Hey all, I recently bought a Mackie Onyx 1620 with firewire card. Im having some problems configuring it with Logic Express and want to know if any of you can help me, go easy im still a novice! Ok, so i have the firewire connection between Mac and Desk established. Logic is getting a clear signal from the desk. A guitar plugged into channel 1 on the desk will show a signal in channel 1 on Logic. BUT... i have absolutly no control over this signal level AT ALL. All faders on the desk dont change anything. Its just equally as loud no matter where the channel fader or Main Mix fader on the desk is. If i move the logic channel fader up and down on the screen, it changes the volume at which i hear the guitar in my headphones, but looking at logics meter bridge lights, it seems to not have any effect on the signal at all. So for example, i can have the fader on logics channel 1 down full, and i wont hear anything - but looking at the meter bridge on logic for that channel it still appears to be coming in loud and clear. Whats going on !?! Maybe my system settings are wrong? I went into Applications, then Utilities. I then went to Audio Devices and under system Settings changed Default Input , Default Output and System Output all to Onyx Firewire. I havent changed any preferences on Logic Express except under Audio i went into Drivers and changed the driver to Onyx Firewire. One last thing, there seems to be a very, very slight, milli second of a delay between when i hit the guitar string and when i hear it in my headphones. Can this be solved too? Thanks so much for all your time if you read this! Steve.

> > Ok, so i have the firewire connection between Mac and Desk > established. Logic is getting a clear signal from the desk. > A guitar plugged into channel 1 on the desk will show a > signal in channel 1 on Logic. BUT... i have absolutly no > control over this signal level AT ALL. All faders on the > desk dont change anything. Its just equally as loud no matter > where the channel fader or Main Mix fader on the desk is. > If i move the logic channel fader up and down on the screen, > it changes the volume at which i hear the guitar in my > headphones, but looking at logics meter bridge lights, it > seems to not have any effect on the signal at all. So for > example, i can have the fader on logics channel 1 down full, > and i wont hear anything - but looking at the meter bridge on > logic for that channel it still appears to be coming in loud > and clear. > > Whats going on !?! > > Maybe my system settings are wrong? I went into Applications, > then Utilities. I then went to Audio Devices and under system > Settings changed Default Input , Default Output and System > Output all to Onyx Firewire. I havent changed any preferences on > Logic Express except under Audio i went into Drivers and changed > the driver to Onyx Firewire. > > One last thing, there seems to be a very, very slight, milli > second of a delay between when i hit the guitar string and when > i hear it in my headphones. Can this be solved too? > > Thanks so much for all your time if you read this! > > Steve. Steve, It sounds to me like things are working as they should. You'll find you do have control over the levels if you adjust the input gain on your Mackie. The sends to the FW interface are pre-everything else, that is, they are sent directly from the pre-amp output of the channel. (in some cases they may be pre-fader post insert or post EQ, so you might try adjusting the EQ on the Mackie and see if it effects the recording. If it does then your sends are pre-fader/ post EQ. You might also find these settings are adjustable on the Mackie) This allows you to (for example) run a live mix and record simultaneously without your live mixing decisions effecting your recordings. Also, in Logic, the faders are strictly for mixing the recorded signal (or monitored signal if you are using software monitoring) rather than the recorded level. For control within Logic over recorded levels I believe you would need to create an "Input Object" however I am not certain as I use Logic Express which does not have input objects at all. As for the delay between hitting the string and hearing it in the phones, you should search for a topic in the LUG called "Measure Your Latency" and you'll likely learn more than you ever wanted to know about digital recording software and what you are experiencing. I have found it is much simpler to monitor your performance when tracking directly from your interface, in your case your Mackie rather than using software monitoring. If you must run through your software because you need to hear your plug-ins for example, you'll need a very fast machine with sample buffers set as low as you can without getting pops & clicks 'cause your computer can't keep up! Hope this helps, Stuart Holmes Holmestudio Music Poway, CA

--- Steve <stevey_raff@hotmail.com> wrote: > > Ok, so i have the firewire connection between Mac and Desk > established. Logic is getting a clear signal from the desk. > A guitar plugged into channel 1 on the desk will show a > signal in channel 1 on Logic. BUT... i have absolutly no > control over this signal level AT ALL. All faders on the > desk dont change anything. Its just equally as loud no matter > where the channel fader or Main Mix fader on the desk is. > If i move the logic channel fader up and down on the screen, > it changes the volume at which i hear the guitar in my > headphones, but looking at logics meter bridge lights, it > seems to not have any effect on the signal at all. Hi Steve, I remember reading somewhere that the Onyx F/W interface send it's signal prefader from the board. Pretty Lame. You'll need to record all your audio into Logic then use the Logic faders to set levels. Mike Wolak

On 5/1/07 6:42 AM, "Steve" <stevey_raff@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hey all, > > I recently bought a Mackie Onyx 1620 with firewire card. Im > having some problems configuring it with Logic Express and > want to know if any of you can help me, go easy im still a > novice! > > Ok, so i have the firewire connection between Mac and Desk > established. Logic is getting a clear signal from the desk. > A guitar plugged into channel 1 on the desk will show a > signal in channel 1 on Logic. BUT... i have absolutly no > control over this signal level AT ALL. All faders on the > desk dont change anything. Its just equally as loud no matter > where the channel fader or Main Mix fader on the desk is. > > Steve. Steve I have the Onyx mixer, and yours is behaving exactly as it should. The FireWire output on that board is taken after the TRIM pot ­ and before everything else. So are the analog direct outs. This means that you control your level into Logic with the trim pot only. I know some people who have bought this desk without doing their homework are really upset that they can¹t use the board¹s EQ or inserts when recording, however for me it is a perfect setup. I have the Onyx 1640 set up with a Mackie HD 24 in a mobile recording rig. It is perfect for recording a live show, for example, since you always get clean tracks into the computer (and direct outs), no matter what you are doing with the faders. Since I generally don¹t record with effects I don¹t find this to be a problem. HTH Blair -- blairfisher@shaw.ca

