Recording with Zoom F4 in Audition CC

[ram71895896]

Looking for some help with using the Zoom F4 Audio Interface with Adobe Audition CC.

For some reason, when I play back my ASIO 4 multi-channel recording, the background of the audio is bad which is weird since when I am recording it sounds perfect.  Also when I switch back to my Windows PC speakers no sound comes out.

I have no problems when I record in MME with one microphone.

For some extra information:

I am using the Samson Q2U Microphones and a Surface Book.

I'm new to this audio world, so it is probably me not understanding the correct settings for the Zoom F4 or Audition or both.  

[ryclark]

I am afraid that we need a bit more information about how you have all your equipment set up with Audition. Are you playing back the audio using the Zoom H4 as a USB audio interface when it sounds bad? Or are you transferring the files into Audition and playing back through a different audio interface? In Audition which view are you playing back the files from, Multitrack or Waveform view? And where are you monitoring whilst you are recording that sounds perfect?

[ram71895896]

Correct. When I am playing back the audio using the Zoom F4 as a USB audio interface it sounds bad. I am recording directly from Audition in Multitrack view ( in podcast setting) and playing back the files from there to my headphones in the Zoom F4. While if I switch the output sound in Audition to my computer no sound comes out. Everything works and sounds perfect when I am in MME ( podcast setting ) with one microphone monitoring from Audition.   

The audio sounds as if it is on Stereo instead of Mono and it is super quiet when I record in Audition. When recording in Audition I adjust the gain on the Zoom F4 but once again the background sounds bad once I get pass 35 gain. ( Should I adjust it in Audition?)  Which is weird because when I am recording just with the Zoom F4 and everything sounds perfect.

I am going to test some files from the Zoom F4 today then transfer them over to Audition and see how it sounds.

Also when monitoring should both the levels work? When I am recording 4 microphones in ASIO I can only see the levels on Audition, while if I record one microphone in MME the Zoom F4 and Audition levels both work.

[ryclark]

You didn't happen to set up your Multitrack view session using the Podcast template did you? That is known to have completely useless effects settings that are guaranteed to screw up your recorded audio I'm afraid to say. Start from scratch with the None template to get a basic Multitrack session with no added rubbish.

[ram71895896]

I am only using the Podcast Template to help out with a podcast.  I was able to get great audio by using just Podcast Voice from the effects rack. I will definitely retry a basic Multitrack session and watch some more tutorials to not deal with any rubbish.   

[ryclark]

Unfortunately it is very likely that if you used that Multitrack Template the audio will sound all screwed up due to all the possibly unwanted Effects that are set up in the Track Effects Rack.

[ram71895896]

Well, I just did a test record in the normal Multitrack Template and everything sounds good! As you said it probably was the Podcast Template and my ASIO drive not being downloaded correctly for Windows.

One other question, Why do some many other tutorials/blogs suggest using the Podcast Template if it is so rubbish?

Also, thank you for your help!

[SteveG_AudioMasters_]

ram71895896  wrote

One other question, Why do some many other tutorials/blogs suggest using the Podcast Template if it is so rubbish?

Partly laziness - much easier to tell people to use a template than actually explain to them what they need to do...

The only trouble with attempting to get the devs to remove it is that all the people looking at these tutorials in the mistaken belief that they will make everything easy will flood this forum with questions about why it isn't there any more. We could probably cover that though - hey, we may have to anyway at this rate.

The real trouble with the podcast template is that there is no explanation of what it does, or the compromises that it forces you to use. The templates provided should, ideally, provide you with a sensible starting point for what you want to achieve. That one fails in the majority of cases, unfortunately.