Solo on the big mixer

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 10:32 am

Hi, how do i set up the big mixer so soloing channels works?

if i solo a channel that's outputing sound, i can set the level with the solo volume fader that's ok... but if say i just solo single channel, it doesn't mute the other channels as i would expect.

mute works fine on all channels.

my connections are as follows:
CtrL + CtrlR out to my speakers
i am using the monitor level on all the channels and the Ctrl Room source is set to monitor.

can't seem to get solo muting all the other chans though..a bit strange.

any help appreciated as always.

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 1:14 pm

To be honest you'll be lucky to find anyone here that remembers how the Big Mixer works, it is rather old software you have there. Have you thought of updating to Scope 4.0? Depending on your package it may be free or in the order of €99.

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 6:53 pm

Mr Arkadin wrote:To be honest you'll be lucky to find anyone here that remembers how the Big Mixer works, it is rather old software you have there. Have you thought of updating to Scope 4? Depending on your package it may be free or in the order of €99.

well...it ain't broke (apart from the soloing

)...but i may at the upgrade prices ..

edit:: all that the 4.5 upgrade does is add the 4896 mixer and surround mixer...which i don't really need, i have the 16 S and 2448 mixers...so it's not really adding anything if i upgrade, plus it costs €200..not worth it imho

and besides, i always just found the bigmixer so easy and quick to use, plus it uses way less DSP that the others...

so, if anyone out there can still load up the bigmixer, then let me know..

cheers

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:04 am

Well i agree on the 'if it ain't broke' principal, but it sort of is (there is a reason it was called Bug Mixer round these parts for a number of years). Also the newer mixers have phase buttons to help keep everything more phase coherent, plus all the other goodies.

i'm fairly sure you could get Scope 4.0 for free depends on your soft/hardware - maybe email Ralf at CreamWare about it: rb(at)creamware.de. Scop e 4.5 is at a cost and doesn't add anything you need Maybe your PC is Win98 though so you may not be able to upgrade (and unlike a lot of so-called upgrades this is a massive improvement - i'm not even sure what version of Pulsar you have there).

Other than that sorry, but my memory of BM is really hazy so i can't really help.

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 1:59 pm

Mr Arkadin wrote:Well i agree on the 'if it ain't broke' principal, but it sort of is (there is a reason it was called Bug Mixer round these parts for a number of years). Also the newer mixers have phase buttons to help keep everything more phase coherent, plus all the other goodies.

i'm fairly sure you could get Scope 4.0 for free depends on your soft/hardware - maybe email Ralf at CreamWare about it: rb(at)creamware.de. Scop e 4.5 is at a cost and doesn't add anything you need Maybe your PC is Win98 though so you may not be able to upgrade (and unlike a lot of so-called upgrades this is a massive improvement - i'm not even sure what version of Pulsar you have there).

Other than that sorry, but my memory of BM is really hazy so i can't really help.

i'm already on 4.0 so i guess i just better try and get used to the STM mixers!

cheers for the replies!

Mr Arkadin · Post by **Mr Arkadin** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:01 pm

i'm already on 4.0 so i guess i just better try and get used to the STM mixers!

You're on 4.0 and still using Bug Mixer

. Sorry had to laugh. Next you'll be telling me you still use Modular 1. Big Mixer was all right at the time, but the STM series are a huge improvement, just work a little differently (i think the Auxes were the main thing that was different for me). Also remember to switch on the Phase Compenastion button for phase coherence.

Oh, and you may take time getting used to the dark grey interface after the (somewhat dated) glowing colours of BM.

Herr Voigt · Post by **Herr Voigt** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 4:32 pm

Modular 1 is not as bad as Bug Mixer, Mr A!

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 7:11 am

Mr Arkadin wrote:
(i think the Auxes were the main thing that was different for me).

hehe...i'm embarrassed to admit that this is the very reason i don't use it...i couldn't figure out the auxes!

i'll give it a go during the week i think...

Lima · Post by **Lima** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 9:57 am

AUX are useful to make the tracks play together and to save some dsp resources. Actually I can't mix without auxs and busses...

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 3:41 pm

Lima wrote:AUX are useful to make the tracks play together and to save some dsp resources. Actually I can't mix without auxs and busses...

well yeah, i use the auxes on the big mixer for my outboard fx and i record using the returns...i remember i had trouble getting my head around how they are actually routed in the STM mixers....but i'll get to bottom of it!

