Software Monitoring: Toggle Enables-Disables Output [SOLVED]

[jake parish]

Logic Pro 9 book by David N. states I should turn off Software Monitoring if I am using an audio interface to avoid monitoring the signal twice. I am using a MOTU 896mk3 with Cuemix software. Via the 896 I can clearly hear the difference in the monitored signal when Software Monitoring (SM) is On or Off, as expected. However, there are two behaviors that have me puzzled:

 

1) When I have SM disabled, and the audio track, (say, track 1 Bright Acoustic), is Record-enabled, I can see the signal reflected in the channel strip level meter, but not in the Output level meter. When I enable SM, I can see the level indicator reflected in both meters. (In either case (with SM on or off), I can record a guitar via a mic or mics to the track.)

 

From a statement later in the book, about solving audio problems, I'd come to the conclusion that I might very well have a routing problem. I am not sure about that, now, mainly because of the SM toggling effect on the Output level monitor.

The statement that has me wondering is:

"If the record-enabled channel strip displays a signal and the Stereo Out channel strip still doesn't display a signal, you need to check for proper routing of the signal."

 

I have been checking to see if I have the routing from the 896mk3 to Logic correct. The input and output names from the Motu interface Provided by Drive show up ok in Mixer/Options/ I/O labels -- and I have selected the input and output options in that list. I can't say that I have seen any difference in the meter levels behavior, before and after having done so.

 

2) Also, (not such an issue for me), I notice that toggling SM also allows Tuner to work, that is, it receives a signal, (or does not. If I enable SM, tuner works fine. If I disable SM, tuner does not get the signal.

 

Thanks to everyone for the patience, if you've read this far. I've probably misconstrued or overlooked something. Every time I've come across a discrepancy between what the lesson results are in the book and what I do with Logic, I eventually find out it's my bad. This one has really been hard to figure out. In any case, I'd really appreciate getting set straight. Want to be sure I've got things right before I go forward.

[David Nahmani]

Logic Pro 9 book by David N. states I should turn off Software Monitoring if I am using an audio interface to avoid monitoring the signal twice.

That's not what I stated in my book! I stated that if you are monitoring your signal through a mixer, or through the monitoring features of your audio interface, THEN you should turn off software monitoring.

 

1) When I have SM disabled, and the audio track, (say, track 1 Bright Acoustic), is Record-enabled, I can see the signal reflected in the channel strip level meter, but not in the Output level meter. When I enable SM, I can see the level indicator reflected in both meters. (In either case (with SM on or off), I can record a guitar via a mic or mics to the track.)

Yes, that's the expected behavior: when SM is on, the audio signal from the record enabled track is routed to the Output, otherwise it isn't.

 

Also, (not such an issue for me), I notice that toggling SM also allows Tuner to work, that is, it receives a signal, (or does not. If I enable SM, tuner works fine. If I disable SM, tuner does not get the signal.

Again, expected behavior: with SM off, the audio signal is not routed through the plug-ins on the track's channel strip (since you're not intending to monitor it, Logic can thus save CPU resources by not processing that signal).

[jake parish]

Many thanks for the quick response, David. My sincere apologies for getting wrong the gist of your comment about using an audio interface for monitoring. Your explanation helps me understand what the underlying operation and its consequences are -- are supposed to be -- with Software Monitoring. I gather (now) that with SM disabled any output level monitoring needs be done via the level meters on my (mk3) interface.

 

The book is really accurate and useful. Glad I got the two of them. it’s also really good you are here to clarify this highly complex application. Thanks, again.

[David Nahmani]

Great, glad to be able to clarify for you. And thanks for the kind words on the book!