"Rec / Play" button functions on the Zoom L20 Mixer.

[CochraneDrumTutor]

Hi there
(So this question seems pretty "kit specific" about the Zoom L20 Mixer, but this forum has been terrific so far in helping me solve problems, so here goes...!)

I'm using the Zoom L20 https://zoomcorp.com/en/ca/digital-mixe ... trak-l-20/ and have noticed a funny little quirk, and I wondered if there is something I'm not understanding! Anyway, here goes.....

When I record whatever number of channels to the SD card on the Mixer, the Rec / Play buttons on each channel need to be pressed to red (obvious enough so far) and then when you payback, those same channels should (according to the manual P41) be pressed again to go to green.

However I have noticed that I often forget to press the Rec / Play buttons BUT the playback seems to work just fine even though then are NOT green! (The sliders work just the same as far as I can tell, in fact I cannot spot ANY difference between having the rec playback buttons on red or green for playback.)

IS there something I am missing here perhaps?!?!

Many thanks in advance for helping me solve this little riddle on an otherwise terrific piece of kit.

[James Perrett]

I would guess that you have these buttons on the individual tracks so that you can choose which tracks you want recorded when you hit the record button. So you will set one set of tracks to be in record mode to record a basic track and then you will unset all of the buttons and choose a different track to record on for the first overdub and yet another track/tracks for subsequent overdubs.

(Or at leas that's how it works on most recorders that I've used).

[Sam Spoons]

My thoughts too, the red/green button on the track is a 'record active' button and those tracks not showing red are able to be played back while recording to allow overdubbing. They won't affect playback when not recording and there is no reason for them to do so).

[Hugh Robjohns]

However I have noticed that I often forget to press the Rec / Play buttons BUT the playback seems to work just fine even though then are NOT green! ... IS there something I am missing here perhaps?!?!

Those buttons are multifunctional in that they serve as a combined 'track arm', 'source select', and mute all in one.

If the button is lit red or green the channel is passing audio to/from the SD card.

If it's unlit the channel is only passing audio from the physical channel input.

If you want to record the physical input you press the button till it is red. Then pressing the record button will put that track into record.

Sometimes you might want to 'punch in' to a previously recorded track to replace a section. To do that you obviously need to hear the previous take to know when to punch back into record. Hence a track will still playback while the red light is on... but if you hit record you'll overwrite whatever was there previously.

To prevent that, you can press the button to make it green, in which case it is 'unarmed' and will no longer go into record if you press record. The track is 'safe', but you can still record on other tracks still set to red.

And if the button is unlit, you won't hear any playback from that track — it is effectively muted — although you will hear any live sources connected to that channel's physical inputs.

Hope that explains things.

[Wonks]

The mixer block diagram on the last page of the manual may help, but it's not particularly clear.

https://zoomcorp.com/media/documents/E_ ... Manual.pdf

There's a Rec/Play software changeover contact that's directly linked to the Rec/Play switch in software, but there's also another Rec/Play software changeover contact (which they should have called something else IMO) which must operate depending on whether the Rec/Play button is lit or unlit.

[CochraneDrumTutor]

And once more you guys have really helped me out! I was hoping it was a kind of "universal feature" and so it seems. Thank you so much for this.

So, to doublecheck my understanding...

If I listen back to a recording its OK if the "track arm" button is showing red or green BUT if its red I can then "punch in" if required?

If its green, I do not have the "punch in" option.

If its not lit, I don't hear the audio from that particular track at all.

Thank you all.

[Hugh Robjohns]

So, to doublecheck my understanding...

If I listen back to a recording its OK if the "track arm" button is showing red or green BUT if its red I can then "punch in" if required?

Yes.

It also means that if you forget to make it green that track will be over-recorded when you record another part! So best to turn off the red lights and select green for replay once you're happy with a take!

If its green, I do not have the "punch in" option.
If its not lit, I don't hear the audio from that particular track at all.

Correct.