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How to multitrack record a Soundcraft Ui24R

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Short answer. Plug the Ui24R's USB-B DAW Connection socket into a computer and record at 48 kHz. It sends 32 channels in a fixed order: USB 1-2 are the Master L/R, USB 3-10 are AUX 1-8, and USB 11-32 are inputs 1-22. There is nothing to patch. A Mac needs no driver; Windows needs Soundcraft's driver. With no computer, the Ui24R records up to 22 tracks to a USB drive in its front MEDIA - REC socket. Soundcraft doesn't say whether an iPhone or iPad works: not tested yet.

Quick start

  1. Connect the DAW Connection socket to the computer. On a Mac, no driver is needed. On Windows, install the Soundcraft Multi-Channel USB Audio Driver, V3.20 or later. (Ways to record)
  2. Set your recording app to 48 kHz. (Recording settings)
  3. Arm USB 11-32 for inputs 1-22. The USB map is fixed, so there is nothing to patch on the mixer. (USB routing)
  4. Set each preamp's gain before the show: it is in the recording, while the channel EQ, dynamics and fader are not (our reading). (Tap points)
  5. Record a 30 s test and play it back before the show.
  6. Input 1 not on track 1? It arrives on USB 11. (Only the master on tracks 1 and 2?)

Every other mixer is in the mixer recording guides, and the words used here are in its glossary. Facts come from Soundcraft's Ui24R manual and Harman's Soundcraft support articles unless a line says otherwise. The sources are at the end.

Ways to record a Ui24R

To a computer over USB

Plug the USB-B socket marked DAW Connection into the computer and record in any DAW.

  • Channels: 32 to the computer and 32 back. The manual calls it "a 32 x 32 USB Audio Interface with CORE Audio and ASIO drivers".
  • Sample rate: 48 kHz. Harman's DAW article says Pro Tools "Sample Rate NEEDS to be 48kHz", and Ableton "should automatically set to 48kHz".
  • Bit depth: not stated by Soundcraft for USB.
  • Mac: no driver. Harman: "Yes, the Ui24R is Core Audio compliant. If you are using a Mac, the Mac will recognize the Ui24R as an Audio Interface automatically."
  • Windows: install the Soundcraft Multi-Channel USB Audio Driver, V3.20 or later.
  • One mixer per computer: only one Ui24R can be connected to a computer at a time. In cascade mode, the channels of the second mixer don't reach the DAW.

With no computer: to a USB drive

The Ui24R records by itself to a USB drive in the front MEDIA - REC socket. The manual: it can "multitrack record up to 22 separate tracks which can then be imported into any DAW software". It also makes 2-track stereo recordings.

  • Tracks: up to 22, one per input. They are "recorded directly from the mic preamps" (see Tap points).
  • The drive: Harman asks for a drive "formatted in FAT32 only", "32GB or less in size", with a read/write speed of "25mb/s or higher". The manual adds: "Multi-track USB Playback will require a minimum of USB 3.0 with a transfer rate of 25mb/s." An SD or microSD card in a USB adapter also works: FAT32, 32 GB or less, UHS-3 or V30.
  • Speed check: a speed buffer indicator in the player goes green, yellow, then orange, and shows an error if the drive is too slow (Ui24R manual).
  • File format: not stated by Soundcraft in any document we read. A 2017 review in Sound On Sound says "the multitrack format is either uncompressed WAV or the more space-efficient FLAC", chosen on the settings page. The Ui Session Maker converts imported files to "FLAC 24bit" for the multitrack player; that is for imported files, not what the recorder writes. So: WAV or FLAC, set in the settings, per a 2017 Sound On Sound review.
  • Sample rate on the drive: not stated by Soundcraft.

To an iPhone, iPad or Mac with an app

A Mac works like any computer above, with no driver. Soundcraft doesn't say whether an iPhone or iPad works over USB: not tested yet. See Mac, iPad and iPhone below.

Ui24R recording settings

  • USB sample rate: 48 kHz. Set your recording app to 48 kHz.
  • USB bit depth: not stated by Soundcraft.
  • USB channel count: 32, fixed. There is no setting for fewer.
  • Multitrack to the drive: the PLAYER > MULTITRACK page has the sessions and the record button. Which tracks record is on the Multitrack Config page (Harman).
  • Multitrack format and bit depth: the 2017 review says "The USB bit depth and file format can be chosen within the settings page." Soundcraft's documents don't name that setting or list its options.
  • 2-track bit depth: SETTINGS > 2 TRK RECORD MODE, with 32-bit, 24-bit or 16-bit. The manual's line for it says "sample rate", but the options are bit depths.
  • Clock: Soundcraft's documents mention no word clock or external sync.

Only the master on tracks 1 and 2? Inputs start at USB 11

The first 10 USB channels are the mixes, not the inputs. Harman: "First 10 channels are your Masters (L, R, Aux Buses 1-8), so the input channels start at patch point 11."

  • Input 1 arrives on USB 11, and input 22 on USB 32. Arm those tracks in your app.
  • USB 1-2 carry the Master L/R, and USB 3-10 carry AUX 1-8.
  • On Windows, install the Soundcraft Multi-Channel USB Audio Driver, V3.20 or later, before you record.
  • In cascade mode, only the mixer plugged into the computer reaches the DAW.

Ui24R USB routing

Recording every channel? There is nothing to set. Harman: "No USB send patching is required on the Ui24R's end, it automatically is set."

  • USB 1-2: the Master L/R.
  • USB 3-10: AUX 1-8. Harman: "Patching is not switchable on the Ui, so the sends to the DAW from the mixes is 3-10 (corresponding to Mix 1-8)."
  • USB 11-32: inputs 1-22.
  • No per-slot routing: you can't choose a source for a USB channel or change the order on the mixer.
  • The main mix: USB 1-2. Soundcraft doesn't state where the main mix on USB 1-2 is taken.
  • A processed or post-fader channel: use an AUX as a group. Set the AUX to POST and POST PROC, send the channel to it at 0 dB, and record that AUX's USB channel (3-10). Harman describes this in its article on recording from groups.
  • The onboard recorder takes each track from its physical input, whatever the channel is patched to. Harman: "the record 'send' is the physical input jack and preamp on the mixer." After re-patching, the track labels on the Multitrack Config page can show the patched label rather than the input really recorded.

Ui24R playback for virtual soundcheck

From a computer over USB:

  1. Go to SETTINGS > PATCHING > CHANNELS.
  2. Pick USB DAW 1-16 or 17-32 at the top.
  3. Press Patch 1:1, or patch each channel by hand.

Any of the 32 USB returns can go to any channel, and from firmware V2 also straight to a hardware output (Ui24R v2.0 addendum). Your app decides which USB return each track plays on. If it plays each track back on the number it came in on, input 1 returns on USB 11: patch USB 11-32 to channels 1-22, or move the tracks to outputs 1-22 in your app and use Patch 1:1 (our advice).

From the USB drive:

  • Turn on the Soundcheck patch set, in SETTINGS > PATCHING > OVERVIEW or on the PLAYER > MULTITRACK page (Ui24R manual).
  • Channels 21-24 can take a USB return or a local input, but not the onboard multitrack player (Ui24R v2.0 addendum).
  • The manual asks for a USB 3.0 drive at 25 MB/s or faster for multitrack playback.

Ui24R tap points

Which tap to record, and why, is in Pre or post fader. On the Ui24R:

  • Which to pick: there is nothing to pick. The tap is fixed and can't be set per channel.
  • The onboard recorder: Harman's Ui24R article: "The tracks are recorded directly from the mic preamps."
  • USB 11-32: Harman, in an article that covers the Ui series and the Si consoles: "Recording from channels will only be pre-fader, pre-processing." No Harman article says in so many words that USB 11-32 use the same point as the onboard recorder, but both point that way (our reading).
  • Gain is in the recording: the analog preamp gain changes the recorded level. The channel EQ, dynamics and fader don't (our reading of "pre-processing").
  • HPF: Soundcraft doesn't say where the high-pass filter sits relative to the tap. "Pre-processing" suggests it is not in the recording (our reading).
  • Not per channel: you can't change the tap. For a post-fader or processed track, record an AUX set to POST and POST PROC (see USB routing).

