Control Room Talkback

Cubase
1

2 Questions:

  1. I run a 16 input system and often run into live recording scenarios. Removing even one input to use as a talkback means I have to take from my already thinly stretched miking. Is there any way to use my desktop’s soundcard mic input as the control room TB?

  2. My audio interface has a footswitch feature that you can set to any keyboard command. Is there any way to activate and deactivate the control room TB via key command?

Thank You!

2

Probs a good idea to supply detailed computer specs plus specs for your interface, otherwise it’s difficult for anyone to help :slight_smile:

3

Thanks for the reply:

Running a MOTU 896HD (Firewire Interface) with a MOTU 8pre slaved to it through ADAT

  • All clocked internally through the 896HD

Dell Desktop - Dual QuadCore Processors (8 Cores) Running Windows 8 and Cubase 7


Not really sure about my stock computer sound card. It’s basically your standard 1/8" TRS Mic in and 1/8" TRS Out that comes on a desktop. Nothing special…I’m not hoping to run C-800G as my talkback or anything.

Anything that would save me my 16th preamp and is better than yelling would do!

For the record, I know that a Presonus HP60 would completely solve my problems. I’m just not very keen to spend $300 for a headphone amp that has all its HP outputs on the front.

Thank you!

4

Sorry, that won’t work.
ASIO can only handle one card/driver, currently.

Only exception: ASIO4All.
This translates WDM drivers to ASIO and can handle multiple WDM devices.
At the cost of latency …

I never tried it with multi-out cards, though.
( And your MOTU card would need to provide 8 WDM devices )


Jan

5

Ahhh. Latency is a price that I’m not willing to pay.

I mean the TB can be as latent as it wants to be…but I doubt you’d get to pick which of your ASIO drivers gets to be latent.

Thank you so much for the reply regardless

6

btw. answer to question2 (key command):

yes.

7

I use basically the same type setup MR816csx-Motu 8 pre. I got a Presonus monitor station to use for talk back the price is reasonable and it’s worked well. Think I paid 250 at Sweetwater for it
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MonitorStat

8

Thank you for replying!

I actually used to have a Presonus Central Station but sold it because channel B colored the monitors. Drove me nuts!

For anyone who cares, I actually found a work around.

MOTU Audio Interfaces come with mixing software (called CueMix) that allows for 4 Cue’s to be mixed within the interface. This takes away processing strain from the CPU and allows for basically 0 latency headphone mixes.

I honestly imagine that a good number of interfaces offer something very similar.
CueMix allows for the first mix to include the CPUs Output Audio (Emulated Output).

Basically I took a cheapo mixer and plugged up a Shure PG mic
Plugged it RCA - TRS into the computers mic input
Set my computers default output as the AES/EBU bus (but any unused output would do)
Routed the CueMix output as AES/EBU (making it recognize the levels of the incoming mixer)
In Cubase set the Talkback as Mix 1 (the emulated output from CueMix)

Boom…Done
I will say that there’s a fair amount of delay between speaking and the cue’s hearing
Honestly, a few milliseconds of delay is of no concern to me when it comes to Talkback

I can now have 4 separate Cue Mixes within Cubase, 16 microphone inputs, and a dedicated talkback!
17 inputs! Freaking Awesome

Anyone know the key command for enabling talk back within the control room on Cubase 7? I can’t seem to get it to work.