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:04 pm

AHA!

i've just come across one of the problems i had with my earlier dealings wtth the STM mixer and it's routing...

should be a simple answer i think, a button somewhere or something...

how do I hear the monitor sends via the ctrl outputs?
inthe talk back section, the ctrl tab gives me a choice of inputs, two of which are the Mix and Monitor, the others are ext 1 & 2.

i have the ctrl outs hooked up to my speakers.

so, when i hit the mix button, i hear whatever is going to the mix. easy.

if i hit the monitor button, i get nothing. no problem i say, i'll just turn up the monitor level for that channel. I do that AND i turn on the Monitor OnOff switch for the particular chan i want to monitor. no sound.

now, that's all i thought i'd have to do...is there something i'm missing? can i not route the monitor signal to the ctrl or stdio outs via that button??

bit of a newbie question for a 6 year scope user i know!!

Post by **hubird** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:04 pm

Minipax, are you confidential to the concept of 'effect-send' (like reverbs and delays) and 'insert-effect' (like phaser or distortion)?
You record aux returns you say, but normally on the returns are effect sends coming back.
At the send effect settings usually you set the dry level at zero, and the fx level (or 'mix' level) at 100%, to be sure not to double the dry signal of the mixer's instrument's channel (to avoid phase problems).
If you wanne record the instrument including the effects you can solo the track and record from the mixer's main-out, or use a bus-out for combined dry and wet signal(s).
Maybe too obvious, but in case of...

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:16 pm

hubird wrote:Minipax, are you confidential to the concept of 'effect-send' (like reverbs and delays) and 'insert-effect' (like phaser or distortion)?
You record aux returns you say, but normally on the returns are effect sends coming back.
At the send effect settings usually you set the dry level at zero, and the fx level (or 'mix' level) at 100%, to be sure not to double the dry signal of the mixer's instrument's channel (to avoid phase problems).
If you wanne record the instrument including the effects you can solo the track and record from the mixer's main-out, or use a bus-out for combined dry and wet signal(s).
Maybe too obvious, but in case of...

sorry, my bad...i don't record off the returns, i record off the outs marked R1 -R16,
Buses 1 - 16...mmm, why are they marked R in big mixer? confused me...

anyway, effects or no effects, busses or no busses, the solo just doesn't work

but i've taken your advice and moved to the big mixer...but now i've hit the problem i had originally...see my post above, and thanks!

Post by **hubird** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:51 pm

?
if you click the 'stereo' button on a track, the project's mixer module shows l1, R1, ... L16, R16.
Does this help?
(Not sure I follow you).

The STM mixers are top notch, just pay some attention to the manual and all will be clear

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:02 pm

hubird wrote:?
if you click the 'stereo' button on a track, the project's mixer module shows l1, R1, ... L16, R16.
Does this help?
(Not sure I follow you).

The STM mixers are top notch, just pay some attention to the manual and all will be clear

...no, i was talking about the big mixer there...the Bus outs are labelled R1 - R16

ok, so i've forgetten about the big mixer like you said, i'm onto the STM now...

did you read my post about the Monitoring section? hearing it through via the ctrl outs?

i posted it about 3 posts back....thanks.

Post by **hubird** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:20 pm

sorry, I did notice, but I never use any of them in my 'electronic' studio setup, so I left that to other contributors

but also here the manual should solve it, as it concerns usual connections

(this is really my bit, but why so enthousiastic quoting in our one2one sequence?...

).

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:41 am

because to get to the reply button i'd have had to scroll to the bottom of the page...quote is right there

but point taken, it is a little odd...
well, mine is an electronic music studio as well but all the synths,samplers and drum machines are outboard units..

still, in any studio setup i would see the need for monitoring separately from the main mix...

my main reason is that i cannot turn the volume of my speakers down from where i'm sitting (gain is hidden away at the rear). so, i use the ctrl out to change the level of the speakers without affecting the mix level in case i need to record whilst listening at low or high levels....

i would use the monitor outs themselves, but i like the option of being able to switch between monitor and main out busses on the fly..
plus, monitoring seems to be on a per channel basis only...i cannot find a global monitoring level...i think there is my problem exactly, where is the global monitoring level, like you find on the big mixer and most desks i've used...

how do you have it set up?

the manual does not solve it. that's the problem, it explains how to monitor via the monitor outs, but there's no mention of routing the monitor signal to the ctrl outs...which is odd, becasue there's a button there to do it!
...in fact, even in the routing section at the end, i can't see the ctrl and std outs in the diagram, that at least would give me some clue...

Post by **garyb** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:04 am

the monitor out only works if it's connected to something(such as the adat dest). then the control room can listen to it. this makes sense because in a real studio, the engineer and/or producer hear the control room out. playback is heard in the studio via the studio out and the headphone system in the studio is fed by the monitor out, so normally the headphone system(monitor out) would be connected if it was being used. the stm2448 conserves dsp use by shutting down disconnected sections of the mixer.

minipax · Post by **minipax** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:39 am

garyb wrote:the stm2448 conserves dsp use by shutting down disconnected sections of the mixer.

ahh ok, i didn't know that, thanks for the replies guys!