Problems with M-audio Fast Track Ultra (solved)

[pmag]

Can anyone help. I have got an M-Audio Fast Track Ultra I/F card, which has 6 channels. I cannot get SCS to use more than channels 1 & 2. I have other audio software (Wavelab) that can access the other channels. I am running Vista SP2. The latest stable SCS allows channels 3/4 etc to be selected but then can't use them. I have tried the latest release candidate 1 version and this does not give me any options other then left or right stereo or mono, it does not even recognise that the card has more then 2 channels. I have got a show in a little over 2 weeks so am keen to get an answer. Are there any settings in SCS that can affect this or is it just a bug.

Any ideas gratefully received.

[Mike Daniell]

In the Production Properties in the SCS Editor, in the Physical Device drop-down lists do you select stereo pairs for the various M-Audio outputs? For example, for outputs 3/4 do you select a 'Physical Device' labelled something like 'M-Audio Fast Track 3/4'? If so then make sure that under 'Speakers/Outputs' you select 'Left and Right (Stereo)'. Do NOT select 'Outputs 3/4 (stereo)' because that would tell SCS to use outputs 3 and 4 of a stereo pair, which obviously do not exist.

Version 10.6.2 will restrict the 'Speakers/Outputs' drop-down list to only those speakers/outputs available for the selected 'Physical Device'.

[pmag]

The Physical device drop down gives me one option (M-Audio Fast Track Ultra). The Speaker/Outputs in 10.6.2 only gives me the options of left and right (sterero) or Left (mono) or Right (mono). There is no way to select any of the other channels on the interface (which are available to other programs). In 10.6.1 The Phsical Device drop down is the same, but I can select channels 1/2 or channels 3/4 in the speakers/outputs this works fine. But when I save the changes the cue list shows an error for any cue assigned to the channel 3/4 device and than will not play.

Any clues?

[jkowtko]

Do you have the latest M-Audio device driver? I would expect to see at least a few devices, one for 1/2, one for 3/4, one for 5/6, and one for "Multi". And, if you have ASIO support enabled, another device for ASIO.

[Eric Snodgrass]

pmag, choose Left-Right Stereo for your pairs 3 and 4. This should work.
I just had the same issue with an M-Audio Fast Track Pro and when I chose Left-Right Stereo for each pair it worked just fine.

[Mike Daniell]

The Physical device drop down gives me one option (M-Audio Fast Track Ultra). The Speaker/Outputs in 10.6.2 only gives me the options of left and right (sterero) or Left (mono) or Right (mono).

Definitely follow John's advice and check that you have the latest M-Audio Driver. If 10.6.2 only lists the outputs you mention then that implies the audio library is only detecting two outputs, ie a stereo pair. This may also be influenced by the Speaker Configuration in your Windows Control Panel. If, after checking that you have the latest driver installed and that your Speaker Configuration(s) are set correctly, you still can't see or use 3/4, etc, please advise which Windows version you are using (XP, Vista, W7, etc).

[pmag]

Thanks for the advice, but I am still struggling. I am using the latest drivers from the m-audio web site. I am using windows Vista home basic SP2. There does not seem to be a problem with the interface or the drivers, using the 'output properties' in the windows sound control panel I can send a test tone down each channel.

On a whim, I borrowed an XP computer and tried the M-audio fust track ultra on that with SCS and guess what, no problems at all I can use all the channels. The interesting thing is that on XP the interface shows up as 'm-audio USB 2.0 ASIO' in the SCS production properties physical device name. On Vista it shows up as 'M-audio fast track ultra'. So, it looks like SCS on XP doesn't recognise the M-audio interface in the same way as it does on XP.

If this is the case, does anyone know how I can get it to recognise the interface properly?

[jkowtko]

Ugh .... unless you think you can solve this drive compatibility issue quickly, I'd suggest you seriously consider getting rid of Vista and going back to XP. That's what I did on my laptop ... made a big difference in overall performance and glitchiness, and a much higher level of comfort using all of the audio programs and drivers out there.

Windows 7 is supposed to be much better than Vista, but I wouldn't trust it until it's been out for a year or two. All of the softwware products out there have been written for or certified against XP.

[pmag]

I can't agree that because one software program doesn't work properly you change the operating system. XP support is likely to expire in the next 2 years I am not going to regress to XP on a laptop that was bought with Vista, everything else on it works fine. The SCS web-site gives Vista as a supported operating system. Besides the Seinberg Wavelab software on my Vista Laptop has no problem talking to the ASIO drivers that come with the M-Audio card, why doesn't SCS?

[jkowtko]

For me, SCS worked okay on my laptop when I was running Vista (I ran a dance show with it last year) ... it was other software programs that had problems, and general UI glitchiness that finally did me in. Vista is a known "problem" operating system and acknowledged as such by Microsoft ... they have much more confidence in Win7 but it will probably be several months or more until software mfgs start getting out their Win7 compatibility maintenance releases. So in the meantime it's either stay on Vista and cross your fingers you don't run into a roadblock somewhere, or use XP reliably until Win7 is fully supported by everyone. Me personally? It was worth the peace of mind to go back to XP.

I do have a friend who just upgraded all of his PCs ito Win7 and is using Cubase LE for studio vocal recordings ... I haven't heard any gripes from him yet. However he isn't using it for live performance, so if he has to reboot every now and then, not an issue ....

[Mike Daniell]

pmag,

I've emailed you details of a trace version of SCS that I'd like you to run. This may help me identify what is happening in your environment.

btw, regarding ASIO, this is only available if you use the SCS Internal Mixer. So if you have selected the option to not use the internal mixer, that will be why you cannot see the ASIO device in SCS. You may want to revert to using the internal mixer so you can try the ASIO facility.

[pmag]

Yes, thats it! Problem solved. As soon as I selected SCS internal mixer I can see and use all the channels.

Thanks.