Question about mixer in/out to pc/ot

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

Hi

I’ve really tried, read the manuals, but after 1 week i can’t figure this out. Hope you guys know this.

My questions is this: How can i setup my mixer I/O’s to avoid feedback, use the OT as a standalone and keep the PC as the main recorder to make my tracks (since there’s no editors for the OT, im afraid of overwriting the OT’s [limited] tracks/projects). I still want to sample the mixer’s output (including the PC) to the OT…

Goal:
record synths/PC to OT
record OT to PC

I have multiple synths and my focusrite (which was seriously short of inputs) went bust so im using a beh-ringer interface with 2in’s and 2 out’s - it didn’t have enough inputs anyways so i got a Zed 14fx mixer from Allen & Heath. Quite happy with it except now Im short of outputs but i think thanks to the OT i have 2 more with the CUE and headphone outputs. The rest of the setup is the pc where i compose andmaster tracks, the OT which i use as a sampler/drum machine (seriously considering an AR).

Since I got the OT I realized i could use it standalone too so this would be nice to have option. The PC is used to record AND layer tracks in FLStudio. I would like to record samples with both the PC or OT (and the record the OT to the PC).

I just can’t figure out how to set this up.
No microphones involved.
Synths go to the mixer inputs
OT and OT go to stereo Inputs
Outputs of the mixer go to OT (mixer’s record channel), main mix output of mixer go to PC and monitors…

This is where it gets tricky (for my small brain):

  • how do i avoid feedback from OT when levels are up?
  • I dont want to unplug-replug things for every different occasion…
  • is it wise to have OT and PC inputs fed back into OT and PC? How can i avoid this?
  • am i using the record out channel right?

Mixer Inputs:

  • synths
  • OT
  • PC
    Ouputs:
  • main: monitors
  • main/headphones: PC
  • Mixer: OT

OT:
inputs: mixer
output: mixer
cue and headphones - unused

PC:
input: mixer (level usually too low)
output: mixer

The mixer can isolate the mixer and headphone channels… But im not seeing how this can help or which should be used for outputs.
I could get another Focusrite (saffire 26 looks the thing) but i want to limit spending (maybe for an AR).

Notes:

  • Yes, i read the manuals and did my web/forums searches but the mixer thing is new for me.
  • i could use the mixer’s usb out to feed the pc but i read that it’s only 16 bit. I already had to reduce all my samples to 44Hz because of the OT, i would prefer not to reduce quality further. But again, if i use the usb i rist feedback.

Thanks in advance for any help.

2

You can go with the ZED’s USB. 16 bit is CD quality. The famous MPC 60 is 12 bit.
Forget the numbers, trust your ears

3

Thanks! I will test it nonetheless :slight_smile:

I found that i can avoid the feedback muting the channel output that is recording.

Additional question, if i want to output the octatrack through the sub37/bs2/mininova ext-in to have fun with the filter/vocoder, which output should i use? synth->mixer->synth looks like a loop i can’t mute…

4

The thing is you cant make the octatrack input the whole mix from the mixer and be part of the mix: thats feedback.

There’s an aux send in the Zed. Use this as the input of the OT; the drawback is that you will only be able to record mono and you will not be using the master mix; you will have to mix the aux send levels to mix what the octatrack will be use as input. Obviously you will not send Octatrack signal to the aux send.

Remember, when you are using the octatrack you either want to hear whats being feeding the OT or direct from the mixer, but not both.The Aux Send is pre fadder, so it will work even if you have your faders all the way down. Levels for the mixer of those channels you are sending to the aux to the OT should be down in order to not double the signal (the one you are feeding the OT and the one from the mixer). Your mixer should only be sending your octatrack channel on the master and those you are not feeding the octatrack.

Hope this helps you a little bit to understand how to use your mixer for creative routing.

5

Thanks very much. The mute buttons on the channels also seem to do the job! So many buttons :slight_smile: