I have my analog4 running into input CD of my Octatrack. I have applied/locked some extreme effects to Scene B so that I can use the cross fader to apply effects, but I would also like to reduce the gain on Scene B because the extreme effects bring the volume way up.
I know there are a few options for adjusting gain, but I can’t figure out a good option here; adjusting the AMP gain is not an option, because it reduces the gain input before the effects chain and therefore the effects aren’t applied in the same way.
You’re unable to lock the gain for CD on the mixer page too. Been studying the manual on page 54, but still can’t figure it out. Anyone know what’s up?
I don’t think it’s possible, unless you add a neighbor machine on next track that will process the signal further after your chain, and on that one you can either assign the AMP gain or add a compressor.
If you can’t balance the increase in volume by adjusting effect parameters (e.g. the delay has a dedicated volume parameter that you could pull down a bit on one scene, but dry/wet, feedback and filters can also be used to balance the effect across the crossfader range), you can use a neighbour machine like mentioned by @phading.
That would be pre fx gain as well. Vol is always pre fx, track level is post effect.
Are you new to octatrack? I remember when I got it I was so frequently disappointed. How could such an incredible instrument have such ridiculous flaws? And I got it when it came out, with an OS that some would say wasn’t really finished.
Afterwards you just learn to live with it, trying to focus on the bright side!
Btw, I have another suggestion that might serve you - if scene A is dry FX, that is:
While on extreme effected scene B, Adjust volume level to your liking. Then go back to scene A and adjust gain in scene A - if this scene has dry FX then this pre gain should not mess too much with what you pretend of your signal.
Unfortunately you can’t set intermediate values because it’s designed for crossfading not fine level adujstments so it’s not as flexible as it could be, but it kind of does what you’re trying to do.
Yeah, but XLV let’s you only crossfade from 0 track level to the level set on that track.
How would you use that to tame levels post effect?
Let’s say you go from one scene (dry scene) to the effects scene (delay mix up and more feedback) and levels get out of hand. How would you tame the levels with XLV?
My approach would be to back down a bit on the delay feedback or filter the delay a bit (low pass or high pass would depend on source and other elements in the mix) with the scene.
You’d have to adjust it so the sounds you were after were somewhere in the middle of the crossfader throw instead of a the end. Far from ideal but it’s the only way I can think of to do it at all without external MIDI control.