Subject:USB Interface with Music Studio

Posted by: Chill_Will

Date:1/18/2015 10:53:45 AM

I just purchased a Behringer X802USB mixer. I am new to usb interface. How can I listen to the music tracks and record input simultaneously while recording vocal tracks?

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:1/19/2015 9:06:32 AM

I've got Music Studio 9 on Windows 7 platform and a Behringer X1204USB mixer. You can record audio from the mixer in two ways.

1. Connect a patch cable from the main outputs to the 1/8 inch stereo mic input on your computer's sound board. Alternately, rather than the mains output, you can use the headphone jack on the mixer if your model has one.

2. Use the USB interface to transfer the signals. You will have to go to Behringer's website and download the USB driver. You will have to set it as the input device in Windows.

Keep in mind, you will have to set your tracks getting input for either 1 or 2 above and also either 'left' or 'right'. If you are recording 2 channels (stereo) simultaneously, don't forget to change the "Pan" control for the 2 tracks so that you route 'left' and 'right' to the correct tracks.

NOTE: You can theoretically record 4 tracks simultaneously using a combination of both 1 and 2. However, when I tried doing that in my system, I got a high pitched buzz superimposed on all waveforms. When I contacted Behringer about that issue, I was told by a company sound engineer that by trying to bring inputs in from both the mic jack and the USB at the same time I have set up a "virtual machine" that was causing the problem. Not sure what the heck a virtual machine is in this context.

Good luck!

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: Chill_Will

Date:1/19/2015 9:51:43 PM

Mike, thanks so much for the response. I've tried both scenarios (usb as well as main outs to 1/8 mic in) The mixer picks up the audio from Acid both ways and the mic inputs are working on the mixer. The problem is when I press the "arm to record" button I cannot hear my vocals and the music mix simultaneously. (over dubbing) I can either hear my voice one way or just the music the other. Never at the same time. I can't record my vocals and sing in tune without being able to hear myself in the head phones. I'm wondering If I have a setting off or not doing something correctly with Acid.?.?

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: pwppch

Date:1/20/2015 1:48:43 AM

ACID allows for input monitoring if you use ASIO drivers.

If the Berhinger has ASIO drivers, then make sure to select them in the Audio Devices preferences.

If not, then you can try ASIO4All.

Once you have ASIO drivers set up, you can then set the input monitoring mode on each track you are using for recording.

Peter

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:1/20/2015 2:08:37 PM

CW...

Below is some more info that I got online in the past regarding my X1204USB mixer from users facing the same scenario previously. Perhaps some of it will be helpful. Pay particular attention to the information regarding the red buttons on the mixer, although I don't think your mixer has red buttons pertaining to the USB.

According to the Behringer website, the driver for this series of mixers is ASIO compliant. Here's what I use: BEHRINGER USB AUDIO Driver Win64 2.8.40. According to Behringer website, ASIO4ALL works fine, too.

Late note: I did some more testing with my system and found the following.

With the driver installed, in Windows 7 in "Devices and Printers", the Behringer driver shows up as "USB Audio CODEC".

Select it and right click your mouse and select "Sound Settings". In the window, under the "Playback" tab, select the "Behringer Speakers" and click "Set Default". In the "Recording" tab, click "Properties". In that new window, select the "Listen" tab and click the check box "Listen to this device". Close all those driver windows.

Launch Music Studio. Click "Options" and select "Preferences". In that window, select the "Audio Devices" tab. Click "Audio device type" and select "Windows Classic Wave Driver". Click "Default Playback Device" and select the "Behringer" option. Click "Apply" and "Ok" to close the window. Before arming your record track, select the "Line In" button near the "Arm" button and select the "Behringer" option for left or right channel and configure the "Pan" control on the mixer channel you are recording to reflect the same left or right.

My X1204USB has a different layout than does your 802USB according to photos I found on the Internet. You have a button dealing with "USB" and "Mix". Try depressing and releasing the button to see if it makes a difference. But, I think the key step is the "Listen to this device" configuration above.

You now should be able to hear your voice and the mix in your headphones while recording. Because of latency, there may be a very slight delay in hearing your voice from the mix.

Mike

-------------------------------------------------

Information that I received from Behringer. If you toggle the red 2-tr/usb buttons, then it will fix the issue.

Connect the USB connection from the mixer to your computer.

You will need to select the 2TR/USB to CTRL ROOM button so that the computer output will be routed away from the main mix to the CTRL ROOM output. Do not press the 2TR/USB to MAIN button. You will want to connect the control room outputs to your power amp or powered speakers and control your monitoring level via the CTRL ROOM knob. You will be able to monitor through the speakers or the headphones.

The USB interface built into the mixer is class compliant under Windows and uses core audio driver on a Mac. This means that it doesn't need a driver to be installed when used with Windows XP or Mac OS X. The interface built into the mixer uses the generic Microsoft USB driver, which is built in to Windows XP. The interface built into the mixer doesn't have to have a driver of it's own at all.

