Old 04-18-2019, 02:10 PM   #1
joho
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Default Hybrid mixing with Reaper, anyone?

Good evening, everyone!

I'm new to this forum despite the fact that I've been using Reaper for a few years, so please excuse my ignorance!

In my home studio setup I use Reaper mainly as my recording medium and to a much lesser degree as a mixing tool. I have an APB Spectra Ti40 (actually a live analog mixing console), a few outboard preamps and a number of hardware compressors, gates and such hooked up through an Antelope Orion 32 channel AD/DA converter to my PC running Reaper.

I have mostly used my home studio as a rehearsal space for my band, but a little while ago we decided that we would like to record some of our songs and perhaps release an album if the recordings turn out OK.

We have already done most of the recordings, and they do sound pretty good. However, after running the recorded raw tracks in Reaper through the converter out to the APB, through the outboard effects, summed on the APB, and back through the converter to Reaper, I'm puzzled by the result. While the resulting stereo track sounds surprisingly good, when I press the "mono" button on the Reaper master, the mix totally collapses. Some instruments stay just fine, like the stereo rhythm guitars and percussion, while the bass, vocals and drums almost disappear from the mix! I was thinking it might be a phasing issue appearing when Reapers tracks (which technically always are in stereo, I think) are bounced to mono tracks on the analog console and summed to one stereo track before being fed back to Reaper, but nothing I've tried to remedy this (split tracks, pan hard left or right, etc.) has helped. I've later mixed the same songs ITB, having no mono compatibility problems, so there seems to be something happening in the conversion phase or in the analog domain.

I've tried to search for others having similar problems, but to no avail. I suppose there aren't that many actually running Reaper in a hybrid digital/analog mixing setup, but I'm hoping perhaps someone on this forum may be able to help me out solving this problem.

Also, if anyone knows of any general online resources for running Reaper in a hybrid setup, I would very much appreciate a link.

Thanks!

Cheers,
Johannes

Last edited by joho; 04-18-2019 at 02:49 PM.
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Old 04-18-2019, 06:05 PM   #2
Dannii
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Hi Johannes and welcome!
This does indeed sound to me like a phase (or more corrextly, polarity) issue. Given that if you mix in the box you don't have the same issues, I'd be looking for a reversed connector from the main output of your desk. Are you running balanced XLR outputs?
If it is a problem with an output cable, I'd also expect to be able to hear it as a weakened stereo image and lack of overall bass response at the mix position.
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Old 04-18-2019, 06:08 PM   #3
Dannii
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A quick test if you are running passive monitors would be to swap the polarity of one speaker and listen for improved stereo image and bass response. If so, you most likely have a reversed polarity connection on one of your output cables from the desk.
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Old 04-18-2019, 06:58 PM   #4
SonicAxiom
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welcome to the Reaper forums, Johannes!

I have a hybrid studio environment and I have also used the Orion32 for two years. First thing that comes to mind is what ReaDave already suggested. Next, I once had an issue with the Orion32 having a buggy firmware that actually flipped polatity on some channels without showing it in its gui. However, this bug had been fixed even before I ditched the Orion32 back in 2015 so I'd think that your unit is up to date in this regard.

Another thing to check would be if Reaper's master track's MONO button is set to something else than L+R if you right-click it. It might be set to L-R, giving you the difference signal of the two master channels instead of their sum.

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Old 04-19-2019, 02:27 PM   #5
joho
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Thanks, ReaDave and SonicAxiom!

I just got back home from a long day out! I will look into and try your suggestions tomorrow and let you know how it worked out.

Cheers,
Johannes
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