Using audio interface (Behringer UMC204HD) with Waveform (12)

[irpacynot]

Haven't yet hooked it up, but wanna make sure I'm setting myself up correctly. When recording, should I plug my headphones into the interface, or stay plugged directly into my PC? If PC, will there be issues with latency? If interface, will I be able to hear the tracks and metronome from Waveform?

Thanks

[jabe]

All through the interface. Be sure to tell Windows to use ASIO or other than the standard Windows sound option. You can change it back for other use.

[irpacynot]

All through the interface. Be sure to tell Windows to use ASIO or other than the standard Windows sound option. You can change it back for other use.

So, now when in Tracktion, in the audio settings, it seems to automatically detect and utilize the Behringer for input/output. So, do I still need to separately set the sound option in Windows as well, do you think?

[Peter Widdicombe]

That depends - where do you want the WINDOWS output to default to? I tend to leave windows to default audio, and use ASIO for Waveform. When I use laptop like a laptop, it works "normally" and when hooked up to the USB interface for Wareform, it goes through the interface/mixer. Waveform outputs to ASIO, so works per ASIO settings.

[irpacynot]

That depends - where do you want the WINDOWS output to default to? I tend to leave windows to default audio, and use ASIO for Waveform. When I use laptop like a laptop, it works "normally" and when hooked up to the USB interface for Wareform, it goes through the interface/mixer. Waveform outputs to ASIO, so works per ASIO settings.

Ah, so you mean just change it in Waveform, rather than in Windows settings, right?

Sorry, I'm still very green with this stuff.

[DavidPardy]

So, from what I understand you're talking about going into Windows Settings and changing the Default audio out source?

You definitely won't need to do this unless you want Windows itself to use the interface for everything else as well

As long as Waveform is told specifically which audio interface to use, it will use it regardless of what the Windows default is.

[irpacynot]

So, from what I understand you're talking about going into Windows Settings and changing the Default audio out source?

You definitely won't need to do this unless you want Windows itself to use the interface for everything else as well

As long as Waveform is told specifically which audio interface to use, it will use it regardless of what the Windows default is.

Great. Thank you, guys.

Now, a slightly different question, but on topic: I tested the interface yesterday for sound and such, but today I used it for an actual project. One of the things I typically do when recording is turn down the volume of whatever it is I'm recording at that particular moment. Of course, since I'm listening through the audio interface, there's no way to do that and still hear the click track from Waveform.

Any suggestions?

[Watchful]

If you plug your headphones into your computer, do you hear everything?

[irpacynot]

If you plug your headphones into your computer, do you hear everything?

Let me give it a try. Get back to ya'.

[Peter Widdicombe]

Always a challenge understanding without context.

First off - I assume you're recording one or two tracks at a time? Are you talking electrical sources (i.e. synth or direct guitar; or voice or miked amp). The latter are always "trickier" unless using headphones.

What DO you want to hear - click track and everything BUT the track you are recording? How do you hear what you ARE recording? Again, it makes a difference. In my setup, I always record through one "bus" on the mixer, but listen to everything on the main output; and within waveform do NOT normally have live monitor on audio tracks because the little bit of delay from mixer - computer - back to mixer is annoying, so play live on the track I'm recording by sending record bus to master bus directly.

The 204HD presumably has that as well, where an input can be monitored directly within the interface or not. Mixing the live input and return from Waveform would probably give you a slight echo or unwanted phasing. That should be controllable with the Monitor A/B and mix knob.

[irpacynot]

...What DO you want to hear - click track and everything BUT the track you are recording? How do you hear what you ARE recording? ...

^This

I brought all my gear back into my daughter's old room (where I have been recording before my VS workstation finally went kaput), so I'll have to tinker with it all again Monday (the days I normally set aside for recording.

But yeah, I generally like to hear everything I've already recorded and the click track, and then only a very subtle amount of the track I'm recording.

[irpacynot]

Okay, so I recorded with it again today. A very frustrating experience...

The first recording I did last week, though some noise that was manageable, I had decent results. And most important, just using the audio settings Tracktion defaulted to when plugging the Behringer into my PC, I didn't have any issues with latency.

Later in the week, I tried the other input on the interface, as well as the other 2.0 USB port on my PC, and oddly enough -- though I had to boost the gain knobs more because I wanted to try the mic without my Fethead plugged in -- there was no noise to deal with and a signal right where I like to be.

Now today...

Try it exactly the same way as I had it set-up midweek -- not enough gain, had to plug in the Fethead to get the same output as earlier, and even with the default audio setting as the previous week, there was very noticeable latency that was throwing off my performances.

I ended up taking Peter's advice, and changed the audio setting in Tracktion to ASIO. That seemed to fix the problem. But man, so far, the device doesn't seem to be very consistent. My PC is only about six months old, and I made sure to get something decent. Don't think it's that.

Anyway, thanks for all the help, folks.

[Peter Widdicombe]

There are audio settings for devices embedded deep within the bowels of windows settings, that allow you to adjust "microphone gain" within the audio devices. Windows 10 wasn't bad, but Win11 was more difficult, and I did find, for some reason, that I had to boost gain more on my "USB audio device" - a Behringer UCA222.

Remember, ASIO4all is a driver that INTERFACES between a DAW and the actual Windows device, so Windows still rears it's ugly head and you don't get to bypass it completely !

(I presume other manufacturer's ASIO work similarly; although some may be able to bypass Windows completely ??)

[irpacynot]

There are audio settings for devices embedded deep within the bowels of windows settings, that allow you to adjust "microphone gain" within the audio devices. Windows 10 wasn't bad, but Win11 was more difficult, and I did find, for some reason, that I had to boost gain more on my "USB audio device" - a Behringer UCA222.

Remember, ASIO4all is a driver that INTERFACES between a DAW and the actual Windows device, so Windows still rears it's ugly head and you don't get to bypass it completely !

(I presume other manufacturer's ASIO work similarly; although some may be able to bypass Windows completely ??)

In that case, where should I be looking in Windows 11 to control gain? And will it stay as a default setting, or do you think it's something I'll need to activate each time I open Waveform?

[dellboy]

There are audio settings for devices embedded deep within the bowels of windows settings, that allow you to adjust "microphone gain" within the audio devices. Windows 10 wasn't bad, but Win11 was more difficult, and I did find, for some reason, that I had to boost gain more on my "USB audio device" - a Behringer UCA222.

Remember, ASIO4all is a driver that INTERFACES between a DAW and the actual Windows device, so Windows still rears it's ugly head and you don't get to bypass it completely !

(I presume other manufacturer's ASIO work similarly; although some may be able to bypass Windows completely ??)

In that case, where should I be looking in Windows 11 to control gain? And will it stay as a default setting, or do you think it's something I'll need to activate each time I open Waveform?

I have a UMC204HD and use Tracktion 13 and am surprised with the issues you are having. I see you are on Windows, have you downloaded and installed the Behringer ASIO drivers? They are much better than the inbuilt Waveform drivers.

https://www.behringer.com/product.html? ... e=0805-AAS