No sound from Main L & R in multi-track playback

[gato]

I’m able to play back individual multi-track recordings since the Config/Input page allows the choice between analog and digital source. However, when I arm the tracks 23&24, I can’t get any sound from them. When I play back on a computer, they are silent also. However, during play back on the machine, they do show signal level so there must be some data there.

[gato]

Still mystified why I can’t play back recorded tracs 23 & 24 in multi-track recording. The input tracks 1-18 where the input source can be changed from analog to digital work fine.

[Lee7]

If recording in 48khz the CQ-18 and 20B can record all 18 channels plus the additional stereo, but if recording in 96khz only the first 18 are recorded. Which model do you have and where do you get 23 and 24 channels from?

[gato]

On the Record/Multitrack page, the channels are listed. They are input mono channels 1-16, L & R stereo channel, aux channels 3-6, and L & R Mains.

I have attached a screen shot of this:

I can play any of the input channels by going to setup and configuring them for digital rather than analog. I can record channels 23 & 24, Left Right Mains but I can’t find a way to play them back on the CQ-18T. I can however play them back on my laptop from the SD card.

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[robbocurry]

Take a look at this thread – I think this might be a similar issue.

USB Audio Fail

[purism]

Looking at your screen shot channel 23,24 recording lights are not on, so they won’t have recorded.

[Lostape]

I have the same problem.
In the record menu I can arm 23/24 (main L and R) and record on them.
I cannot playback those tracks through the CQ18T.
I should be able to, right?

I would like to capture the multitrack performance but also the Lt/Rt at the same time.
I know I can capture the stereo with a usb stick but then I cannot capture the multitrack.

Why? Because sometimes the mix was good enough to use just the Lt/Rt on 23/24 and not waste time remixing everything or using a DAW.

My L20 does this
My Tascam Model 12 does this

Yes, they are recorders first and mixers second but this is a simple thing to have a sophisticated unit like the CQ18T be able to do.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

[Brian]

I don’t have a CQ console, but I suspect that by default the console does not playback the L/R recordings in multitrack mode. I mean the whole point of multitrack mode playback on the console is to have a set of recorded inputs that you can then mix. If the system automatically played back the recorded L/R output, then no amount of “mixing” of the multitrack inputs would change what you are hearing because you would be hearing the pre-recorded L/R output instead of what you are actively mixing on the console.

I suspect that you probably need to route the L/R output recording to two normal inputs (like inputs 1&2) if you just want to hear the recorded L/R channels and not actually do a “virtual soundcheck” or “track” and of your recorded multitrack inputs. It’s also possible that switching the console to stereo USB mode instead of multitrack USB mode would allow you to select the stereo L/R recording any play it back normally.

Again, these are just my educated guesses, but I’ve never used a CQ console, nor do I have access to one to test out my theories.

[Lostape]

@brian
Thank you.
Yes, a good point about multitrack recording but I have the extra aspect of utilizing time to the best that I can.
I drive to/from work for 80min a day. If I have a simple stereo track to listen to in the car I can get an idea of what I want to do with the mix.
The CQ will not let you record a stereo track at the same time as the multitrack recorder.
The only way to hear the main L and Main R from the multitrack is to export the file to a pc and play it there or download just the L or R and play that in a usb drive.
Convenience is the factor.
If tascam and zoom can do the stereo master recording then it should be possible.
Maybe not the intended use but it has made figuring out what I want to do with a recording much easier to have the file in the car with a simple drag and drop process to a usb stick.

Again… if I choose to record the stereo only then I can do that… but I couldn’t use the multitrack function at the same time.

With the cq it is either/or. Stereo? No multitrack files.
Multitrack? No stereo file.

[Brian]

OK. I misunderstood some of the discussion in this post then. I though people were successfully recording the Main L/R channels, they just weren’t able to play them back through the console as they expected.

EDIT – I can also understand if the system defaults to recording mono channels when in multitrack mode instead of stereo pairs. (I’m not sure if that is part of the problem or not, but I can see where two mono channels would be harder to listen to without having to combine them into a stereo recording). As you mentioned yourself, this device is designed as a mixer first and a recorder second.

The easiest solution is to use a computer running Reaper or some other recording software. You can certainly set the DAW up to record mono and or stereo channels at the same time. If you just want to listen to the Main L/R stereo mix, then just pull that audio file into a listening device.

[Lostape]

I was hoping to avoid extra one spent on processing files. But that’s ok. Good to use Reaper.

And yes… the original post was about playing back those main r/l channels. That still cannot be done either. Not without an external pc or something else.

[Author]

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