Soundcraft 12 MTK

[Waxx]

Hello all,

Hope some of you can help with this: I'm using a Soundcraft 12 MTK to record my sessions into arrangement view. Works fine but, by design, the Soundcraft records post gain but pre EQ, pre FX and pre faders. This is good, however once I recorded a track in Ableton (pre EQ, pre FX and pre faders), I want to be able to send the track back to the mixer and at the same record it back into Ableton in order to apply EQ, fader movements and effects from the mixer.
I know this is possible, however I couldn't find a way to make it work despite trying pretty much every possible combination of Ext IN, Ext OUT on every track.
I've contacted Soundcraft but received no reply and the guide they provide for Ableton doesn't cover this topic so hopefully you guys can help.

Thanks a lot in advance

[Richie Witch]

From Soundcraft's "Recording Guide":

Console channels can be set up to receive USB Input and can be engaged per-channel with the USB RTN button located on each channel strip.
This means that channels that have been sent to the DAW for recording can then be returned from the DAW, back through the console, converted to analogue and mixed as a standard input source.

Assuming you've already tried that, I suspect the issue is actually with Live. I would think you need to change the output routing from the track in Live from "Master" to the USB input channel on your mixer.

So the issue might be that you're not hearing sound coming into that channel of the mixer because Live hasn't been told to send it there.

[Waxx]

Hi there and thanks for your reply.
I did try already to follow the manual and have also switched the output routing in Live from Master to the relative USB channel on the mixer. Just to be clear: I am able to hear back from the mixer what I have recorded in Live and am able to tweak EQ, effects, faders in real time and hear what I am doing. What I am not able to do is recording these tweakings back into Live.
For instance if I record a drum pattern on 1 Audio in Live I can send it back to channel 1 on the mixer and by engaging the USB RTN button on the mixer I can hear the recording and tweak it on the console. If I then create another audio track in Live in order to re-record the original audio track after this has gone through the mixer and EQ has been applied to it, I cannot do it. I have managed to partially succeed at this by assigning channel 13/14 as the Ext IN on the new audio track, however the input level is so low it can barely be heard and it's effectively useless.

I'm sure it can be done and it's only a matter of finding the correct routing combination, any help would be massively appreciated.

[miyaru]

Can't you record a bus from the MTK 12 to Live? Most consoles have busses wich can be routed to the DAW......

Is there a way out (USB) from a bus to Ableton?

[Waxx]

Hi,

That could be a good way to go. I could send the tracks to Grp 1-2 on the console, however unfortunately there is no USB channel for the Grp 1-2 bus. Or at least I can't find it.
There is this video of a guy who is able to do it in Pro-Tools using a Print track, but I wouldn't know how to replicate the same process in Live as I don't think there are Print tracks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITJNiUEqNyA
Does anybody know how to do in Live what he does in Pro-Tools?

Thanks all

[Richie Witch]

If you follow the process he uses in the video *exactly*, it should work the same way in Live. What he calls a "print track" is just studio jargon for what he is doing with an audio track--it's not a special track in ProTools. You can use an audio track in Live and it will work exactly the same.

The problem is that you must route Grp 1/2 back to Live, and you've said you can't find those routing inputs in Live's input list. But that's the key--find those, and it will work.

I'm hoping this isn't a compatibility issue with Live itself. For example, Presonus Studio 1 recognizes that my mixer can optionally use channels 13/14 to record the aux returns, so it lists those channels twice with the correct labels: one for recording an external stereo source and one for recording stereo aux returns. Live does not recognize this feature and I have to do a little finagling to get it to work in Live.

[kludge]

I'm late to the party on this post, and I'n a total noob to the MTK and Ableton Live, but maybe this is what you're looking for...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIi-_hl63yI

[eggnogagogo]

If anyone is still following this thread, I can help you. Drop me a line.

[stumerch]

Hey everyone

For some reason my desk as stopped returning audio via the usb return function.

Worked previously, just changed ableton channel audio out to what ever ext channel I was using and the hit the usb return button and the audio would play from ableton and out of my desk.

Now it doesn’t work.... I’ve tried various different channels and nothing.

Frustrating... and ideas on what the issue could help?

Ableton 10
MacBook
Signature 22MTK

[The Rasa]

If anyone is still following this thread, I can help you. Drop me a line.

Hey, I have exactly the same problem than the first person who started this thread. Still didn't figure out how to record
the final product, when I'm tweeking the knobs live on the mixer.

[Fonz77]

Hi guys

I just got the 22 signature soundcraft. When i connect the usb, it only recognises 2 input channels and 2 output channels not 22. i Have tried everything on the videos and still ableton is only recognising 2 channels. Any idea what it could be? Fonz