Forums › Forums › SQ Forums › SQ troubleshooting › How to use Audacity with SQ6
This topic contains 16 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
-
AuthorPosts
-
2019/12/25 at 7:59 am #88401
I have connected my laptop using usb A-usb B-cable to SQ6. I have downloaded drivers and installed them. I want to record a song using many tracks with Audacity. This whole multitrack recording is new to me and so is connecting to mixer too. I tried to record one track, but the settings are not correct. The audio in not coming to the computer. Can anyone give advice how to go on?
2019/12/25 at 2:02 pm #88403Audacity only records one stereo pair of tracks [two tracks] at a time. You can not record more at once.
You can have more tracks on screen and combine them later but recording is limited to one pair.I would have to see how your version does it but there are settings you need to choose before you can record successfully.
I dont use SQ6 so you need to check the manual and ensure the tracks are being sent out the cable to the DAW.Can you record otherwise on audacity, rather than from the SQ6?
2019/12/25 at 6:22 pm #88404I was able to record one guitar track, but the input volume was low even though I had proper levels on the mixer. What other programs might be good enough for home recordings? It would be nice to be able to record a couple of tracks simultaneously. I want to use SQ6 because I have that desk at work and soon I must be able to make small recordings there too.
2019/12/25 at 7:35 pm #88405The recording signal is output to usb at a point in the signal chain BEFORE your levels/processing changes are heard through Main LR. If I recall correctly, my recordings may be altered by preamp level but nothing else, not faders, EQ, gates, compressors, etc.
The “low level” that new users mention is a feature, not a bug, and it insures that some crazy loud moment doesn’t ruin your recording by overloading the system. I just recorded 32 tracks on Cubase 10 for a two hour live concert while I played keyboards at the same time. So nice to learn after that none of my tracks were clipped or distorted. This is BECAUSE the recorded levels were lower.
So after the raw tracks are recorded, I can raise or “normalize” the gain in software without exposing detectable noise. This is a gift of 24bit files.
It is so much better to be able to modify or process pristine tracks of lower volume than to live with distorted tracks mistakenly recorded too hot or wrong reverb or too compressed.
2019/12/25 at 8:05 pm #88406@Jortaani
First you said you got no audio, now you say it was just low. Which was it.
You really need to tell us everything if you want us to give a good answer and not just keep guessing at your problem.Audacity is plenty good enough for recording at home and other places. Just use it right.
You need to check the manual and see how to use it properly as well as to ensure your audio interface and PC settings are correct.You did use an audio interface didnt you?
And like @barryjam said, if your recording is there but low then use function_normalize to remove DC offset while setting it to peak at -1dBFS then when you play it back you should have plenty of volume.
Did you use a condenser mike without the phantom voltage?
Did you use a cardiod and aim it the wrong direction?
What do you call proper levels on the mixer?
Did you set up the level in both audacity and your audio interface?
So many possibilities and too little information to help you.The max tracks that audacity can record simultaneously is TWO.
Try Sonar now cakewalk by bandlab if you want more tracks simultaneously.2019/12/26 at 7:47 am #88407When I made the first recording and played it back, I did not raise the volyme level enough on Audacity to be able to hear what I made. That was a lesson to me what @barryjam said.
I have connected SQ6 to laptop(win 10) straight, no extra audio interface in between.
I used Shure 57 to record one guitar track, mic was pointing straight towards the amp very near.
I set the volyme level on SQ6 so that it did not clip but was high enough.
I did not see the volyme meters move in Audacity, that is why I think the settings were not correctly set.Is it possible to play back and mix the tracks using SQ6? This is what I would like to do. I played back the guitar track and tried to change the parameters: high, mid, bass. No result.
The desk is new to me. I use it mainly at work for small performances and I have read the manual once but as I am not a native english speaker, it is a little harder. During the next year I must make a couple of recordings at work, so I would very much like to use the desk and learn its capabilities.
2019/12/26 at 9:42 am #88408First of all, forget Audacity on Windows. On Windows you need a software which supports ASIO. Only ASIO gives you full access to the 32×32 interface of the SQ. I amusing Reaper, a very good DAW software for a good price. You even can test it with out limitations of the functionality before you buy it. There are other DAW applications with ASIO support for small money out there too. But my recommendation is Reaper.
Second, you have to learn how to route signals to the USB B port for recording and back to the mixer for hearing the recorded tracks. Have you enough knowledge to do that or do you need some assistance? I usually use IP direct outs routing for recording, using the i/o page. How do you do the routing at the moment? A similar possibility would be to use Tie lines to patch(route) signals of the input socket directly to the USB output.
For direct out there exists a global setting page on the input channel routing page. There you can choose the tap point of the direct out signal. I usually use the „post preamp“ option and all switches of.Third, you have to route some USB B input signals to input channels, so that you can hear the recorded audio using this input channels. You have to choose whether you want to route the recorded audio track by track or as a stereo mixdown from the DAW. For recording sessions I would prefer a stereo mixdown from the DAW, later, if you want to do the final mix on your console you can switch to track by track mode.
Ah, and do not forget that you have to do that routing stuff on the mixer as well ason the DAW software. This all sounds complicated but if you get the idea behind it that will become easier and easier.
I hope some of my explanation was helpful.
2019/12/26 at 10:30 am #88409Thank you! I have heard that Reaper is a good option. I will download it soon and give it a try. I have read a little about the routing but I am sure that help is needed.
2019/12/26 at 11:12 am #88410I use audacity on windows with no problem. Audacity is not the problem except that @Jortaani did not set the DAW to record at a high enough level.
It may be that audacity does not support the usb interface, but I only use mine with an audio interface external and have no problems with it. I have used ASIO in the past for XP. Not sure if I used it with win 8.
I suspect that if there are problems with setting up audacity there will be bigger problems learning Reaper to get it working right.
2019/12/26 at 12:48 pm #88411If it is only to use the pc as multitrack recorder, and do all mixing on the console.
There is Waves Tracks Live, it is free and pretty easy to use.Just remember to patch in the I/O, and then in Tracks to have the correct number of tracks enabled.
2019/12/26 at 5:14 pm #88412@Søren Steinmetz
Is Waves like a razor where the razor itself is cheap but you pay for all the plug-ins (blades) ?
When I looked at their site it looked like everything had a fee attached and did not see anything free.
Guess I need to look again and see what Live can do:)2019/12/26 at 7:40 pm #88413It is a seperate program not in Central:
https://www.waves.com/downloads/tracks-liveI use it to multitrak up to 64 tracks, when I run in Dante enviroments.
(and up to 32 on the USB-B) 😉2019/12/26 at 9:40 pm #88414@Søren Steinmetz
Thank you.
2019/12/27 at 2:07 pm #88430My settings so far look like this. I seem to get the vocal recorded and played back using headphones taken from the console. If I change parameters on the console, nothing happens so routing is not correct. Next step?
2019/12/27 at 2:17 pm #88431 -
AuthorPosts
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
