Inputs and Outputs

[wearetheniceguys.com]

I was attempting to figure out how to get the default bus names back when working in a new session. I started messing around with the ins and outs and now no sound from the previous session will play. I didnt know messing with the ins and outs would have a global effect. I want to get the ins and outs back to their factory settings, when you first load your system. I'm using a 003 but that never affected my ins and outs, so I just need the factory settings. May I'll have to trash the preferences but I have no clue! PLEASE HELP!!!

[Drew Mazurek]

With PT launched and no session open, go to the I/O setup menu and click default button in each "tab", Input, Output, Busses, etc.

Then make sure that the Session I/O overwrites system I/O is unchecked.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by Drew Mazurek

With PT launched and no session open, go to the I/O setup menu and click default button in each "tab", Input, Output, Busses, etc.

Then make sure that the Session I/O overwrites system I/O is unchecked.

and if that doesn't work, try again, but first, select and delete all paths(do this on each tab for inputs, outputs and buses).

While we're on this subject, consider spending some time learning how (and why) to customize the IO setup. True, you may need to redo some stuff in sessions you've already started, but customizing the IO and buses can streamline your work flow. For instance, my inputs are all named for the mic pre that feeds each, or for an instrument that is usually connected there(like MotifL&R for my SPDIF input). I have outputs named for the destination(Phones Booth, Phones Drums, etc) and buses named for DrumComp, DrumRoom, VocVerb, InstVerb, etc. Just tossing the idea out

BTW, since PT9 opened up things, it brought a little PITA "feature" that can often stymy newbies. That's when some output is greyed out for no apparent reason. If you see that, open Setup>IO>bus tab and scroll down looking for anything in the right column that is in italics. If you see any, UN-check them.

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by albee1952

a For instance, my inputs are all named for the mic pre that feeds each, or for an instrument that is usually connected there(like MotifL&R for my SPDIF input).

Dave, since I just got the Focusrite Scarlette 8i6 that has SPDIF input, and I also have the SPDIF output on my Motif XS8...is that a better way to go? It's just stereo input, right? I've often used the Firewire to laydown tracks from the Motif if I'm tracking a complete 4 voice performance, say, or something I created on the Pattern/Song mode on the Motif, since I can transfer up to 16 at once. Right now, I just have the audio output L/R plus the two additional outputs of the Motif running through my Mackie mixer then going into the 8i6 from the Mackie. But maybe the SPDIF would give me a cleaner signal?

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by DonaldM

Dave, since I just got the Focusrite Scarlette 8i6 that has SPDIF input, and I also have the SPDIF output on my Motif XS8...is that a better way to go? It's just stereo input, right? I've often used the Firewire to laydown tracks from the Motif if I'm tracking a complete 4 voice performance, say, or something I created on the Pattern/Song mode on the Motif, since I can transfer up to 16 at once. Right now, I just have the audio output L/R plus the two additional outputs of the Motif running through my Mackie mixer then going into the 8i6 from the Mackie. But maybe the SPDIF would give me a cleaner signal?

SPDIF may well be a cleaner signal, but there are some caveats(mainy, what sample rate does the Motif do and can you clock to it). Given how clean most modern stuff is, can you actually hear a difference? I actually am using the SPDIF input with a DBX-386 tube preamp(2 channel). The Motif is the usual signal(on the instrument jacks on the front) but I can also record mics on the mic inputs if I need(or if I don't need to record audio from the Motif). Mine is the older es8 model and I don't have the firewire card(and I need the 003 to be the interface anyway)

[JFreak]

The real problem with synths' digital interfaces is they usually do not have a word clock input -- so if you use the digital interface, you need to set the synth a clock master to your digital setup. I would not recommend that, so IMO the digital interface is only good for driving a digital monitoring system or something in your living room.

[DonaldM]

Originally Posted by JFreak

The real problem with synths' digital interfaces is they usually do not have a word clock input -- so if you use the digital interface, you need to set the synth a clock master to your digital setup. I would not recommend that, so IMO the digital interface is only good for driving a digital monitoring system or something in your living room.

I'm trying to understand this. So, are you saying that the only way the S/PDIF would work is if I made the Motif XS the clock source?

What I was hoping to be able to do is take the S/PDIF out of the Motif to the S/PDIF in of the 8i6 and select that as input source to lay down tracks. But then Dave (Albee) is saying, there's probably not much difference in audio quality. I often use the Firewire as output from Motif to input on PT because that way I can laydown up to 16 tracks out of the Motif at once. This is nice when I want to, say convert a MIDI file of a song to audio tracks for further mixing. Just do it all in one shot!

Or, in the Motif's Performance Mode, where you can have up to 4 voices at once, its nice to be able to record an idea with each part on a sep track in PT. The FW makes that easy to do!

I can also take the S/PDIF OUT from the 8i6 into my JBL 4326P studio monitors. That might provide an even cleaner signal for mixing, but I haven't tried that yet.

[JFreak]

Yes, you can only have one clock master in one loop of digital devices. So while using digital active speaker via SPDIF won't interfere with PT, it would introduce nasty pops and clicks if you connect it to your interface. That is because the interface and the synth are both clock masters and want to rule clocking by themselves. And whenever there's a mismatch (99.999% of the time) you will hear pops and clicks. This will be resolved if you set PT interface to sync to external clock (that is carried via SPDIF), thus the synth would be the sole clock master in the system.

So if you get the signal out via FW then that is a digital signal and just the same what you would be getting out of SPDIF. There's no gain in anything. If it works for you, keep using it.

If on the other hand you want to do something nice for your signal, you could for example drive that SPDIF out to a tube preamp for added warmth, and then connect that to your interface as analog. That would be different results compared to the pure digital, but that's how you can isolate the digital connection of your synth.