Bug? Difference in Volume On Left Versus Right, & Output Levels Reduced In Gain Amount

jesussaddle

Power User
I've got a bedroom studio setup. Windows 10 will play audio normally with the left and right channels - using "Speakers" which is channel 1 & 2 of the Fireface 400 I'm using as my audio driver/audio card, which runs through an inexpensive mixer (that doesn't have panning - I audition playback via channels 1 & 2 and use channels 3 & 4 to direct the output 1 L/R signals from the Axe FX into the fireface. Subsequently the output of channels 3&4 of Fireface go into a pair of powered Tannoy monitors. The volume pots on my mixer for Channels 3&4 are at equal levels. The internal Fireface "mixer" levels for 3 and 4 do not have gain added (sliders are both at the bottom). But I'm baffled because I suddenly notice that the left channel is much hotter than the right (maybe by 30 or 40 percent or more). Since playback of videos through the "Speakers" channels in Windows (Fireface channels 1 & 2) is normal, as it is when I playback tracks in my DAW, I can't account for the signal differences between the left and right sides of 3&4.

Prior to noticing this I heard a few pops. I haven't rebooted yet. But I'm wondering if the soundcard itself has had some sort of hiccup. Another thing is I recall that my Axe FX Output Levels knob is not increasing the signal much at all anymore (the signal does drop off at the very bottom [far counter clockwise) . I used to have an Ultra, and I've got the manual here for my II, and AFAIK the Output level for output 1 made a huge difference. Such things can be affected by the pots on my mixer and how I'm driving the signal externally, but it seems odd.

I'm rebooting, but I wanted to make a note of the experience beforehand in case any changes happen and I forget what I observed.
 
When I rebooted this evening the problem had corrected itself. Channels 3 & 4 are now appropriately leveled Every setting I tried without correcting the error yesterday is now functioning without the issue. I suppose this means its very likely just some kind of weird error with the windows driver and the soundcard (or the soundcard itself but I have rather come to expect its Windows driver bugs and the firmware and driver for my soundcard are no longer being updated, for the past many years. )
 
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