Fast Track Ultra: Can't Hear When Recording

[chamlin]

Limited engineering skill here.

1. I can record using the FTU, levels are fine.
2. I can hear playback as well.

What I can't hear is a hot enough level of the track I'm recording, and can't figure out how to adjust that.

Note: In SONAR, I have the input of say, a guitar track I'm recording set to Left Fast Track Ultra ASIO (64-bit) Analog In 5. And I have the Output set to Fast Track Ultra ASIO (64-bit) Analog Out 1. I've tried Analog Out 5, but no difference.

How can I crank that up??? (Thanks)




Windows 7 Pro sp1, M-Audio Fast Track Ultra (Driver: 6.1.8, Firmware: 1.5.1), SONAR X3

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by chamlin

Limited engineering skill here.

1. I can record using the FTU, levels are fine.
2. I can hear playback as well.

What I can't hear is a hot enough level of the track I'm recording, and can't figure out how to adjust that.

Note: In SONAR, I have the input of say, a guitar track I'm recording set to Left Fast Track Ultra ASIO (64-bit) Analog In 5. And I have the Output set to Fast Track Ultra ASIO (64-bit) Analog Out 1. I've tried Analog Out 5, but no difference.

How can I crank that up??? (Thanks)

Windows 7 Pro sp1, M-Audio Fast Track Ultra (Driver: 6.1.8, Firmware: 1.5.1), SONAR X3

How are you monitoring? via Pro Tools or using the hardware monitoring in the Fast Track Ultra?. If the later, then you need to turn up the hardware motioning level in the Ultra. That is *not* the gain level of the preamp. Time to open up the Fast Track Ultra User Guide and read the section about monitoring.

The recording level of the track is one thing. That is all you should we worrying about. Is it OK?

This Forum is littered with folks trying to record signals too hot. Recording at -15dBFS or -20dBFS is fine. Set the preamp gain to get stuff in this level. Then if you are monitoring though hardware monitoring in the interface turn that up to some decent level, if you want stuff louder you turn up the volume in your monitors/speakers or get bigger ones.

If you can't hear what you are tracking and you are trying to use software monitoring though Pro Tools you are likely in the wrong input monitoring mode. Try toggling that with CTRL K.

[chamlin]

Darryl, thanks for responding.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

How are you monitoring? via Pro Tools or using the hardware monitoring in the Fast Track Ultra?. If the later, then you need to turn up the hardware motioning level in the Ultra. That is *not* the gain level of the preamp. Time to open up the Fast Track Ultra User Guide and read the section about monitoring.

Hmmm...I use SONAR X3. How am I monitoring? Do NOT laugh (too hard): I have options? All I know is that I have my headphones plugged in to the Fast Track Ultra.... And in the driver screen I have everything cranked.

I've tried the manual but I don't seem to get past this.

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

The recording level of the track is one thing. That is all you should we worrying about. Is it OK?

Yes, the recording level is fine. It's just being able to get what's being recorded loud enough to hear what I'm playing or singing.

[Darryl Ramm]

Sonar? What is that.

Work out how to use hardware monitoring... Read the user guide about "monitoring". That explains all you need to know. Then just play with that, you don't even need a DAW running... and play around and get that monitoring to work for you.

Software monitoring is listening to what you are recording though the DAW, but that adds latency, which might be a problem.

Hardware monitoring is just using the separate small hardware mixer built into the interface, and you set that up to monitor the different inputs independent of the DAW, with no DAW IO buffer related latency. If you are singing you may probalby be better off starting with hardware monitoring. Either way you need to understand the options. The mixer can also blend back in output from your DAW so you can perform with that previous recordings (but when using hardware monitoring you will disable (in the DAW) any software monitoring of the new tracks you are recording (see the Sonar documentation for how you do that... but I suspect you may already software monitoring disabled).

[chamlin]

Originally Posted by Darryl Ramm

Sonar? What is that.

Work out how to use hardware monitoring... Read the user guide about "monitoring". That explains all you need to know. Then just play with that, you don't even need a DAW running... and play around and get that monitoring to work for you.

Software monitoring is listening to what you are recording though the DAW, but that adds latency, which might be a problem.

Hardware monitoring is just using the separate small hardware mixer built into the interface, and you set that up to monitor the different inputs independent of the DAW, with no DAW IO buffer related latency. If you are singing you may probalby be better off starting with hardware monitoring. Either way you need to understand the options. The mixer can also blend back in output from your DAW so you can perform with that previous recordings (but when using hardware monitoring you will disable (in the DAW) any software monitoring of the new tracks you are recording (see the Sonar documentation for how you do that... but I suspect you may already software monitoring disabled).

That's clear, thank you. I'll head on over to the manual. Send brain cells, please! :)