Hi guys, I wonder if you can help me with an issue that has been confusing me. Though I may be being stupid!
On my Octatrack, I have been connecting my AK to inputs A&B, which gives me a nice stereo signal on a single track. I have also been connecting my Rytm to input C alone, which leaves me one input free for my iPad.
Input C (the Rytm) is assigned to a Thru machine track.
I have a problem with this Rytm signal, though. I have been using a ‘6.3mm TRS Jack To 2 x 6.3mm Mono Jack Lead’ lead - I plug the 2 x Mono lead into the Rytm’s main L&R outputs, and the TRS Jack goes into Octatrack input C.
However, when I do this, I think I am experiencing weird behaviour when it comes to any panning from the Rytm signal, in that only the L or the R portion of the audio is sounding (which this is depends on which of the Mono jacks is plugged into each side).
Let’s say that only the R is sounding. Despite using a lead which I had assumed would amalgamate the audio into one signal going into the Octatrack so that it will ‘hear’ all of it, only the R can be heard, and any panning to the left from the Rytm won’t play, meaning that a hard L pan on a Rytm track results in it not being heard by the Octatrack at all. A milder pan results in only whatever R signal is still remaining being played. And if the track is panned hard R, then it’s louder than when centre panned.
Is this expected behaviour? Did I get my thinking completely wrong when I presumed that the L and the R would be summed into one output and the Octatrack would be able to pick up any panning? (I assumed that I might not be able to hear any actual panning with this setup, but did assume that everything would at least be heard.)
Or am I simply using the wrong type of lead? This is doing my head in, but I’m sure you knowledgeable folk can let me know where I’ve goofed.
And besides, it seems to me that you are using wrong type of cable anyway. For your thoughts (as I understood them), it should have been:
2 (mono) TS => 1 TS (summing two output signals going in to one input)
However, all inputs/outputs on the OT are mono. Which is indicated by their labels (A, B , C and D). So an TRS, as you have used, into one mono input jack would just give one side of the stereo signal. The signal on the ‘ring’ (TRS = Tip, Ring & Sleeve) just gets omitted, because its nothing there on the receiving end.