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People,

For the life of me...I should be able to figure this out...but I think I'm having a major brain warp tonite hashing it out in my head.

For two years, I never worried about interfacing my Lexicon (MPX-500) Effects Processor with my AI (LAYLA 24/96) & my DAW (SONAR XL.) I was working in 16/44.1; & the MPX-500 supports sample rates of 44.1k & 48k.

I recently began working in 24/96; & last night I attempted to loop a nice reverb onto a vocal track (Hookup: LAYLA 3/4 analog Out > MPX-500 3/4 analog In > FX > MPX-500 1/2 analog Out > LAYLA 1/2 analog In. SONAR track/device assignments: Same - LAYLA 3/4 Driver Out for source track & LAYLA 1/2 Driver In for recording track.)

But...it didn't work...wouldn't record at all...needle rolled real slow, w/ no audible anything.

Thinking (for some reason, known only to my dementia) the problem was related to sample rates, I kicked the track in question over to WaveLab, performed SRC down to 44.1k, opened the track in a new SONAR project set to 44.1k, recorded the track with FX, kicked it back to WaveLab, performed SRC back up to 96k; & imported it back into the 24/96 project. Everything’s fine.

But then I thought...wait a minute !

It's frickin' ANALOG ! It's an analog signal path (it's dual conversion, granted...but still analog...from the moment it leaves the LAYLA's DAC & analog Outs, all the way thru the Lexicon, back into the LAYLA's analog Ins; & is then converted back to digital to be recorded in a new track in SONAR.

So now I realize...sample rate should not come into play, right?. I'm not synching anything...I'm essentially using the MPX-500 as an analog hardware effects device, to loop, period.

So tonight, things got somewhat weirder (even though I confirmed my original suspicion.)

For the heck of it, I tried copying just one track of 24/96 audio (from the project that wouldn't loop); & pasting it into a new 24/96 project all by itself...

...& it worked !

(i.e., I successfully recorded 24/96 via my typical FX loop.)

The weird thing is...in the Settings Panel in LAYLA 24/96, the sample rate kept trying to jump back to 44.1k (even when I locked it at 96k.) And sometimes (when the setting succeeded in jumping to 44.1) the track would record at normal pace; & sometimes it would record at a slow pace (meaning that...even with the sample rate self reset to 44.1, everything played & recorded normally at 96!)

I'm not getting this; & need some help from some project studio gear heads.

Thanks,

mark4man

Dell 8250
Intel 850E Motherboard/Chipset
Intel P4 2.53GHz CPU (512 KB L2 Cache, 533 MHz FSB)
512 MB PC1066 RDRAM
Ultra 60GB Primary HD (OS, Apps, Files/Folders)
Maxtor (DiamondMax 9+) 80GB Secondary HD (Audio Data)
Echo Audio Layla24/96 AI
Windows XP
SONAR XL 2.2
WaveLab 4.1b

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Comments

AudioGaff Mon, 08/23/2004 - 23:45

Not sure what your question is. If using the Lexicon at 44.1k and it's analog out goes to the Layla analog input which is recording at 96k, then you are in fact recording the 44.1k reverb at 96k. The Layla, PC, recording software or anything else cares not nor can it know that the Lexicon was at 44.1k. All it knows or cares is that the analog in was recording at 96k be it from a mic or from the analog output of the Lexicon or anything else.

You have some other non realted problem. Make sure your sync reference is set correctly. If you are not sync'd to an external clock, then you need to set your Layla and the software to the internal clock.

mark4man Wed, 08/25/2004 - 17:20

AudioGaff,

The question is...why does the sound card's Sample Rate setting continue to jump to 44.1k, when it's purely an analog signal path. I understand that the MPX-500 is processing the signal internally (digitally) at 44.1, but it's being fed an analog signal; & it's outputting an analog signal.

Just for the heck of it...I reset the Digital Sample Rate setting in the MPX-500 to 48k; & the LAYLA still jumps to 44.1k.

The LAYLA's clock is set to "Internal"; & SONAR's clock is set to "Audio" (which referrences the sound card's clock.)

Thanks,

mark4man

mark4man Thu, 08/26/2004 - 17:34

AudioGaff,

I apologize for taking up your time...but I have found the source of the problem.

For recording tracks with Lexicon effects in SONAR, I had created a customized LAYLA preset Console 3 session (*.c3s), which configured & optimized the Inputs & Outputs used in signal routing. I had created the .c3s back when I was recording in 16/44.1; & of course the LAYLA's sample rate was set to 44.1k when I created the session.

I had been loading that session recently in attempting to record effects in a 24/96 project; & of course the 44.1k sample rate setting was loading with the preset. I would change it to 96k...record...stop & check the settings...& there they would be; reset to 44.1k.

I simply changed the sample rate over to 96k & resaved the preset; & now all is working well.

Sorry I panicked prematurely...but I'm glad it turned out to be a minor mishap; & that I can be assured that nothing is wrong with the sound card.

Thanks again for your help,

mark4man