Plethora of issues, Sampling External sources, Pro-tools

Alright I wanted to wrap this up into one thread so I didn't have to keep track of two different threads of issues.

Here is the set up
1) Using the Maschine I want to sample exnternal media I.E ( I have connected an M-audio Fast Track interface. I have a 1/4 inch plugged into the input on the fast track) When trying to sample this into maschine its only taking a left or right channel but not stero. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to sample in stero. I've tried using a guitar, KORG Kaossilator Pro, and a Mic VIA the XLR input on the fast track... All three failed at giving me a stero sound. Any ideas on that set up?


2) The next issue I have is a bit more complex but I hope that someone has an answer. for this set up what I'm trying to do is record a live session using Pro-Tools. I keep seeing responses like (Use Maschine and just export the wav files and mix inside protools) thats not a solution for me because here is the kicker. My buddy is using his Ableton live with APC 40 on his MAC, we are taking the Line out from his computer to the input on the Fast Track, then I can use protools to record his piece on MY PC.
Unfortinatly, I cannot run Maschine in Parallel with Pro-Tools so I have done some research on HOW to use Maschine inside pro-tools and all I can muster up is something about using it as a Plugin.

To make matters more complicated all I have is the M-powered version of Pro-tools that came with the Fast track that I purchased. I have been spinning my head around trying to figure out how my buddy and I can record a live session without making our own tracks and then layering them inside pro-tools after the fact. This takes away from the whole recording a live session.

I'm more interested in issue number 1 but how that both of these can be answered. Sorry if this is lengthy but I'm still new to this digital world of music.

Thanks so much

~Josh

 

1. Maschine deals with mono/stereo a bit oddly at the moment. Basically, if you give it a mono signal, it will sample in mono and on the side that you input it to. Feed it a stereo signal (or at least two monos) it will record "both sides". In its defence, it's just sampling what you're giving it.
The guitar and the mic are both mono sources anyway, though depending how you connected the Kaossilator Pro, that should give you stereo sampling. Again, though, if you connect it via mono input...
So give it a stereo input and you'll get a stereo sample.
There are plugins to make mono signals "stereo" though and various things you can do with a mono signal anyway. Guitar Rig (even the free one and certainly the one you got with the 1.6.2 Elements freebie) will allow a mono input to be output as stereo, so you could then use one Sound (pad) as n input channel with GR on it set up correctly, and then go to sampling and choose that Sound as the input instead of external.
That's one idea anyway.
Another is to split your mono source into two mono inputs and use two inputs on your interface.
I've just looked at the Fast Track and it doesn't have stereo inputs though...

2. Firstly, I have very little clue about Pro Tools. Never used it, never likely to use it, have no intention of using it. However, the theory shouldn't be that different...
Using Maschine as a plugin in any host does offer a slightly different approach to using Maschine, such as the transport controls being disabled due to the plugin running as a "slave" to the host (the "master").
Using Maschine as a plugin, you should be able to route its audio outs to tracks in Pro Tools though, which would allow you to record the Maschine output to a Pro Tools track and then you could set up the Mac's output i.e., the M-Audio input on a different Pro Tools track for recording.
However, if you would rather, as I would, use Maschine standalone, one suggestion would need your Fast Track to have direct monitoring, so you will be able to hear both your PC output (from the PC to the Fast Track) and the Mac output (from the Mac audio out to the Fast Track). The latter may suffer from being a mono input though, but as per my next suggestion, this won't harm your recordings.
I suggest you stick an instance of Guitar Rig on the master channels of both Maschine and Ableton Live and activate the tapedeck component. It works just as a real tape deck does but gives you a nice wav instead of an obsolete cassette. Then you can press record on both of them and record your performances separately (so if one of you messed up and wanted to re-do it but the other was too happy with his performance to re-do his, you would have them separately) but also simultaneously, as a live performance would be.
You can then import both of these wav files into Pro Tools or whatever else and do what you want with them.

 

Alright so bare with me for a moment. I thought ( but again correct me if I'm wrong) but doesn't the Fast Track take singles and make them Stero? If not thats a bummer for sure but I thought that was not the case. I know that when I use the fast track with Pro-tools and create a new track it asks if I want to make the track Stero or Mono so maybe the application is actually making my 1/4 input stero via software rather than using the hardware (fast Track) So with that thought being in mind that the Fast Track is only going to take the input as a mono it doesn't matter what you feed into the input it will always translate as mono. Might be worth while popping over to M-Audio and seeing if I can't get some advice on the product.

In terms of your recording technique Does Maschine actually have this (tape deck(esq) ) It just is really werid working with such a device that the ONLY plug is USB so I'm a bit confused how I would actually achieve this. To me it seems that at this point what my buddy and I would have to do is create our own sections and import into Pro-Tools, its unfortunate that I have to use pro-tools but currently I don;t have the cash to really splurge on 1) a new interface or 2) a better way to record.

Ahhh the joys of having such an expensive hobby

 

Hi mate,

Sorry to hear you are having issues...Some good advice from Mr36, here's my input...

When Sampling in Maschine if you sample through a Mono input it will default to a mono file, but it will playback in the centre stage.

You are correct that a mono source should default as such, however Maschine does not... it will appear to record panned to the right or left...

Issue 2

Using Maschine inside ProTools...

