USB into Scope

[dgaunt]

Hi Guys

have to admit im a bit of a techno phobe and just happy when things work...(eventually) so please excuse if this explanation isnt crystal clear...

up until now ive been recording using cubase - using the analog inputs into scope (Pulsar 2). i also had the wave source (ie music/videos from windows media player) running through the mixer which worked fine (signal showed in mixer etc.)

i decided to buy a hardware preamp / mixer so ive bought an Alesis Multimix 4 USB.

I set it up as per the instructions but do not know how to get that signal into Scope. when it is plugged in (and the playback / record settings in Windows are changed over) it seems to bypass Scope - i receive teh signal for wave files through the headphones on the Alesis but nothing comes up on the STM1632 (even though the connections are still there). Also i cant hear anything from Cubase. i also cant get the signal from the Alesis into Cubase.

If possible id rather use the USB connection to the computer as then i can use the headphone socket on the Alesis to monitor the entire output.

can anyone give me any pointers? is there any way i can get the signal from the Alesis into Scope using the USB? or would i have to physically connect it to the Pulsar 2 inputs somehow?

can anyone please also explain the signal flow if it does bypass Scope?

sorry so many questions but i get really stuck when things stop working...

[Mr Arkadin]

Well i can't answer all your questions, but i can say that to get audio into Cubase you have to select one ASIO driver. Normally that would be Scope. To use your Alesis thing there will most likely be an option that says Multimix ASIO in the Cubase menu. You can only use one ASIO driver at a time.

Others will be able to tell you of workarounds, there may even be an ASIO solution (ASIO4All? not sure).

[garyb]

gee, the multimix is pretty far down the scale from the Scope i/o. why do you want to do it like that? if you just want the cheap mic pres, get a behringer ADA8000 and connect it to Scope via adat lightpipe.

[siriusbliss]

well...read all manuals

Scope should be connected to your Alesis via ADAT, and use ADAT modules in Scope.
Monitoring can be done using ASIO modules for Cubase to see.
Use the Scope mixer mix output to monitor to speakers using analog outputs of the Scope card.
You can then also use the mix output of the Alesis for headphone or second speaker monitoring.

No need to use USB unless you want to use the Alesis for a controller for Cubase, then it's a whole other issue.

oh...and re-read the manuals...<hehe>...you have lots of options.

Greg

[garyb]

Greg, that's much better advice than i gave.
i didn't realize that the Multimix has adat ports and there's one in the store, too....

[siriusbliss]

doh!

Greg

[dgaunt]

hey guys

firstly thank you for your advice (and coming back to me so quickly)...

i tried Mr Arkadin's advice first and it worked! I found the USB input in Cubase when i switched driver and so I'm up and running (so not using Scope to route when recording).

thanks Greg and Gary for your advice - but the Alesis doesnt have ADAT ports - only outputs are: a stereo 1/4 inch headphones output, L/R 1/4 inch analog output and the USB port...i was struggling to find a way to connect it via Scope...
(unless there is a cable to change from analog to ADAT? but i wouldnt have thought that was possible...)

anyway, im all up and running for what i need so thank you everyone!

[kylie]

i didn't realize that the Multimix has adat ports and there's one in the store, too....

...because it doesn't have adat ports. I mean, this unit has only 4 channels in total, (2 mic, 2 line) and is 89€ over here...

[siriusbliss]

hey guys

firstly thank you for your advice (and coming back to me so quickly)...

i tried Mr Arkadin's advice first and it worked! I found the USB input in Cubase when i switched driver and so I'm up and running (so not using Scope to route when recording).

thanks Greg and Gary for your advice - but the Alesis doesnt have ADAT ports - only outputs are: a stereo 1/4 inch headphones output, L/R 1/4 inch analog output and the USB port...i was struggling to find a way to connect it via Scope...
(unless there is a cable to change from analog to ADAT? but i wouldnt have thought that was possible...)

anyway, im all up and running for what i need so thank you everyone!

Oh, you have one of the littel multimixes - OK.
No ADAT....hmmmmm....OK

so now you're stuck using only analog I/O to Scope?
You can also try using MIDI-OX to turn your USB ports into MIDI ports in Scope - but that's a whole other thing to consider.

Greg

[garyb]

yeah, i'm back to my original thought.
the converters on the multimix aren't special at all. the only thing the multimix gives you is mic pres. the usb connection is only stereo anyway. why not connect the mixer to the analog inputs of the card and use Scope's converters? there is NO advantage to using the usb interface. in fact, it's less stable than pci.....

[dgaunt]

im wanting to monitor using the headphones...(my speaker amplifier doesnt have a headphones socket)

the only way i could do it would be take the analog out from the pulsar and put it in the stereo input for the multimix. if i used the audio outs from the multimix back into scope this would create a feedback loop wouldnt it?

[garyb]

im wanting to monitor using the headphones...(my speaker amplifier doesnt have a headphones socket)

the only way i could do it would be take the analog out from the pulsar and put it in the stereo input for the multimix. if i used the audio outs from the multimix back into scope this would create a feedback loop wouldnt it?

yes.
headphone amps can be had for $50-100. i guess that you'll be using the multimix as you've been for a bit, then. really, there's no good way of monitoring with the setup you have. Scope is capable of zero latency monitoring(no slapback or flange when overdubbing), when the Scope mixer is the monitor source. monitoring through the software isn't as good a solution, though i'm sure that you can make it work to your advantage.

[voidar]

After getting my second hand Apogee MiniMe, I discovered that http://www.usb-audio.com/ is the creator of the ASIO driver. I think they did the Multimix driver as well. You can go there and update the WDM driver I think, if necessary.

Anyway, I've aggregated the MiniMe and Scope WDM drivers to one ASIO device via ASIO4ALL. You can do the same. This way you can bus audio to and from Scope, route to the Multimix via the host etc.
The only problem is that the WDM drivers seem to pass 16-bit data only.

I tested this using REAPER and that Schwa Bitter VST plug-in.

Signal generator -> Bitter -> ReaInsert (Scope) -> Bitter

The wordlength is truncated to 16-bit as shown on the last Bitter. Even using "24 bit" wave modules.

Obviously I looking at the settings under Device Manager the bit-rate is set at 16, and all the other are grayed out. I wonder if this is why. This has always been so, but I wonder if there is something to do about this??!