Video Transcript
DAW
4m 44s
0:07
For capturing a live performance to multi-track, it doesn’t get much easier than just connecting a USB hard-drive to the TouchMix-30 Pro and going for it.
0:16
But sometimes you might prefer to record directly to your Digital Audio Workstation – or DAW – software.
0:23
The TouchMix-30 Pro is Core Audio compatible so it connects easily to computers running OSX version 10.3 or higher without the need for any special drivers.
0:33
Connecting to your DAW is simple. Start by connecting a USB Type B cable to the “USB DAW” port on the mixer.
0:42
Then connect the other end to your computer’s USB. On the TouchMix, push “Rec/Play”, “Recording Mode”, and select “Multitrack DAW.”
0:55
Now open the Audio MIDI Setup utility on the computer. “QSC TM30 Pro” will appear in the Audio Devices window.
1:04
Select the mixer and make sure that the sample rate on the computer matches that of the Mixer.
1:10
The TouchMix sample rate may be set from the Rec/Play screen.
1:14
Now there are lots of DAW software packages available and we aren’t going to get into a discussion of which one is best.
1:21
That’s like talking about politics or religion. And various DAWs will differ in how they are configured to work with an audio I/O device.
1:29
So check with your DAW’s documentation for specifics. That said, here’s a generic overview of what to expect.
1:36
Typically, there will be three steps.
1:38
1) Select the TouchMix-30 as an input and output device to the DAW.
1:43
Since I’m using ProTools, I simply need to enable the TM-30 as an IO for the ProTools Aggregator.
1:50
You will also likely have to configure your DAW’s connections for both inputs and outputs.
1:55
For instance, I’m going to bring in 16 channels from the TouchMix, and map them to the first 16 inputs inside my DAW.
2:04
2) Add some tracks into your DAW Timeline. I’m adding 16, since that’s the number of channels I’m using on my TouchMix.
2:12
As you set up your tracks, you will also need to designate which TouchMix-30 input is going to feed each DAW track.
2:19
This is usually controlled by the individual track settings.
2:23
And 3) If you are going to play tracks back through the TouchMix, you’ll also need to designate which TouchMix input receives which DAW track.
2:31
This is most likely part of the DAW track settings.
2:34
Now that you’ve got your TouchMix-30 Pro and your DAW talking to each other, let’s look at what they can do.
2:39
A recording session has to start somewhere and that somewhere usually starts with tracking.
2:45
Say you’re going to lay down drums, bass, guitar, keyboards and scratch vocals.
2:51
Depending on how many mics you use, that could easily be up to 12 to 16 inputs.
2:56
That’s far more inputs than most USB audio interfaces offer. But the TouchMix-30 has inputs to spare.
3:02
Not only that, but we can use the mixer’s auxiliary busses for the musicians’ headphone mixes,
3:08
without any worries about the latency problems that can come up when you use a DAW’s monitor mix functions.
3:14
You could even let the musicians control their own mix from a smart-phone just like they do during a live performance.
3:20
Does the singer like to hear reverb in his cans? No problem – just use one of the six onboard effects.
3:27
Your DAW has lots of mixing capabilities and you’ve probably got favorite plug-ins. But the TouchMix-30 Pro is really easy to use and has all those great channel presets.
3:37
So maybe you just want to use you DAW for recording and editing audio while doing your mix down on the TouchMix. Here’s how to do it.
3:46
On the mixer, set all the inputs that have a corresponding DAW track to “Track”. Go to the 2-Trk Record channel, then go to the Setup page and select “Main LR.”
3:57
If you want to use the mixer’s output EQ and limiter, set the “Record Pick-Off” point to “Post”.
4:04
On your DAW, create two new tracks and connect their inputs to TouchMix channels 31 and 32.
4:12
These tracks will now record the TouchMix Main L/R stereo output. Arm these two tracks (and only these two tracks) for recording.
4:22
Locate the start of the song and start recording. You’ll now have a two-track mix down that is ready for mastering.
4:29
So that’s a look at how you can use your TouchMix-30 Pro with your DAW. You may just find that your favorite live sound mixer is also your best choice for a DAW interface.
Lesson Description
DAW
4m 44s
Want to record directly to your Digital Audio Workstation – or DAW – software? No problem with the TouchMatrix-30 Pro!
Downloads and Links
DAW
4m 44s