You will need to refer to your Pro-Tools manual here, but essentially you will need to make sure that the RTAS version of Maschine is installed. You may need to re-run the install procedure from the disc and obviously the updates also.

Check out the Protools help files to see how to load RTAS plugins...

This will enable you to run Maschine as a plugin inside ProTools and bounce audio and route etc inside of Protools...

I am of the opinion that Protools can be more of a hinderance than a guide when you are starting out, you would be better off ( IMO )getting Live Intro or Logic Express; far more user friendly...

Any help I can give I will be happy to do so...

Good luck mate...

 

@KC Muff I will try and set this up when I get home, what you are describing is correct I sample from external source and it says its recroding left or right but I don't get the effect you are talking about on playback it truly is playing on the channel that it says it sampled in on. So I'm not following there at all. Again I have to be in front of the computer when doing this stuff so I will keep everyone posted.


Again, THANKS guys for your help this at least gives me some headway when I get home this evening


I hope I'm able to figure this out

~Josh

 

If you want to record the Mac on the PC properly, you will need a way of getting the STEREO signal from the Mac into the PC and currently, you cannot do this, as your interface, as far as I know, only has mono inputs. This is why I suggested the Guitar Rig tapedeck method of recording. And, as I said, the Tapedeck component is part of Guitar Rig (even the free one and certainly the one that is part of Elements) and will allow you to record both of you simultaneously, irrespective of any hardware routing, in stereo and exactly as you play your tracks.

Now, if you haven't already, download and install either your free Elements that you got with the 1.6 update or just the free Guitar Rig Player. Run it as standalone first though! And then close it and open Maschine/Ableton Live...

Then...

In Maschine:

Click Master
Go to slot number 4
Click the drop-down menu and go to plugins
Select Guitar Rig

In Ableton Live:

Click the Master channel
Go to the Browser and underneath Plugins, select and drag Guitar Rig to the Master channel


Now, in GR:

Above the blank space on the right, there are some symbols, one for a tuner, one for a metronome etc. and then there are two Tapedecks
Click one of them (either will do pre- or post-)
Then when you're ready to record, click record and play like you would on an old-school tape deck

All sounds you make from the respective programs will then be recorded and when you're finished, press stop and you can then save the files as wav files for use in other programs, such as Pro Tools.

 

first off thanks again for staying tuned to this thread really appriciated.

I hear what you are saying about guitar rig, now I'm having trouble figuring out which one is the "free one" not like Im trying to get free software but Id like to try before I buy when I search on the site for "guitar rig" it brings back a few choices all of which come with some sort of interface AND I don't know which one I'm supposed to choose.

I did also look at elements and I see that it is there for 59 dollars does the "demo" come with this guitar rig you are referencing? If so I will scoop that up ASAP. regrettably, I did not have time to play around with this last night.

One last note, I'm not running Maschine 1.6 and the more I read about it the more I fear it. I have seen a lot of complaints and problems with it so I fear updating it. So before I do, what is your honest opinion about the latest and greatest from bugs to enhancements I can't live with out

Thanks again for your continued input this really helps me better understand the process and takes me one step closer to understanding the true power of all of these tools.


~Josh

 

Right, well, if you're still on 1.5, I'm afraid, you have a lot fewer options and this Guitar Rig idea is out of the window.

As I said, you get the Komplete Elements for free with the 1.6 Maschine update and that comes with a Guitar Rig version that is in between the free Player and Pro and is more than adequate for most purposes.

I've been running 1.6 for as long as I've been able to and had minimal issues (touch wood). I realise that some people have and I can't really say whether you will or not. I'd say that if you install properly and do all as you should, you'll have minimal problems too. But I am on a Mac for Maschine and it seems that more PC users are having issues with the update, though I have no figures, it's just speculation. And it's certainly not a Mac vs PC debate in the starting!

I would update to 1.6, to be honest. Maschine is so much more powerful with VST support.

However, if you really don't want to, there is another option that you could try...

Both Maschine and Ableton Live can record themselves internally, so you could set up a Sound in Maschine and a track in Ableton to essentially resample the output from the Master and then you'd have the two files of your performance just the same.

 

Interesting.... So The computer I have Maschine installed on is not connected to the internet for security purposes is strickly a music computer. so when I go to service center and click on update yadda yadda yadda, it says for offline support use a computer with internet connection and go to native-instruments.com/support which I did found the update for maschine 1.6

Moved it back over to my computer with no internet and updated just fine. I did however not receive the copy of guitar rig you speak of in your ealier posts ::Scratch head:: not sure if Im missing something or what I need to do...

Help?
---
Alright so now that I have some free time I decided to try some new things out based on your responses. I ran into a new issue which is just as bad if not worse than before. Now when I try to plug say the kaossilator pro or ANYTHING into the fast track and try to sample from external I get NOTHING in the left or right and of course still no stero.

Not sure what Im doing wrong but I tried it with BOTH the direct monitor button pressed and with it unpressed. Any idea how to sample from the fast track.

OH I did try one other thing to and that is on the back of the kaossilator they DO have a midi out and midi in so what I tried to do as well ( just as a long shot) was take the midi out of the kaossilator and plug it into the midi in on the Maschine and try to sample that way as an external source still no dice.

I'm stumped more than ever and Sam Ash and Guitar Center both have no clue how to even begin to help me


seems my 700 dollar investment is dead in the water at the moment from using the full feature set