Hey, Thank you all so much for responding. I did realise that it was pre-everything when i was buying the desk. My only concern is that the signal doesnt seem to come in loud enough so i was trying to find a way of more control. You see, i have an SM 57 in the desks line 3. And then on Logic in comes in say channel 3. But i hardly recieve a signal from it at all. I need to turn the Gain pot on the desk up FULL before i finally recieve a low signal into logic from the mic.

--- In logic-users@yahoogroups.com, Mike Wolak <mikewolak@...> wrote: > > --- Steve <stevey_raff@...> wrote: > > >>Ok, so i have the firewire connection between Mac and Desk >>established. Logic is getting a clear signal from the desk. >>A guitar plugged into channel 1 on the desk will show a >>signal in channel 1 on Logic. BUT... i have absolutly no >>control over this signal level AT ALL. >Hi Steve, >I remember reading somewhere that the Onyx F/W >interface send it's signal prefader from the board. >Pretty Lame. You'll need to record all your audio into >Logic then use the Logic faders to set levels. But this is what you want from a board that's acting as a front end to a DAW system. The Onyx mic preamps are excellent and this way they are recorded in the best manner possible, without a bunch of board electronics. It's a similar concept to taking analog out from a channel insert point on a board, only the input trim pot affects the recording level. HW

--- pancenter <hwooten@dakotacom.net> wrote: > But this is what you want from a board that's acting > as a > front end to a DAW system. The Onyx mic preamps are > excellent > and this way they are recorded in the best manner > possible, > without a bunch of board electronics. It's a similar > concept > to taking analog out from a channel insert point on > a board, > only the input trim pot affects the recording level. > > HW You're right. The only thing I don't like about the whole scenario is that if you had a perfect mix on the Mackie and wanted to record each channel to separate tracks in logic for post processing or mastering purposes you are out of luck. To me it defeats the purpose of having anything besides the preamps and A/D converters.

"Steve" <stevey_raff@hotmail.com> wrote: > You see, i have an SM 57 in the desks line 3. And then on Logic in > comes in say channel 3. But i hardly recieve a signal from it at > all. I need to turn the Gain pot on the desk up FULL before i > finally recieve a low signal into logic from the mic. This is not unusual at all, especially with a 57 which can take very high levels of input. If the material you are recording is only a speaking voice or of similar volume, you will have to turn up the gain nearly all the way. In fact, in this particular use, the low-noise, high headroom Mackie preamps are a great way to use that mic. Don't be affraid to turn it up all the way if you have to. But also don't record a level that's so hot you'll get it clipping with any kind of regularity (hopefully not at all.)

On 5/1/07 11:43 AM, "Steve" <stevey_raff@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hey, > > Thank you all so much for responding. > > I did realise that it was pre-everything when i was buying the desk. My only > concern is that > the signal doesnt seem to come in loud enough so i was trying to find a way of > more control. > > You see, i have an SM 57 in the desks line 3. And then on Logic in comes in > say channel 3. > But i hardly recieve a signal from it at all. I need to turn the Gain pot on > the desk up FULL > before i finally recieve a low signal into logic from the mic. What are you using the SM57 on? That doesn¹t sound right. You may have a bad cable, a bad mike or a bad mixer. I have used the Onyx 1640 to record classical and jazz concerts ­ I had problem getting enough gain from the preamps for a ribbon mike (which has extremely low output) but an SM57 should be plenty loud enough. Are you sure you have mike selected (not line) - sorry if this is obvious, but you do say you are using LINE 3. It should be a low impedance mike and should be connected to the XLR inputs. Make sure you are not using a 1/4² plug into the mixer. If you are doing all this correctly, and your mike and cable are fine, then maybe you have a defective mixer. The quality on these mixers is suspect. My first one had no output to the L/R bus. I replaced it with one that has a flaky phantom switch on one channel. I am waiting for the third.... Blair -- blairfisher@shaw.ca

----- Original Message ----- From: Mike Wolak <mikewolak@yahoo.com> Date: Tuesday, May 1, 2007 1:08 pm Subject: Re: [LUG] Logic/Mackie Onyx 1620 problems! > > You're right. The only thing I don't like about the > whole scenario is that if you had a perfect mix on the > Mackie and wanted to record each channel to separate > tracks in logic for post processing or mastering > purposes you are out of luck. To me it defeats the > purpose of having anything besides the preamps and A/D > converters. > If all you are doing is recording to a DAW then some of what the Mackie Onyx does is wasted. However, I really don't think your scenario would apply - if you are using Logic why would you use the Mackie to mix? It is incredibly limited in almost every way to mixing in Logic. Maybe I am missing something... I find the Mackie excels at recording live shows - then nothing is wasted. Even when using it in the studio I find a lot of it very useful: I can send multiple headphone mixes using the Aux sends, I can use the versatile monitoring section to monitor whatever I want (including the FW feed from the computer) I can talk back to the musicians, I can EQ the headphone mix, etc. etc. etc. To me, the board is well designed. However, I do miss having a mike/line switch on each channel. Blair