[ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software

  • From: Bryan Smart <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 21:49:52 -0400

Dave, if you have an ADK system, there is no reason that you should have to 
mess with all of the manual re-install and what-not after a virus. Your system 
was imaged when built. You can restore back to that image, and have it operate 
just as it did when it was originally shipped to you. There is an image saved 
on the hard drive, which can be accessed through the boot menu, or else you can 
restore from the DVDs that were included with your system.

If you need assistance with this, please call us or ADK.

Bryan

-----Original Message-----
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Dave Hillebrandt
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2010 7:08 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software

Hi Brian, no problem on the delay in your reply and appreciate the good info. i 
feel pretty stupid but now have done a little reading on the busses.
Still a bunch more that i need to but slowly grasping the concepts. Part of my 
problem is that had a virus of some sort a few months ago and had my computer 
put into recovery mode. i believe it messed up some drivers and found that 
certain projects i had already recorded had bad latency while others did not 
and would get points where the project would just freeze and say "drop out." 
Well, today i totally reinstalled everything and no problems at all some 
probably a corrupt file somewhere as happens from time to time.
I appreciate the info on the fast track ultra and think perhaps only thing I 
really need to do in that control pannel is to make sure all of the channels 
are turned up. it appears as though only one of my headphone outs works and 
only one channel worth of input. Something is either muted or turned down.
My wife can see but didn't really know what to look for and having no luck.
Eventually get someone over who knows what to look for. At least it is good to 
know that the whole bussing thing will let me be able to record a few people 
together. i enjoy doing it a track at a time but have a friend who can't do it 
and has to even sing at same time as plays guitar....
Again, thanks for help and so far so good. sometimes, just a total reinstall 
does the trick. made sure that I even deleted the old cakewalk folders....
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Smart" <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, August 14, 2010 5:42 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software


Dave, sorry that your message got lost, and that it has taken me a bit of time 
to respond.

No, you don't need the FastTrack control panel to record multiple tracks.
That all happens in Sonar.

In Sonar, on an audio track, the input column of the track provides a pop-up 
menu that makes it possible for you to select the input that will be used for 
that track. So, you can create 8 audio tracks in Sonar, set each of their input 
settings to different inputs on the FastTrack, arm those tracks, and then hit 
record to record from them all at once.

Besides the buffer/latency setting, the FastTrack control panel has settings 
for configuring digital I/O (for devices using SPDIF and ADAT, for example), 
which I don't think that you have.

It also has settings for configuring direct monitoring features, where you can 
monitor the FastTrack's inputs without routing audio through Sonar.
However, you have direct access to these features, at least for the front-panel 
mic/line inputs, via controls on the front of the FastTrack itself, so you 
don't need the control panel for monitoring mic/instrument inputs.

As I told you above, assigning inputs to tracks for Sonar is handled entirely 
inside Sonar.

So, the control panel is mostly useless on a daily basis.

Bryan

-----Original Message-----
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Dave Hillebrandt
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 6:22 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software

Hi Bryan, I appreciate the good info and appologize if i sounded short in my 
frustration with this Fast Track Ultra. I am obviously missing something if 
what I'm understanding you say is true, but seems like there is much more in 
fast track ultra that I'm not able to get to besides buffer size. isn't the 
software where i'd go to assign to specific tracks etc. it appears as though 
certain channels are not checked or something and I'm unable to read any of 
that info. is this something that i should be able to read with jaws from your 
experience or not? I do understand that it is a good quality unit for the price 
and not complaining as far as that goes. Do you know off hand if my adk 
computer is setup with firewire or not. Don't know what a firewire connection 
looks like to know if i have one or not and if so, what particular type your 
company would have had installed.
You are right in that i would not necessarily want to spend a bunch more money 
but am willing to go more expensive to get something more accessable than what 
i'm currently experiencing. You are right, that noisey inputs would not be good 
and would best to avoid. Could either go for a more expensive yet accessable 
usb unit, or perhaps a firewire if you can think of any that would be easier to 
access.
    As i say, its possible that this fast track is more accessable than I 
realize and I'm just doing sometihng wrong, but jaws doesn't appear to read 
much in its software at all. Have you or others you know currently using this 
unit and if so, are they able to use its software to assign channels to certain 
tracks? hopefully this question makes since. Am mainly interested for the 
instance where may wish to record more than one person at same time, and as far 
as i know, would usually do this in its software unless i'm way off; which 
could be admittedly.
    If it turns out that would need sighted help to makes these changes etc, 
then I would definitely be interested in antoher unit, even if more expensive, 
in order to be able to take full advantage of it. So far, been just recording 
one track at a time and where its doing the trick, have a feeling would not be 
good if trying to record a band.
    Any suggestions will be very appreciated. Again sorry if this is such a 
novice question that it comes off really stupid. Never used firewire so just 
don't know if this computer has it or not. Would think so since kind of the 
state of the art system from you all at the time. Thanks in advance, Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bryan Smart" <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, August 09, 2010 12:27 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software


Dave, there are some Firewire interfaces that are reasonably accessible, but 
you must have Firewire support on your computer, and the Firewire controller 
must be produced by a specific manufacturer, or you're likely to have problems. 
It is very difficult to promise to people that these interfaces will work if 
they're using them on a computer that they already own.

