?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1608522898/phatronics-the-big-vu-analog-vu-meter?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_us_a-electronics_and_accessories-gadgets&utm_custom1=k_EAIaIQobChMIoZrP9N7SiAMVTdTCBB3EOR13EAQYAiABEgIMT_D_BwE_k&utm_content=go_1843970779_69216055865_346364368059_pla-353904501530_m__1608522898_12768591&utm_custom2=1843970779&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADtcfRKaIuOe1aLQAFuZic8lo4kzF&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoZrP9N7SiAMVTdTCBB3EOR13EAQYAiABEgIMT_D_BwE
I have some VU meters in my studio and wish I could turn them off. The clickity clack they make when signals are loud is very annoying.
Those are pretty cool! But I meant as part of the ST firmware 
like how the DT displays levels in a single pixel column on the right when adjusting the compressor.
EDIT: actually, now that I think about it, I’d much rather they just add that compressor to the Syntakt 
Insane! Are we really expected to make music using our ears? Perhaps the reason why there are no levels (and mastering FX) is that Syntakt has analog path. They would have to add ADC just to measure levels.
Whatever, Elektron needs to learn that kids these days need to see what they hear othewise they don’t hear what they hear.
theoretically the overbridge part already doing ADC so I suppose they can tap to that, would be really cool…
laughs in rytm mk2 compressor with no gain reduction meter, took me long time to learn to live with that, I run it into audio interface so I used to look at the levels on the interface screen, but with time I kind of just know already based on the master volume knob position where I am approximately, when I record my stuff I usually have a deviation of 2-3db max from -6db, so don’t really need meters at this point
I wouldn’t mind a built in spectrum analyzer though 