Recipe: Multichannel Backing Tracks For Your Next Performance

Creating multichannel backing tracks lets you deliver click tracks to performers, send customized mixes to in‑ear monitors and front‑of‑house, and play along with stems and video in perfect sync. Visibox (3.5 and later) includes built‑in support for multichannel audio and automatic stem combining, making it easy to prepare and perform with multitrack mixes. This recipe shows how to prepare stems in your digital audio workstation (DAW), configure your audio interface, combine stems into a multichannel file in Visibox, and switch Visibox into Multichannel mode so that each stem emerges on its own output.

Ingredients

• Visibox 3.5 or later – version 3.5 introduced multichannel playback and automatic stem merging.
• Multichannel audio interface (Mac or Windows) – the interface needs enough outputs for your mix. Visibox can route up to eight channels. On Mac, the program automatically detects all outputs; on Windows you must configure 7.1 Surround to enable all eight channels.
• Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) – used to export each stem as a separate mono/stereo audio file. Uncompressed (WAV/FLAC) or compressed (AAC/MP3) formats are accepted.
• Song stems – e.g., a click track for the drummer, a click track for the rest of the band, stereo keys, stereo backing vocals and effects. Name the files so they sort alphabetically in the desired playback order.
• USB or ADAT cables – to connect your multichannel interface or digital mixer to the computer.
• (Optional) Video clip – if you want visuals synchronized with your tracks, include a video file when combining stems.

Tools

• Visibox (software) – available on Mac or Windows. Use it to combine stems, play back your multichannel file and control visuals. You'll need a paid "Pro" plan to access multichannel features.
• Audio interface configuration tool – often bundled with the interface. Used to assign outputs (for example, routing ADAT channels 1–8). Note that many digital mixers (e.g., Behringer X32 & XR18) can function as multichannel interfaces when connected via USB.

Method

Step 1: Prepare and export stems

1. In your DAW, export each stem as its own mono or stereo file. For example, a stereo click track for the drummer, a stereo click track for the rest of the band, a stereo keyboard mix, and a stereo backing‑vocals/effects mix. These four files will become an eight‑channel multichannel file. If you create submixes (e.g., drums, bass, guitars), you can often select the submix channels and export them all at once.
2. Name the files with numbers or letters so they sort in the order you want them to appear on your audio interface. A suggested naming scheme is 01 Click Track Drums, 02 Click Track Band, 03 Keyboards and 04 Backing Vocals.
3. Copy the exported files into an easy‑to‑access folder.

Step 2: Configure your multichannel interface

Mac

1. Connect your audio interface to the Mac. Visibox will automatically detect multichannel interfaces. You can choose it by opening Visibox › Preferences › Audio Output and selecting your interface from the list.

Windows

1. Install your interface’s drivers and open Settings › System › Sound › More Sound Settings.
2. Select your audio interface and click Configure.
3. In the configuration window, choose 7.1 Surround to enable all eight outputs.
4. If you don’t see your interface or 7.1 Surround, ensure drivers are up to date and the interface is set for multichannel output in its own configuration software.

Step 3: Combine stems in Visibox

1. Open or create a Song in Visibox.
2. Attach your stems using one of three methods:
   • Right‑click the song and choose Attach Audio, then select all stem files.
   • Drag all stem files from your file browser onto the song in the Controller window. Drag them all at once so Visibox knows to combine them.
   • Copy and paste the files from your file browser into the song.
3. Visibox will prompt you to confirm the combination; click OK and it will generate a multichannel audio file containing all stems in the order you specified. The song will display an icon with three interlocking circles to indicate it has a multichannel audio attachment.

Step 4: Switch to Multichannel playback mode

1. In the Controller window, locate the output meter at the top.

2. Right‑click the icon next to the output meter and choose Multichannel. Visibox offers three output modes:

   Mode	Behavior	When to use
   Mono	Visibox outputs in dual mono (same signal on channels 1 & 2). Stereo source audio is downmixed to mono and multichannel audio is downmixed to mono with all channels mixed together.	Use when you need a mono feed to FOH or monitors.
   Stereo	Uses channels 1–2 of your interface; multichannel audio is downmixed to stereo with odd channels on the left and even on the right.	Useful when your interface only has two outputs.
   Multichannel	Each channel in the file is sent to its corresponding output; no downmixing occurs. Mono files play in dual mono on 1–2 and stereo files play in stereo on 1–2.	Use this mode to send stems to different outputs (click track, in‑ear mix, FOH, etc.).

3. When multichannel playback is enabled and a file contains more than two channels, Visibox displays a multichannel meter showing peak levels for each channel. If your interface has fewer outputs than the file, the “extra” channels appear as outlined meters.

Step 5. Play and route your mix

1. Start playback. Each stem will emerge on its assigned output—e.g., channels 1–2 feed a click track to the drummer’s in‑ears, channels 3–4 feed a band click track, channels 5–6 send keyboards to FOH, and channels 7–8 send backing vocals and effects.
2. Use your audio interface’s routing software (or hardware patching) to send each output to the appropriate destination—monitors, in‑ear transmitters, or the front‑of‑house console.

Advanced options

• Combine stems with a video clip – When adding a video file along with stems, Visibox will ask whether you want to merge them. The resulting file plays the video while sending each audio channel to its own output. This is handy for music videos or lyric videos with separate audio mixes.
• Use existing multichannel files – If you already have a 5.1 or 7.1 audio file, drag it onto a song. Visibox will play channels across all available outputs. Make sure the file’s channel order matches your interface’s routing or adjust the routing accordingly.
• Limitations – Visibox currently supports up to eight output channels. Attempting to play or combine files with more than eight channels displays an error. (We're working on it!)

Serving Suggestions & Tips

• Create separate monitor mixes: Use channels 1–2 for a dedicated click with no instruments, channels 3–4 for a quieter click and cues for the rest of the band, and the remaining outputs for instruments and backing vocals. This allows performers to hear exactly what they need while FOH receives a clean mix. If you use mono in-ears, you'll be able to manage more individual mixes. Likewise with mono instrument tracks.
• Color‑code and label cables so you know which channel feeds which instrument or monitor. During rehearsal, verify each stem is going to the intended destination using the multichannel meter in Visibox.
• Practice downmix modes for venues with limited outputs: if you only have a two‑channel interface, select Stereo or Mono mode so your multichannel stems are summed correctly.
• Stay organized by naming stems consistently and saving multichannel files in a dedicated folder within your project. Visibox uses alphabetical ordering to combine stems, so pre‑numbering ensures the correct channel order.
• Keep system sounds separate by routing macOS or Windows alerts to your built‑in speakers while Visibox uses your external interface.

Conclusion

With Visibox, creating professional multichannel backing tracks becomes easy! Prepare your stems in a DAW, configure the interface, combine stems inside Visibox and select Multichannel playback. The result is a single song file that sends each stem to its own output—perfect for delivering click tracks, in‑ear mixes, and front-of-house-mixable backing tracks for your next performance.