Some USB interfaces are accessible, also. However, while their control panels 
are accessible, I've found that most of them are are also lacking in major 
areas that aren't acceptable to me.

For example, Tascam sells some USB interfaces with completely accessible 
control panel software. However, the drivers for those interfaces are terrible. 
One major problem is that it is next to impossible to use projects with 
different sample rates with one of these interfaces. They absolutely hate 
switching sample rates, and you must often reboot to make the change.
This isn't acceptable to me, as, if your interface isn't stable, then all of 
the quality and accessibility in the world doesn't do you any good. I'd feel 
embarrassed suggesting such a device to you, and having you call me to explain 
why it stops working after you switch between certain Sonar projects.

The Cakewalk interfaces have reasonably accessible control panel software, and 
stable drivers, but the quality of the inputs is poor. We never expect 
inexpensive interfaces to have pristine inputs, but the Cakewalk interfaces 
have the frustrating tendency to pick up on bus noise from your computer.
That isn't acceptable to me, as that compromises the quality of every recording 
that you make.

Compromising performance or stability isn't acceptable for me. Accessibility of 
the control panel is important, of course, but the only major setting in there, 
the buffer size, has to be set once when you setup your computer.
Getting access to that at the cost of something that will hurt you on a daily 
basis isn't a good trade.

If you want something that is both high quality and accessible, there are 
options, but they will either cost you in terms of money or setup complexity. 
Most people that I speak with, that have a casual interest in recording, are 
unwilling to spend more than about $200 - $300, and don't have patience for a 
lot of technical hassles. That's why I suggest the FastTrack, at the moment.

Bryan

-----Original Message-----
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Dave Hillebrandt
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2010 8:18 AM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software

Hi Tom, Thanks for response. Well, I had normally used Windoweyes til getting 
into the pc recording game so not sure if its something that i'm not doing 
correctly with jaws or if simply not accessable. have a feeling its the 
software but couldn't say for sure and very few replies yet. one thing i know 
for sure, most likely they sent you a crummy driver with your unit so will have 
to go to their web site and download most current version anyway.
Forget what it tells me when I install the original disk, but something to the 
effect that this software will not load on my computer and to go to the m-audio 
web page to get most current driver. i did this with no problem and installed. 
Even with the install it will tell you that this software did not pass 
microsoft tests and asks if you want to install anyway and you choose yes.
    At least if go to their web site, you won't have to open their driver 
disks. One of them is just for the free program of Appleton which is not really 
useful as far as i can tell; some sort of cheep recording software.
hope you have good luck and then in return can tell me what you find out about 
their software. like i say, its a pretty good unit for the price; very low 
noise and not bad in latency department, but so far do not know how to use that 
dern software. Even though its primary interface that dancing dots sells, have 
found nobody replying who uses it and nobody from dancing dots commenting on 
any way to use it so either they've never tried to use it or they have with no 
luck. If they knew it was not accessable, would have been real nice if they 
mentioned it ahead of time so would have bought something else from another 
company. May go up to local music store and try something else. Wish i knew 
more people using interfaces like this locally that i could compare to. This 
way could at least borrow the software to see if it is useable. Will be very 
anxious to hear what you find. let me know if anything I can do to help you out.
    Am very new to pc recording and as i say, new to jaws too really, but have 
a feeling its the software. Really bugs me too that they can't pack a somewhat 
up to date driver with it too, as the one on their web page is not especially 
new, but much newer than one they pack that can't be used at all.
Please keep in touch. you will like this interface, especially if you can get 
all of its functions working. Who knows, maybe everyone has to come up with 
work arounds. You are first to contact me who actually has this unit and yet 
even you haven't tried yet so odd that more people on dancing dots list don't 
use this. Oh well, we will see soon I guess. Take care, Dave

----- Original Message -----
From: Tom De Rosa <mailto:TDEROSA1@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2010 1:22 AM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: m-audio fast track ultra software

Hey Dave,  I just bought the same interface and haven't yet tried to connect ot 
my lap top.  I had no idea that reading the software would be a problem.
I am glad you posted this message.  I hope you get some advice it will 
certainly be helpfull to me.  If it's not accessible I can return it if I don't 
open the discs to download the drivers.
Thanks tom
Tom DeRosa
URL www.myspace.com/tder08

----- Original Message -----
From: Dave Hillebrandt <mailto:dave@xxxxxxxx>
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 1:21 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] m-audio fast track ultra software



Hello Friends,
    Would like to get some suggestions on interfaces that have easily 
accessable software. i have the m-audio fast track ultra and have not had any 
luck being able to access its software in order to route signal paths. i know 
that if i want to record a few people at the same time on different tracks, 
there should be a way to route them on this software but do not see how it 
would be done when using jaws. If anyone has this interface and have luck using 
it, perhaps you can contact me off list so as to not bore others.
i like the interface very much as far as being small and having very low noise 
but don't know what is required to read its software. Willing to buy a 
different interface from another company if easier to use their software or 
does everything onboard the unit. any ideas. Thanks much. Very much a novice 
and still trying to learn so could have overlooked something but don't know 
where to start. Right now can only use one input at a time cause can't read the 
software. Dave




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