Vast volume differences between tracks on Octatrack going into a mixer

I dropped out of aerospace engineering school to play music in bands, I was literally going to be a rocket scientist… :joy::joy:

I learned everything from the manual. I’ve probably searched the iBook version a thousand times, and have read it front to back at least a dozen times. Every time I do I learn something new, I’m probably due for another read through… :rofl:

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Yeah, that’s what I mean. The OT loves to confuse you at first but if you keep it it grows to like you and starts treating you better… :smiley:

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Okay, so I realized a couple of things. The Main level on Track 1 was at 0, if I recall. So I turned that up. Also, it may have had something to do with the cable. To connect my OT to the mixer, I was using a Stereo Pair cable to 1/4" TRS cable into one of the mixer’s Mono inputs.

So what I did, before turning up the Main level on Track 1, is run stereo out from the OT and stereo in to the mixer.

Perhaps both of these things needed to happen? I suppose I could test the Stereo Pair cable to 1/4" TRS cable again, but with the OT Track 1 Main level turned up.

Did you go to the mixer and put the headphone balance on the middle, turn the cue volume to -64, and check for flashing track lights and uncue them if they were?

If you’re connecting a stereo TRS cable into a mono, unbalanced TS mixer input, then the ring on the plug may not be connected to anything (depending on how the mixer input is designed). IT’s also possible that the quiet track isn’t mono compatible.

I could also imagine a scenario where summing two balanced signals through an unbalanced Y cable to a balanced input could potentially give you issues with center-panned material cancelling.

What happens to the quiet track if you disconnect one of the Y cable plugs from the OT?

So only a single MONO signal was connect to your mixer?

If this was really the case than the track may be panned to the other side which results in a lower volume when you connect only one channel.

@Supercolor_T-120: I know no mono input which would do some stereo-to-mono summing. Mono inputs only takes one channel from the stereo cable plugged in (I think the left one). And when summing the two sides of a balanced signal you get exactly 0 (silence), because the sides are exact mirrors of each other.

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I did not. I will do that tonight.

I didn’t try disconnecting one of the Y cables from the OT. Do you think I should?

At any rate, the issue resolved (for now) just by doing stereo out from OT and stereo in to mixer.

You obviously had stuff cued because your mains were at zero…
I’m not trying to be rude your fine with me, but if you ask a question and multiple people suggest doing something, you might at least want to do it… :rofl:
I would imagine anyway, maybe not… :smiley:

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You make a good point. On some level I thought the cable was a problem, but I just couldn’t understand why two of the tracks were fine, and Track 1 was very, very low in volume.

Yeah, you were definitely right about the main being at zero. That fixed things immediately. And I think it probably also helped that I just went stereo out of OT to stereo in on mixer.

Also, I get bogged down in technical terms, as I’m someone who learns about music equipment by experimenting and talking to others, so that was why I kept chatting with you guys. I was trying to gather some input and facts. And, of course, I was working and not by my OT at the moment. :smiley:

It’s all good, it just would get really hard to help if a couple of us suggested something and assumed you did it but you didn’t… At that point we can’t really help anymore…

And again if any part of what anybody says doesn’t make sense, ask another question about that very specific thing and someone will clarify it… We don’t care if you don’t know the terms, we will help you learn them… :slight_smile:
That’s one of the whole points of this place to learn how to use the stuff…

So again, no worries at all, it’s all good…

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Well said, Mister Mike :slight_smile:

I appreciate that! It’s definitely been a good place to learn.

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Totally missed that the cue status hadn’t been checked. y cable sounds like it’s working fine.