"real" subgroups

[maxcz]

I use my d8b for a live musical production on stage, so I needed subgroups that can be routed to aux and effects etc. You can't do that with channel groups.
The solution is simple: I put an opt8 into the aux I/o slot and routed it's output back to the input.
This works fine, but I wanted the optical output available for multitrack recording too.
So I modified the opt8 so that the optical input is disabled, but the loop is done internally by a simple piece of wire
This mod is very simple, if anyone is interested post here, I could make a how-to soon.

[TerryO]

Hi maxcz.

That looks very interesting. While I may not have an immediate use for such a set-up, a "how-to" description would be of great benefit.

Thanks.

[Bruce Graham]

Hey Maxcz;

Could one use the "Surround Sound" analog outputs and route them back into an analog card in the Alt I/O and route to aux and effects as needed?

There would have 8 sub groups that way.

I would also be interested in seeing the wiring you did to make he OPT8 card do this. I do not have these cards at the moment but do have Analog cards.

Thanks
Bruce

[maxcz]

Yes you could, but this has some disadvantages:
- you lose 8 analog inputs (I need them all)
- you cannot assign each channel to the 8 "subgroup" buses via "assign" buttons

[maxcz]

Of course you could do the same loopback trick with an aio too - just solder 16 jumper writes to a db25-connector and plug it in - only then you leave the digital domain.

[FrankH]

This subject reminded me of an earlier thread on this subject. I clipped out and edited the main points and pasted 'em in below:

With V5.1, there is a way to send any number of channels to all 8 busses and feed those busses into the 2 mix....all within the D8B without any rewiring modifications.

It requires having two UFX cards and either the Acuma 31 Band EQ, Drawmer Dynamics, FinalMix or Massenburg EQ plugins and you've got the ability to use all eight busses as submixes that can feed directly to the 2mix.

Here's how:

In the Plugin Configuration window, load any of the above mentioned plugins into UFX slots and assign their Input Sources to Busses. Assign the Destinations to the same Busses as the Input Sources. Then, assign the FX returns to the 2mix and set their faders to 0dB and the pans hard left and right and leave the faders alone. From this point on, the bus faders could be considered the subgroup masters. Or not. These FX returns also function as subgroup masters as well. And they have a bit more versatility to them than the Bus faders: the ability to widen and narrow the submix with the FX panners and, if you have (in addition to a pair of UFX cards) an MFX card or two, you can use the Sends on the FX "bus" returns to feed the MFX cards....to get reverb, chorus or delay on the submixes.

And of course, you can use the EQ and/or compression the plugins provide on the submixes.

There are two disadvantages I can think of.

One being that you have to tie up one (for four busses) or two (for eight busses) UFX cards to do this.

The second is that subgrouping this way puts a delay of a few samples (sounds like 6 to me) on the "bussed" tracks. Easily heard if you pop the source tracks into the 2Mix. This delay could pose a problem with live recording leakage...or not. Depends on the leakage I guess.

To be thorough, I guess I should mention that this technique can't be done properly using MFX cards/plugins because the effects can't be bypassed like they can with the UFX.