XP
From the Start menu in Windows XP, go to control panel > sounds & audio devices > select audio. Set your default sound playback to USB Audio Codec. Also set the default recording to USB Audio Codec.

Vista
From the Start menu in Windows Vista, go to control panel > sounds. Set your playback to USB Audio Codec. Also set the recording to USB Audio Codec.


In addition you will need to select what interface is assigned in your recording software. There should be some kind of preferences menu or options menu to select it. Refer to the users manual of your recording software for more information.

Remember any of the input channels routed to the main mix, should also be sent to the USB output as well. If you have a microphone connected to channel 1, make sure the MAIN button is pressed on channel 1 in order to assign that channel to the main mix. Make sure the channel 1 fader is up. Make sure the MAIN MIX faders are up. Make sure channel 1 MUTE button is not pressed. Make sure there are no SOLO buttons pressed on any of the channels.

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: Chill_Will

Date:1/20/2015 8:55:56 PM

thanks Peter, audio drivers seem to be working fine now!

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: Chill_Will

Date:1/20/2015 9:05:07 PM

Mike,
I can't thank you enough for sharing your knowledge with me. With my old mixer I used the pc sound card ins and outs. The usb interface had me a little puzzled. I have windows 8 but it's the same premise as far as sound configs and drivers. Windows recognized the "USB Audio CODEC" drivers and they are working great. The key thing I was missing was the "listen to this device" properties. Once I checked that accordingly I was able to monitor through the headphones.

Music Studio is working nicely! I'm really digging the mixing console! I just have to get everything tweaked the way I like it, so it should be a lot of fun! Thanks sooo much!..... the only other thing I'm noticing is a delay in my voice as I'm singing. No FX channels are triggered, just natural compressed vox inputs. I guess that's all part of the "tweaking" process

thanks again ~Will

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:1/20/2015 10:42:56 PM

CW...

Glad to hear it's working for you. Actually, the slight delay is normal as there is latency (it takes time for the signal to go from the mixer via USB, get processed by Acid MS, then back out to the mixer via USB. At the same time, Acid MS just has to send out the music via USB; therefore, the different time the two sounds hit the mixer for you to hear it. The Behringer driver is advertized as being "ultra low latency", theoretically minimizing the latency as much as possible. I think the speed of your processor(s) will have an effect on the magnitude of the latency. You will also notice that when you look at the recorded track waveform, it's going to be not lined up with the music, but lagging it a bit and it's because of the delay it's running slightly behind the music's waveforms. Just move it over while editing so it better lines up. With the USB (and to a certain extent the analog inputs on your sound card), there's not a while lot you can do about latency except to try to minimize it's effects.

You can also do the "listen to this device" thing with the driver for your sound card mic input. So, you might want to rethink using the analog input/output devices to interface to the mixer.

Mike

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: pwppch

Date:1/21/2015 2:57:07 PM

Of you use ASIO, latency can be nearly eliminated. A proper ASIO driver has a very low latency, and provide very close offset information that is used to align the recorded audio.

If you are using wave drivers only, the driver may have a utility to lower the internal buffer sizes. You can then adjust the audio buffering in ACID to assist as well.

Peter

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:1/22/2015 5:05:28 PM

Thanks Peter. I tried installing ASIO4ALL that I downloaded from CNET.COM. I had to uninstall the driver provided by Behringer (although it seems to reappear each time I power up the mixer and it is connected to my computer via USB). Anyway, I tried the ASIO4ALL and by lowering the Track Buffering in Acid to 0.10 secs, the delay is for all practical purposes gone.

CW, perhaps you could try that, too.

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: pwppch

Date:1/22/2015 8:15:39 PM

ASIO4All uses the driver provided by the Behringer.

I take it that the Behringer does not provide ASIO drivers then.

Peter

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:1/22/2015 10:58:56 PM

Peter....

The driver provided by Behringer is purported to be ASIO compliant. So, I don't have an answer for you.

Subject:RE: USB Interface with Music Studio

Reply by: mike_in_ky

Date:3/13/2015 9:20:30 AM

Peter...

I uninstalled the ASIO4ALL. The Behringer driver is still there. In Options-->Preferences, I set Audio Device Type to "BEHRINGER USB AUDIO" and click the "Advanced" button in the lower left of the window. Another window opens with the devices channels, etc. Clicking on the "Configure" button opens yet another window with all the ASIO controls (USB and ASIO tabs with controls for each). The ASIO tab lists controls for ASIO Resolution, System Performance (latency), and Application Priority. The USB tab lists controls for SampleRate and Resolution for Input and Output Channels.

So, I think the Behringer driver is indeed an ASIO driver.

Thanks for your input on the subject.

Mike