Ui24R on Mac, iPad and iPhone

  • Mac: no driver. Harman: "the Mac will recognize the Ui24R as an Audio Interface automatically." Harman also lists the Ui series on macOS Sequoia as "plug and play ... no additional driver needed". The 2017 v1.0 manual says a Soundcraft driver is required for multichannel USB; Harman's newer FAQ limits that to Windows.
  • iPhone and iPad: Soundcraft doesn't say whether either works over USB, and neither is tested yet with a Ui24R.
  • Cable: the Ui24R's DAW Connection socket is USB-B. From a USB-C iPhone or iPad, we'd try a USB-C to USB-B cable (our advice, not Soundcraft's).
  • Power: Soundcraft doesn't say whether the Ui24R charges a phone or tablet. For a long show, use a powered USB-C hub or a camera adapter that passes power through (our advice).
  • Windows: install the Soundcraft Multi-Channel USB Audio Driver, V3.20 or later.

ShowRecorder (the app this site makes) records every USB Channel from any class-compliant mixer. We haven't tested it with a Ui24R yet. There is no Mixer Link for the Ui24R: Mixer Link, which reads channel names and colors, works only on the XR18/MR18 and X32/M32. If you record a Ui24R with it, we'd like to hear how it goes.

Download on the App Store

Runs on a USB-C iPhone (iPhone 15 or later) on iOS 26, or a USB-C iPad on iPadOS 26. Mac: join the TestFlight beta.

Your mixer not listed, or not tested? Ask us

Sources

Soundcraft manuals:

Harman support articles:

Not from Soundcraft:

Frequently asked questions

Can I record a Soundcraft Ui24R to an iPhone or iPad?

Soundcraft doesn't say: not tested yet. Harman says a Mac sees the Ui24R as an audio interface with no driver, but no Soundcraft or Harman document names the iPhone or iPad.

Can the Ui24R multitrack record without a computer?

Yes, up to 22 tracks to a USB drive in the front MEDIA - REC socket. Harman asks for a FAT32 drive of 32 GB or less that reads and writes at 25 MB/s or faster. The file format is not stated by Soundcraft; a 2017 review says WAV or FLAC, set in the settings page.

Does the Ui24R need a driver on a Mac?

No. Harman: "Yes, the Ui24R is Core Audio compliant. If you are using a Mac, the Mac will recognize the Ui24R as an Audio Interface automatically." Windows needs the Soundcraft Multi-Channel USB Audio Driver, V3.20 or later.

Which USB channel is each input on the Ui24R?

The map is fixed: USB 1-2 are the Master L/R, USB 3-10 are AUX 1-8, and USB 11-32 are inputs 1-22. So input 1 arrives on USB 11. No USB send patching is needed or possible.

Are Ui24R recordings pre or post fader?

Pre-fader. Harman: "Recording from channels will only be pre-fader, pre-processing." Harman's quote comes from an article that covers the Si and Ui series. The preamp gain is in the recording; the channel EQ, dynamics and fader are not (our reading). For a post-fader or processed track, use an AUX set to POST and POST PROC as a group, and record its USB channel (3-10).

What sample rate does the Ui24R record at?

48 kHz over USB to a computer. Harman says Pro Tools "Sample Rate NEEDS to be 48kHz". The sample rate of the onboard USB drive recorder and the USB bit depth are not stated by Soundcraft.

How do I play a Ui24R recording back for a virtual soundcheck?

From a computer, go to SETTINGS > PATCHING > CHANNELS, pick USB DAW 1-16 or 17-32 at the top, and use Patch 1:1 or patch each channel. From the USB drive, turn on the Soundcheck patch in SETTINGS > PATCHING > OVERVIEW or on the PLAYER > MULTITRACK page.