Audio loop back work around

[Tripi]

Hang with me for a second on this one.....

Does anyone remember back in DP5, when it let you assign an input and output for an audio track to the same bus? Of course it caused feedback if the track was not muted and record enabled, but it also let you easily record audio from your mix bus to a new audio track. This was very useful for big orchestral projects where the number of MIDI notes just overwhelmed the computer. All of my MIDI instruments (kontakt) output to a MIX BUS, which had some finalizing fx on it, and then it went to my main output. When I needed to bounce a part (say, all of my staccato strings) to an audio track, I just armed a blank track in my template, solo'd the strings, and hit record. Once it was recorded, the output of that audio track was already set to my MIX BUS, so it played through the same path as the original MIDI notes.

Anyways, with DP6, Motu killed this. Now you get an error message and it disables the record option for the track. Happens even if you have a send going to the wrong place on a record enabled track. I'm trying to find a new work around for this. I have been experimenting with physically taking a cable in and out of my audio interface, and it sort of works. I would really like to do it all in the box though. Seems like everything I try keeps pulling up a feedback loop error from DP. I'm working on several big film trailer projects where the kitchen sink really means everything playing at once. I am forced to bounce MIDI down, and since i use Vienne Ensemble pro, it has to be a real time record bounce. What I have been doing lately is to set my audio track to MIX BUS in and STEREO MAIN out. After I record, I can change back to my MIX BUS as my output for the track, but I get the error message. I have to assign the audio in/out two times for the message to go away (weird). It's a time consuming work around.

I'm just hoping someone here might have a similar way of working, and have come up with a solution. I would give anything for Motu to add this function back in (or at least make it an option).

thanks!

[Phil O]

I notice you have a mac pro. It's got optical I/O right? There might be a sneaky way to use that, but I haven't tried it for this particular application. Just a thought.

Phil

[Tripi]

My optical IO on the Mac is already used. I run it to my main studio monitor control so I can switch inputs between Apogee and Mac. The Apogee Ensemble doesn't like sharing with any other audio app while DP is open, so I use the Mac dig output to use other software while DP is running (like Audio Finder).

I've actually tried using a loop back through the Apogee's optical ports, but I always get terrible pops and clicks. It's not a clocking issue. Just happens on really big sessions. I can't stand this interface.

[Tripi]

I found a working solution for now. Thought I would share in case anyone else is interested. Since I use VE Pro for all of my sounds, it is always running next to DP. I made a new instance in VEP with just one audio input track. In DP, I have a bounce bus which catches everything going to my mix bus, and sends it to VEP.... which sends it right back to DP. This is the audio input for all of my bounce tracks. It side steps the feedback loop error since it goes out and back in. The nice thing about VEP is that it's completely compensated for with any latency. When I tested my MIDI bounces, they were absolutely locked to the exact same point as the original. Phase cancelled perfectly between the original MIDI and the recorded audio bounce from VEP. Anyways.... still wish DP would let you create a feedback loop