How to have my Mac's guitar input open without any application running?

Stringtheorist

Stringtheorist

Fractal Fanatic
Excuse me if this sounds like a dumb question but my grasp of computer recording setups is pretty basic, and I want to know whether this is possible. Right now, if I want to hear my guitar's (Axe) input on my Mac, I need to have a channel set up in a program like Reaper and armed for recording. However, at times I would like to be able to jam along with Youtube videos or such like through my computer rather than my live amp (Atomic CLR). Can someone explain why I need to have an application open to do this, and whether there is a simpler way to have my Axe signal open on my computer for situations where I just want to hear myself playing (not recording)? BTW, I use only the USB input as I have no audio interface.
 
how are your speakers connected up if you have no audio interface and you're not using the axe fx as one?

more details please :)
 
Hi, this my setup.
1-I connect my Axe to my MacBook with the USB
2-I plug my Headphones into the Axe.
3-I then set the Audio Output on the MacBook to the Axe, and use the Axe as my Audio Interface.

This allows me to play along to anything on the MacBook, using all the sounds on the Axe.
It sounds amazing.
 
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I have my iMac's headphone output connected to a pair of Tannoy monitors. This works best for me. I don't like wearing headphones.
 
simeon said:
how are your speakers connected up if you have no audio interface and you're not using the axe fx as one?

more details please :)
Click to expand...
I mean, I don't use an interface between the Axe and the Mac. I use the USB connection. Mac's headphone out to my speakers.
 
yeah, you should probably use your axe as an audio interface. plug your headphones into the axe. plug your monitors into the axe fx. set the default audio in and out on the mac to be the axe fx. running your monitors from the headphone out won't sound as good as it could, so you may notice an overall improvement in quality doing this, as well.
 
simeon said:
yeah, you should probably use your axe as an audio interface. plug your headphones into the axe. plug your monitors into the axe fx. set the default audio in and out on the mac to be the axe fx. running your monitors from the headphone out won't sound as good as it could, so you may notice an overall improvement in quality doing this, as well.
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I follow. I don't use headphones. Do you mean monitors from Axe headphone Output?
 
no. forget about the headphones part. plug your monitors into the back of the axe fx - output 1.

i'm assuming (and i hope to god i'm right) that you're not using those little computer monitors that have a minijack connection?
 
Stringtheorist said:
I'm not sure I follow. I don't use headphones. Do you mean monitors from Axe headphone Output?
Click to expand...

No. That would not sound so great.

1. Connect the AxeFx to your Mac via USB.
2. Run your monitors from the OUT1 jacks on the back of your AxeFx.
3. Set your Mac audio in and out, as Simeon stated, to be the AxeFx.

You should be good to go.
 
Stringtheorist said:
Excuse me if this sounds like a dumb question but my grasp of computer recording setups is pretty basic, and I want to know whether this is possible. Right now, if I want to hear my guitar's (Axe) input on my Mac, I need to have a channel set up in a program like Reaper and armed for recording. However, at times I would like to be able to jam along with Youtube videos or such like through my computer rather than my live amp (Atomic CLR). Can someone explain why I need to have an application open to do this, and whether there is a simpler way to have my Axe signal open on my computer for situations where I just want to hear myself playing (not recording)? BTW, I use only the USB input as I have no audio interface.
Click to expand...

The only way I've been able to do what I think you're asking about is to use the S/PDIF Out from the Axe into the S/PDIF in on the Mac.
But I'm actually doing it with an RME Babyface's S/PDIF input and haven't really tried it yet directly with my iMac's S/PDIF in.
But I think it should work similarly.
[Actually, I just remembered that I have tried this is the past and it worked but not well because there is no way to set the iMac's clock to be controlled by the Axe's clock IIRC.
But it all works great with the Babyface.]

The biggest hassle is that the Axe's S/PIF i/o is RCA based and both the iMac and the Babyface are Toslink based.
So I had to buy a little S/PDIF RCA to S/PDIF Toslink adapter box off of eBay ('cause nobody seems to sell them in stores).

It's a bit much but it allows me to play my Axe through my studio monitors w/o having to launch an audio app, like Logic.

You would think, by looking at Apple's Audio MIDI Setup app, that it should be a simple matter to select the Axe USB as your input and the Mac's Built In Audio as the output but that doesn't work because they don't allow you to slave the Mac's clock to the Axe's clock.
I've also tried various configurations of an Aggregate Device but haven't been able to get that to work either.
S/PDIF i/o via the Babyface or sim seems to be the only way to do this.

Or I guess you could nix the USB audio out from the Axe and connect your Out 1s into the Mac's audio inputs.
That should allow you to hear the axe through the Mac's built-in audio w/o having to have an audio app open, I think.
But then you lose the convenience of the USB out.

Good luck.
 
cobbler said:
No. That would not sound so great.

1. Connect the AxeFx to your Mac via USB.
2. Run your monitors from the OUT1 jacks on the back of your AxeFx.
3. Set your Mac audio in and out, as Simeon stated, to be the AxeFx.

You should be good to go.
Click to expand...

So I would need to run the stereo output from my Mac to Input 1 L and R on my Axe-FX, AND stereo outs from Out 1 L and R to my monitors? 4 cables? Frankly, it would be easier for me just to run Reaper in the background. :/
 
I have a new question: Recording into Reaper, why is that the tone I hear when recording sounds different to the playback tone? ie. When recording the monitored tone from my Axe is louder and more bassy than the track sounds when played back. The Global EQ for Out 1 on my Axe is set flat. Shouldn't the USB signal be identical to Output 1?
 
you hear and feel the guitar itself when you record since you're playing it at the same time. when you listen to playback, you don't feel the guitar resonate because you aren't playing it. and/or the volume isn't the same for playback.

have someone else play the guitar while recording a bit away from you in the room and see if recording and playback still sounds different.
 
Chris@KatsuKuriMedia said:
you hear and feel the guitar itself when you record since you're playing it at the same time. when you listen to playback, you don't feel the guitar resonate because you aren't playing it. and/or the volume isn't the same for playback.

have someone else play the guitar while recording a bit away from you in the room and see if recording and playback still sounds different.
Click to expand...

I'm convinced there's more to it than that. The monitored guitar is significantly louder.
 
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