HELP!!! PLEASE!!! Trying to use Axe-FX II as Soundcard.

A

Apothus

New Member
Just received the Axe-FX II yesterday. Sounds awesome...however...setting it up to use as a soundcard has me confused. I am following the instructions best I can. I have my studio monitors hooked up to Output 1, have the Main Input Source as Analog [In 1] (Also tried switching to USB), all the other I/O Settings as default. Tried switching to SPDIF/AES but it says NO INPUT CLOCK! I went through the device options for my PC and tried to select the Axe-FX as a soundcard, ran tests to see if I would hear any sound...and nothing. Tried running through Sonar X1...nothing. Can someone please give me step by step instructions as to what I need to do to get this working? I want to be able to play simultaneously with the audio I am playing through my PC. I am so frustrated I can't get this working, and have not found any youtube tutorials or online tutorials that provide step by step instructions as to what I need to do to get this working. Someone please save me before I decide to return this thing, as my prime decision to get this was to use it for recording and playing along with Tabit files to practice and whatnot.
 
I'm new to this also. There are probably dozens of ways to do it.

I use a Mac. It's similar for a PC, but the drivers/setup will be different.

What I do is run USB from the AXE to my Mac. I use Reaper to capture the AXE output by arming a track and enabling monitoring on that track.

I can play music as usual using VLC (or iTunes). If I'm trying to learn a riff, I'll import the MP3 into Reaper so I can loop through a section, etc.

For output I usually use headphones (to keep the peace), or powered speakers. This is from the headphone out on the Mac.

Hang in there, you'll get it. There's a ton of help here and on YouTube. Mostly here though. :)
 
Man I must be missing something. My head is about to explode. I am really out of words right now. I am not hearing sound. Only time I hear sound is when I use my studio monitors only...but when it comes to hearing any audio through my computer...no luck at all. I'm not stupid when it comes to this sort of thing either. I wish someone could give me a Step 1 - Do this..., Step 2 - Do that... type tutorial. Reading all this wiki stuff and following a bunch of lines to pictures of computers and interfaces is not helping at all. Also when I try to change the setting in Sonar to use the Axe-FX for recording and playback...for some reason it says the following driver(s) do not support the current audio format, or are in use by another application...so my options are to disable Axe-FX II audio out, Axe-FX II audion in 1/2, and Axe-FX II audio in 3/4. I have been searching online for 5 hours and haven't found anything on what is wrong.
 
I have the option (Through my computer) to switch to 16 bit 48000 Hz or 24 bit 48000 Hz. Neither one works. Is there a setting to change within the Axe-FX?
 
What I do on my Windows 7 is:
1- Power AxeII and plug USB cable into laptop. Wait a few seconds for the laptop to recognize the USB device.
2- Right-mouse-click the speaker icon and choose playback devices,
3- Axe-FX II should show in the list of devices. I usually click on it and make it the default device (click Set Default) <-- THIS IS THE KEY!

Don't worry about resetting it. Once you turn off the Axe or unplug the USB, your PC speakers will return to operation (at least mine do).

The music comes out with the guitar into my monitors. I do not do anything in the actual Axe FX II for this.

For recording you can do the same but with recording device in step 2. I use Audacity and it does see the Axe as an audio source and I select it. Pretty straight forward.
 
hussamd...i did it like that the first time. so you left all the axe-fx I/O settings at default? i have both my monitors hooked to output 1. usb going to laptop. got both output knobs turned up to a reasonable volume. Still...nothing. If I adjust the levels within my computer or try to do a sound test...I don't hear anything.
 
Make sure you down loaded the driver for usb, you have to monitor with head phones on axe head phone jack.Like said, you have to select the axe on your computer under sound. Thats it.
 
Apothus said:
hussamd...i did it like that the first time. so you left all the axe-fx I/O settings at default? i have both my monitors hooked to output 1. usb going to laptop. got both output knobs turned up to a reasonable volume. Still...nothing. If I adjust the levels within my computer or try to do a sound test...I don't hear anything.
Click to expand...

Apotheosis, one of your settings might be messed up either in the axe or PC.

Typically it's plug n play.

Try this, Download audacity. It is very intuitive and free. It will show the axe in the record and mic at the top. This might rule out a few things.

I am not in front of my axe currently, but let me know if you still need help, and I will look at my exact settings when i get a chance.

But you really should not have to change much, it really just works out of the box ....something is not right. ( obviously. )

Sometimes if I change from another program, I have to reset the axe with the sound preferences. I am assuming you shut your axe off and pç and rebooted everything.
 
What I'm trying to do is use this as an overall soundcard for all the sound on my computer...like if I wanted to watch movies or play games or something. Is that possible? Because that's what I keep trying to do. I go to the device manager and highlight the Axe-FX, click Configure to try a sound test...nothing happens...just the image of where the speakers are placed keeps repeating the left speaker trying to do the sound test. In other words, the test doesn't get passed the left speaker. I even get error messages on occasion.
 
Yes it is possible to do what you are asking. Hussamd described this earlier.

Post your OS, computer type, what is connected to what etc ?
 
Windows 7 64 bit
Asus G74SX Gaming Computer

I have an external hard drive, Mouse, 360 Controller, HDMI cable connected to an LCD TV, and the Axe-FX hooked up to my computer.
 
Apothus said:
What I'm trying to do is use this as an overall soundcard for all the sound on my computer...like if I wanted to watch movies or play games or something. Is that possible? Because that's what I keep trying to do. I go to the device manager and highlight the Axe-FX, click Configure to try a sound test...nothing happens...just the image of where the speakers are placed keeps repeating the left speaker trying to do the sound test. In other words, the test doesn't get passed the left speaker. I even get error messages on occasion.
Click to expand...

Yes, I play youtube videos , backing tracks, etc. all the time, and it goes thru my axe fx with no problem. Typically I do not have recording software running at the same time though. The fact that you are not getting pass on the sound test is a strange.

If you have not tried this, give it a shot:
Do a system reset
Disconnect your hdmi for now . ( I am wondering if it is " the other program may be in use" message )
Close any software including your daw that may be trying to play. You do not need it to run your axe as a sound card.

This board gets a little quiet some weekends so you may not hear from the real experts until Monday. Try posting your issue in the "recording section" here. Also may want to post on thegearpage.net forum as well.
 
With all the Axe FX settings at default for I/O following the steps as mentioned by Hussamd should get you there. I have been using it like this for ages.

Would also suggest what was suggested above to set the Axe FX via a reset. Try also reinstalling the drivers and a reboot of the PC.

HDMI can carry Audio as well as video, so there maybe something to explore there.
 
When you go into the playback devices page and select AxeII as the default, you should see the green meter to the right show some activity as you play music. If it does not show any activity you may have an issue with the driver. Can you post some screen shots of the device page?
 
Fractal.jpg

That's where the sound test get's stuck on. I am going to see if plugging into another USB port will work. Thanks for the idea Soma :)
 
Holy crap Soma, it freakin worked! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm SUCH AN IDIOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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