Guides

Multitrack recording via USB from the mixer

Many digital mixers are also a multichannel audio interface. With one USB cable, you record every channel as its own track – and can mix the gig later at your leisure or use it for a soundcheck without the band.

Which consoles can do it

X32 and M32 with the USB card (X-USB or DN32-USB): 32 channels in and out.
X Air XR18 and Midas MR18: 18 channels in and out.
WING: many channels over USB.
Soundcraft Ui24R and Yamaha TF and DM3 also have USB audio.
XR16, XR12, Ui16 and Ui12 have no USB audio to the computer.

1. Connect the computer

USB cable from the console (on the X32, from the USB card on the back) to the computer. On macOS and Linux, usually no driver is needed; on Windows, install the manufacturer’s driver. The sample rate is set by the console (44.1 or 48 kHz) – set the same in the DAW.

2. Route channels to USB

On the console, you decide what goes on which USB channel. For a multitrack recording, route channel 1 to USB 1, channel 2 to USB 2 and so on – ideally before EQ and fader (raw), so everything stays open for mixing later.

X32/M32: under Routing › Card Output.
X Air: in X AIR Edit under Routing › USB Send.
WING: under Routing › USB.

3. Record in the DAW

In Logic, Reaper, Cubase or Studio One, select the console as the audio device, create one track per channel, assign the inputs and record. Make sure you have enough free storage: at 48 kHz and 24 bit, each track needs about 500 MB per hour.

Without a DAW: directly with BandAssist

With BandAssist you don’t need a DAW: the round record button in the mixer starts the Recording. BandAssist records each channel as its own mono WAV file (24 bit, the console’s sample rate, unprocessed), named by channel number and name, all sample-accurately the same length. Meanwhile, the track view shows each channel’s level and waveform – on the tablet too. Afterwards, you drag the files into the DAW together, and each lands on its own track.

Track view of a running recording in BandAssist with a waveform per channel — Recording in BandAssist: every track with level and waveform

Virtual soundcheck

With the recording, you can mix without the band: the console’s channels then listen to playback from the computer instead of the inputs. That way you can dial in sound and effects at your leisure. On the X32, BandAssist switches this with one click in the Routing view – and back again with “Live”.

In detail: Recording and Routing in the user guide.