Multitrack recording - but not all

Hi - making a multi track recording is straight forward, but where fewer mic (eg4) are being used is it possible to de activate recording on unused tracks and record only 1-4 and the mix. Whatever I do i see to get all 16 plus the mix for no good reason. Just takes up more space and time?
If its possible to only record certain channels please do let me know how
Thanks
Peter

.

Pretty sure this is not something that you can change.

Not on the USB / Q drive.

Using an external DAW via the USB B output you could.

Hi Mike
Thats an interesting thought I might play with, but its more effort / etc etc than just letting it record all the tracks and deleting the non needed ones.
Waves Tracks live would do it.
Peter

I use Wave Tracks Live. A really great program. I tried others at first, but most would save tracks to memory while recording and then take ages to write to disk when done. Wave Tracks Live records to disk, even usb portable, while recording. Setting up templates for different situations is easy. The wav files are even named as your track labels in the program.