---
title: "Zoom LiveTrak: audio into DMXDesktop"
description: "Send a stereo music feed from a Zoom LiveTrak mixer to DMXDesktop for Live Wire and beat detection, with a music-only setup."
canonical: https://www.dmxdesktop.com/knowledgebase/zoom-livetrak-audio
lang: en
source: /knowledgebase/zoom-livetrak-audio
---

# Zoom LiveTrak L Series: audio into DMXDesktop

LiveTrak mixers send the computer their individual input channels plus the stereo master. Where the master lands depends on the model, and on the L-12, L-20 and L-20R a driver setting can move it to channels 1 and 2.

This article is part of [Connecting a Sound Mixer to DMXDesktop](/knowledgebase/connecting-a-sound-mixer), which covers the shared rules and the problems common to every console.

## [Models covered](#models-covered)

- LiveTrak L-8: 12 channels to the computer, with the master on channels 1 and 2, then the inputs
- LiveTrak L-12: 14 channels, inputs 1 to 12, then the master on 13 and 14
- LiveTrak L-20 and L-20R: 22 channels, inputs 1 to 20, then the master on 21 and 22

These are the normal settings. A driver option on the L-12, L-20 and L-20R can change them, as described below.

## [Where the master mix lands](#where-the-master-mix-lands)

The master on USB is the signal after the master fader.

### L-8

The master is already on channels 1 and 2. There is nothing to change.

### L-12, L-20 and L-20R

On macOS, or on Windows with Zoom's ASIO driver, simply select the master pair: **13** and **14** on an L-12, **21** and **22** on an L-20 or L-20R.

On Windows without ASIO, DMXDesktop captures only the first two channels, which are normally inputs 1 and 2. For that case, LiveTrak driver **version 2 or newer** can put the post-master-fader signal on channels 1 and 2 instead:

- Windows: **Control Panel**, then the **ZOOM L-12/L-20 Control Panel**, then its **Channel** tab.
- macOS: **System Preferences**, then the ZOOM L-12 or L-20 driver panel.

The setting is saved on the computer, not on the mixer.

## [Setup](#setup)

1. Install Zoom's driver for your model and operating system. For the L-12, L-20 and L-20R, use version 2 or newer.
2. Connect the LiveTrak's USB port. On an L-12, L-20 or L-20R, set the MODE switch to **AUDIO INTERFACE**. On an L-8, press **AUDIO I/F** and choose **PC/Mac**.
3. Set the mixer's sample rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. The audio interface does not work at 96 kHz.
4. Start DMXDesktop, open **Settings → Audio**, and select the Zoom device.
5. Select the master pair for your model, or channels **1** and **2** on an L-8 or with the driver option enabled.

Start the mixer before DMXDesktop. If DMXDesktop is already running when you connect it, reopen the audio settings so the device list refreshes.

## [Getting a music-only feed](#getting-a-music-only-feed)

LiveTrak routing is less flexible than the assignable output matrices on the larger consoles in this guide, and there is no way to put an arbitrary music-only mix on the USB feed. Two options:

### If the music is on one stereo input pair

Select the USB channels carrying that input pair in DMXDesktop. On an L-12, L-20 or L-20R with the driver option off, input 5 is USB channel 5. On an L-8 the inputs come after the master, so input 1 is USB channel 3. Those channels carry only the music. Channels above 2 need ASIO on Windows.

### Otherwise, use a monitor mix

1. Build one of the mixer's monitor mixes with only the music channels in it, and turn that mix's master level up.
2. Take that monitor output into a separate two-input USB interface. If it is a stereo headphone socket, use a stereo breakout cable so left and right go to separate inputs.
3. Select that interface in DMXDesktop rather than the LiveTrak.

See [the analogue method](/knowledgebase/analogue-mixer-audio-interface) for cabling and levels.

## [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)

### Channels 1 and 2 are input 1 and input 2, not the mix

On an L-12, L-20 or L-20R this is the normal layout. Select the master pair instead, or enable the driver option, which needs version 2 or newer.

### The device will not open

The mixer is not in audio interface mode, or its sample rate is set to 96 kHz.

### The lights react to speech between songs

You are on the master mix, which contains everything, including any speech microphones. Use one of the two options above.

## [Still not working](#still-not-working)

Work through the shared checks in [Connecting a Sound Mixer to DMXDesktop](/knowledgebase/connecting-a-sound-mixer), which covers the faults that are not specific to one console. If you need to contact support, have these five things ready, because they resolve most cases immediately:

1. The exact mixer model.
2. Your Windows or macOS version.
3. How the mixer is connected, and which USB port you used.
4. Which device you picked in **Settings → Audio**.
5. Which left and right channel numbers you selected.

For a console with a multichannel USB interface, a screenshot of the mixer's USB output patch is worth more than any log file.