1 Topic by taw (edited by taw 2013-01-19 22:01:34)

  • taw
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Topic: Weird panning behaviour in Fireface 400

Hi everyone

I've made an observation today that I cannot understand at all, also not sure what to look for as I'm sure that at some point I must have messed up some setting (or there is a problem with the software). Because, well, what else could it be?

I've got two channels in my fireface mixer, linked to each other, where the output from my Cubase 5 comes in. The panning on the left channel all left, panning on the right channel all right. Today I discovered problems with my bass frequencies obviously cancelling out and was searching for the reason in Cubase but couldn't find any possible explanation. Now here's the weird thing: When I pan the left channel in my Fireface Mixer all right and the right one all left, everything is played as I'd expect and no phase problems / frequency cancelling occurs. How can that be?! How can the result be different if I mix L to R and R to L from mixing L to L and R to R?! It occurs only on the output to my speakers, the behaviour for the phone output is just as expected: perfectly symmetric behaviour. Does anyone have any ideas where I have to look into?

Thanks a lot, your suggestions are very much appreciated.
Steven

  • taw
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Re: Weird panning behaviour in Fireface 400

I am stunned by all these answers here smile

I hope it to be my fault by not laying out the situation appropriately. So here you'll get it with pictures and sound so you can hear for yourself, I hope someone will recognize the issue:

For the example I have routed the output of my Fireface Mixer Main Out (which goes to my speakers) back into Cubase 5, and then recorded and exported the results.

Standard setting: Left output of Cubase panned all left, routed to Main L, right output of Cubase panned all right, routed to Main R

Here's a screenshot for the routing:

[img align=C]http://polyband.ch/various/setting_normal.jpg[/img]

And this is what the output sounds like: audio File

Now in the other case the left output of Cubase is panned all right, while the right is panned all left:

Screenshot:

[img align=C]http://polyband.ch/various/setting_lr_switched.jpg[/img]

I haven't changed anything but the panning as visible above. However in order to allow easier comparison, I have switched the left and the right channel of the recorded stereo file back inside an audio editor. So one would expect both files to sound exactly alike. But this is what my output now sounds like: audio file


Obviously the second file with cross-panned channels in the Fireface Mixer is the output you want. Does anyone have any explanation for this behaviour? Is there maybe somewhere some hidden option I have accidentally triggered without noticing that would have this effect? The only channel affected by this behaviour is the one where my Cubase 5 is linked to, everything else behaves as I expect it to.

Help appreciated!

3 Reply by MC

  • MC
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Re: Weird panning behaviour in Fireface 400

You might have software monitoring on while recording, adding a delayed (phase shifted) signal to the original. Your test/comparison should start with comparing the original file with the first audio file that you linked to.

Why are your Monitor Phones 2 and 3 empty? They should have a label shown. Maybe you need to reset the mixer via Ctrl-Preset 1.

Regards
Matthias Carstens
RME

MC's Website

4 Reply by taw (edited by taw 2013-01-30 20:42:10)

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Re: Weird panning behaviour in Fireface 400

Dammit, and I didn't think of resetting the software settings - Voila, it's gone! Thank you a lot!

But out of interest: What could have possibly been the reason? The feedback to Cubase was only for the recording of the files above, but the issue occurred with no feedback at all and software monitoring disabled in Cubase. I just don't see how in any valuable setting panning L->R and R->L can alter the actual transmitted signals compared to L->L and R->R as long as the left and the right channels are separated all the time, i.e. not mixed to avoid possible phase problems. The only thing that should happen is that the left signal comes out right and the right vice versa. Everything else seems to make no sense at all.

btw. the monitor phone slots are empty if you choose "NONE" in the drop down menu.