Mixing out of the box with MOTU 828mkII and SONAR (3.1.1)

nlmd311 · Post by **nlmd311** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 11:07 pm

Hey guys,
So I've mainly used the mixers I have had for getting the sounds into the computer and mixing completely in the box. I've really been wanting to break some things out and mix using the mixer! Well, I've never gotten further than stereo mixes because I can't figure out how. I'm using SONAR 3.1.1 and running through a MOTU 828mkII. The outputs are grouped in stereo pairs (something similar to - MOTU output 1 L/R... MOTU output 3 L/R). I'd like to have each track, for the most part, coming out of a single out. Is this not possible when interfacing the 828 and SONAR? Is there a setting I can change to "ungroup" these pairs? I hate to do it, but is there an add on interface I could snag that would allow me to break out mono channels in SONAR? Does anyone know if this issue is resolved in the newer version of SONAR?
I've searched off and on on this for years and figured it is time to actively figure it out.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

-Darrill

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:13 pm

Your pretty much stuck with stereo pairs as outs on most DAWS. Easy enough to get around this though by simply panning things hard left and right. I can't give you specific instructions for Sonor, but I'm sure you could figure it out, just get a handle on the signal flow and work it out.

For example, let's say you want your vocal out of output 1 and your background vocal out of output 2. You assign them to busses in the software, and assign those busses to the 1L / 1R hardware output pair. The trick is to pan the lead hard left, and the background hard right. Simple concept, but in a DAW there's a million ways of actually doing it. You can pan the tracks and send them to the same buss, sending that buss to an output pair, you could buss them to two different busses and just pan the busses to one side. (pan or if it's a split stereo fader, turn one side all the way down.) Some DAWS might even be able to route a track directly to hardware. You can send just one track out each output, or submix things and send groups to the outputs.

Just think of the stereo outs as possible dual mono outs and pan accordingly.

nlmd311 · Post by **nlmd311** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 6:42 pm

JamesHE wrote:...
Just think of the stereo outs as possible dual mono outs and pan accordingly.

Thanks!
Dual mono is a perfect way to put it.
I have been brainstorming and the same panning idea had just come into my mind. I haven't tried it yet but after hearing this coming out of someone elses mouth and not just floating in my mind gets me psyched up to try it. Made me realize it probably isn't much different than the panning I've had to do for aux sends/busses on some mixers (Pan hard left for channel 5. Pan hard right for channel 6. etc.).
Thanks for posting.
I think this is what I was looking to do. Now to get it together to try it out.

-Darrill

gutsofgold · Post by **gutsofgold** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:23 pm

Even in Garageband I get stereo and mono outputs listed from my MOTU 828mkII. I know in Tracktion there was an option to ungroup stereo pairs and I'd be surprised if Sonar didn't have that.

syrupcore · Post by **syrupcore** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 11:27 am

panning will do what you want but I think I recall and 'ungroup stereo pairs' option in sonar as well. it's been a long time though.

spankenstein · Post by **spankenstein** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 12:15 pm

The nice thing about Sonar in this situation is the templates and the bussing. You could create busses that are broken out how you want (and panned correctly) then your indiviual tracks would be assigned to those busses.

xonlocust · Post by **xonlocust** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:24 am

i use an 828 mk II and digital performer going back to my analog console. DP allows for single output assignments if your track source is mono. if the track is stereo, you get pair output options.

really? with other DAWs you have to pick a stereo pair and pan? that seems silly. but i guess that follows the logic of an 8 buss mixer or something, so i can see it...

drunton · Post by **drunton** » Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:36 pm

Just to chime in on Cubase...

Cubase does it all with the VST connections. You create the outputs and inputs as stereo or mono and then assign the phyisical connection. Using the 828mkII, I can send mono tracks to individual outputs. Actually, a stereo track assigned to a mono out gets collapsed to mono.

JamesHE · Post by **JamesHE** » Mon Feb 19, 2007 5:41 am

xonlocust wrote:
really? with other DAWs you have to pick a stereo pair and pan? that seems silly. but i guess that follows the logic of an 8 buss mixer or something, so i can see it...

I think this is more of a "feature" tied to platforms that have their roots in WDM and not ASIO. Sonar and Vegas for example.

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Mixing out of the box with MOTU 828mkII and SONAR (3.1.1)

Mixing out of the box with MOTU 828mkII and SONAR (3.1.1)

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