Hey all, hoping for some help as I can’t figure out what’s wrong here:
Been using Cubase Pro 12 with an Audient Oria interface to mix in both stereo and Atmos for a year now w great results. On a Mac Studio M2 Max. I have the Oria sending out from the LTM & RTM outputs (1/4" to XLR) into my Maag EQ4M, then out from the Maag into inputs 1 & 2 on the Oria interface using XLRs. In the project add an External FX as being stereo, name it as being MAAG EQ4M and then the plugin does indeed appear in the list, as it should.
I put the plugin onto the channel to mix through, but when the plugin is activated no sound comes from the speakers, and when plugin is deactivated sound then returns to the speakers. It looks like the Maag is getting no signal (as its signal indicator lights don’t light up at all.)
What could be the problem here? I’ve also switched the 1/4" outs from the Oria to alternative outs other than the LTM & RTM (i’ve tried the stereo outs, and also some other working surround outs, switching to the correct corresponding selections in the external fx window) but the same problem persists, seemingly putting no signal out to the Maag EQ…
Thanks a million for any bit of help!
I can still hear signal going thru the subwoofer when activating the Ext FX plugin, no matter what speaker out I go through. No signal being sent out to the outboard (or back in. Duh.) Stumped!
Can you send audio out of those same outputs without using the external FX plugin…just route it directly?
Yes, say if I use the LTF & RTF going out to the speakers then the signal goes through out to the speakers. But when I make an Ext FX and make its output LTF & RTF no signal comes thru when activating the Ext FX plugin on a channel.
I do use the Control Room, would that possibly be causing the issue in this?
Are those outs still active in control room?
You can’t select duplicate outs in C12 as far as I’m aware so that may be the issue.
LTM & RTM are not being used in the Control Room. They aren’t listed. Should I add another monitor channel of some sort in the CR? Here are the audio connection routings as they are now:
Looks fine…no you don’t need another bus in control room!
Can you plug a speaker or both speakers to those outs and send a low signal via the external FX to see if you hear anything. This will confirm 100% if the issue is with send or return.
Be careful as this is unattenuated line level if no monitor control in path.
EDIT: Actually I see you say the Maag has signal indicator so easier option here would be to just send a track to that hardware out…taking the external FX out of the equation.
Ok yes I discovered that the signal IS going thru the speaker outputs, just super quietly for some reason & it is connected to my interface’s volume control. If I crank the master volume up it magnifies the signal into the outboard. Is there a way around this?? Even with the Send Gain upped to its maximum 6 dB it is still faaaar too quiet in relation to the audio file when the plugin is activated.
Sorry for my naivety, clearly new to the outboard game!
No idea about the oria but I know other Audients have an option called daw through selectable for each out that takes outputs out of the monitor path to give unattenuated line level
Can’t find any DAW Through or DAW Out within the Oria menus so I just put in a ticket @ Audient. Fingers-crossed they get back to me within a decent timeframe. Thanks for all of your help, Grim!! I’ll return here with the info when I find out what workaround there is, for anyone that may need to know this in the future.
I took a quick look at the manual and I have a feeling that they really have designed the outs for monitor outputs only. The level is always going to be controlled by the main volume.
Hopefully something I missed!
Yeahhhh I’m suspecting the same thing, m’self 
Audient responded that there is indeed no workaround for the Oria’s master volume controlling the speaker outs, but there is (within its app) a dedicated volume control for each speaker out, so that that can help boost signal out to the Ext FX, if needed. But then also “…it isn’t really designed with that in mind, and without any dedicated send / return path, you’re likely to get a feedback loop trying to patch anything between the line outputs and the mic preamps.”
Does that mean that my best bet to use outboard gear for mixing is to use another interface for ins/outs and to just use the Oria as a monitor controller for my 7.1.4 setup? I was planning on eventually buying a AUD Apollo x8p for its 16-in/22-out capability anyways (when i land in a new studio space later this year.) The Oria is designed to be fully capable of acting as solely monitor control w sonarworks built-in.
Sounds like it…I guess you’d just need to make sure the interface has 2 adat ports (the X8 does) to pipe enough channels into the Oria and leave the analogue i/o free for your hardware…
Thanks for all of your help, Grim. Much appreciated!!