Virtual Banks Issue

Support for the free app X32Reaper. This is not the forum for X32ReaperAutoMate.
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S3E_Matt
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Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2022 11:44 pm

Virtual Banks Issue

Post by S3E_Matt »

I've got a big issue that I just can't work out. I've got reaper and X32reaper set up to have 64 tracks in 4 banks of 16, using the Channel Bank select to switch between them, and 16 tracks for busses.

First up, a query: For more than 32 reaper tracks, how do I route them? The instructions only mention setting up a 32 track reaper routing matrix up to the 32 outputs that the X32 has, but what if you have more than 32 tracks? What do you assign track 33 to, and so forth? In playing around and trying different things what I've found the best was to route my different instruments to busses (vocal tracks 1-8 to bus 1; guitar tracks 14-22 to bus 2; drum track 46-58 to bus 3; etc...) and then route the busses to the X32 outputs 1-16. Should this work fine or should I be setting this differently?

The main issue I have now though is that the channel controls are affecting the tracks in non-active banks.

My setup to replicate this:
Track 1 -> Lead Vocals (fader at 0)
Track 2 -> Backing Vocals (fader at -20)
Track 17 -> Rhythm Guitar Left (fader at -6)
Track 18 -> Rhythm Guitar Right (fader at -6)
Track 33 -> Lead Guitar (track muted)
Track 34 -> Bass Guitar (fader at -10)

If I switch from bank 1 to bank 2, for example, then Track 1 will suddenly slightly drop in volume to match Track 17's fader and Track 2 will jump in volume quite a bit to match Track 18's fader. Then if I switch to bank 3 Tracks 1 and 17 with suddenly disappear as Track 33's mute takes effect, while Track 2 slightly increases volume and Track 18 drops. Track 33 Lead Guitar is audible on all banks except for when its own bank 3 is active and thus becomes muted.

I've spent hours on this and now I'm pretty much out of ideas on what to do to fix this so any help is very welcome as this makes mixing more than 32 tracks pretty unusable in this setup.

Just another random little bug too, sometimes with a bank switch a random channel will show the track from a different bank. ie if I switch from bank 1 to bank 2 then channel 12 might randomly show track 12 instead of track 28.
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pvannatto
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by pvannatto »

S3E_Matt wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 12:39 am I've spent hours on this and now I'm pretty much out of ideas on what to do to fix this so any help is very welcome as this makes mixing more than 32 tracks pretty unusable in this setup
The X32 USB input/output is a 32/32 interface, meaning it can only input 32 channels. If you require more than 32 channels, I would suggest you get the Klark Teknik DN-9630 which uses the AES50 and can input/output 48/48 channels. Another option is to get the Wing with the Dante card (64/64 channel interface).
Paul Vannatto
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S3E_Matt
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by S3E_Matt »

pvannatto wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 1:15 am The X32 USB input/output is a 32/32 interface, meaning it can only input 32 channels. If you require more than 32 channels, I would suggest you get the Klark Teknik DN-9630 which uses the AES50 and can input/output 48/48 channels. Another option is to get the Wing with the Dante card (64/64 channel interface).
For recording, yes. However I'm intending to use it as a control surface for mixing from Reaper, which I believe is a major reason for X32Reaper's existence, with intentions of using it for mixing more than 32 tracks, as enabled but release 2.21:
X32Reaper v2.21, shows REAPER virtual banks management from X32:
Version 2.22 (2.20 & 2.21 had a small bugs) enables switching back and forth between virtual banks, keeping the settings that have been set with the X32 or with REAPER. Also, X32 scribbles icons and colors can be set from REAPER using a specific syntax for REAPER tracks.
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pmaillot
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by pmaillot »

@S3E_Matt As you mentioned it yourself, with X32Reaper, the X32 is used as a control surface, and that becomes even more true if you have more tracks than the number of inputs the X32 can manage.

A control surface does not handle audio paths.

There are some cases where he X32 can act as both control surface and audio engine with full X32 parameter control, but then the actual limit is 16 channels. Beyond that, you will start to find limitations and artifacts in audio level or parameter management, and a strict limitation to control surface passed 32 channels.

As to random issues with wrong data popping up during bank swap: most likely a network limitation with a packet drop.

-Patrick
S3E_Matt
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by S3E_Matt »

So the virtual banks feature is useless? I don't need it to handle the audio itself, I'm just trying to use it for the faders and panning etc to control Reaper.
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pmaillot
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by pmaillot »

Far from useless :)

As long as you don't pass audio through X32 channels, you can manage as many REAPER tracks as you want, in banks of 16 seems the most easy to manage for users (not having to deal with the split the X32 imposes to manage banks of 32 channels).

I've had users manipulating 140 REAPER tracks using an X32 as a control surface with X32Reaper!

-Patrick
S3E_Matt
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by S3E_Matt »

Ok, so what am I missing, what have I set up wrong? Can I monitor through the X32 at all or do I have to hook up another interface to output the audio?
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MJKlein
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Re: Virtual Banks Issue

Post by MJKlein »

S3E_Matt wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 9:04 am Ok, so what am I missing, what have I set up wrong? Can I monitor through the X32 at all or do I have to hook up another interface to output the audio?
You're not missing anything. The X32 only has those 32 channels to work with. So you'll have to either pick a pair of channels and link them, or as you say, use another interface to hear the Master Bus because there is no provision for that in the console design.
S3E_Matt wrote: Sun Dec 18, 2022 12:39 am First up, a query: For more than 32 reaper tracks, how do I route them?
Like any other control surface mixing configuration, all tracks go to the Master Bus.
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