Ah ok, but it can not derive another sample rate from incoming signal, only clock to 48k.
correct
Ah ok, but it can not derive another sample rate from incoming signal, only clock to 48k.
correct
I've been working on exactly what you are talking about with a Focusrite Saffire 24Pro DSP. I can record SPDIF dry guitar (using the digital output as INPUT) and the analog output of the AxeFXII at the same time. Everything has to be set to 48kHz of course or it won't work at all. Then I create sub mix sending the solo'd dry track to the SPDIF output, select the digital input of the AxeFXII in the I/O menu, record enable another analog track and just hit record.
The problem is that the dry track has pops and jitter in it because it will not lock to the external clock when the main input is an analog source during the first take. Now I would imagine that you could in fact set the interface as the slave and have the AxeFXII as master and it would probably work. It's not what I am wanting to do to be honest because of other issues, but I will give it a try tonight. Another thing is that monitoring can be a bit tricky even though I got it worked out with my interface.
This is actually a big project for me this weekend and I did start a thread to kind of document my progress so far.
On a side note I did put a request in the wish list to have the option to send the dry guitar signal out of output 2 so that we can do all of this analog and the benefits there are no sync issues and we can use any sample rate for the project we want. Cliff said that he was going to look into it and thought that it was a good idea. I've just never had a lot of success with SPDIF in general and while 48kHz works fine I'd like the option to not have to SRC every other audio file in a project if it's not 48kHz already.
The digital outputs can be selected as the raw guitar input which is frickin' great for reamping....see my earlier post about clock issues though.I'm not 100% sure, but I'm thinking the digital outs can only be a copy of Out 1(?). You should still be able to split the signal within the AFX. One row straight to output, and one row with all the efx that ends in a FX LOOP (sent to Out 2).
A bit cumbersome to make all your presets like that though...but if you're planning on reamping anyway, you can probably get by with a few presets.
I've been working on exactly what you are talking about with a Focusrite Saffire 24Pro DSP. I can record SPDIF dry guitar (using the digital output as INPUT) and the analog output of the AxeFXII at the same time. Everything has to be set to 48kHz of course or it won't work at all. Then I create sub mix sending the solo'd dry track to the SPDIF output, select the digital input of the AxeFXII in the I/O menu, record enable another analog track and just hit record.
The problem is that the dry track has pops and jitter in it because it will not lock to the external clock when the main input is an analog source during the first take. Now I would imagine that you could in fact set the interface as the slave and have the AxeFXII as master and it would probably work. It's not what I am wanting to do to be honest because of other issues, but I will give it a try tonight. Another thing is that monitoring can be a bit tricky even though I got it worked out with my interface.
This is actually a big project for me this weekend and I did start a thread to kind of document my progress so far.
On a side note I did put a request in the wish list to have the option to send the dry guitar signal out of output 2 so that we can do all of this analog and the benefits there are no sync issues and we can use any sample rate for the project we want. Cliff said that he was going to look into it and thought that it was a good idea. I've just never had a lot of success with SPDIF in general and while 48kHz works fine I'd like the option to not have to SRC every other audio file in a project if it's not 48kHz already.
The digital outputs can be selected as the raw guitar input which is frickin' great for reamping....see my earlier post about clock issues though.
When you record the dry guitar it has to be extremely low when recording or you will have to lower it a lot before sending it back into the AxeFXII because it's looking for a low level signal. Go too hot and it will lose it's mind and clip and wihle I doubt that it will hurt anything I wouldn't want to take a chance.
Go to the I/O menu on the AxeFX, AUDIO tab, last option (amazingly on the bottom of the screen ) USB/DIG OUT SOURCE and you can select INPUT.
Good point, but I'm not sure about the front's tolerance. I'd expect it to be more in the -20dBu range before it starts to scream for mercy.No fear. The rear inputs can even take +20dBu before crapping out. No way you'll put out that much dry guitar from your interface 8)
Good point, but I'm not sure about the front's tolerance. I'd expect it to be more in the -20dBu range before it starts to scream for mercy.
I just checked it with the AxeFXII as the master. Recorded about 5 minutes with no glitches on the dry or wet tracks, but once I switched the AxeFXII to digital input I think that it was expecting to have a master clock because it was just a ton of glitches and drop outs while monitoring the re-amp process. Funny thing is that I went back and listened to what was actually recorded and I wasn't hearing it in the track (I didn't re-amp the whole clip though).
Regardless its such a mess that way that even if there were no glitches in the final that if that's the best monitoring situation there is I don't think that it's usable as is right now.
I know that analog will work and I'm really hoping that we get the option of choosing the dry guitar for Output 2 because then it will be damn near perfect IMHO.
I even went so far as to look at word clock generators and have a line on a really nice sound card with AES/EBU inputs (it's like 8 analog and 8 digital inputs and outputs), but without a seperate word clock input on the AxeFXII and the fact that about 90% of the audio interfaces on the market don't have one either (I've checked) I'm not really interested in bothering with digitial at all.
Now there is one more scenario that someone else brought up and you can try if you want. Basically you would have to run the guitar directly into your audio interface, send it to it's own mono track which would be the dry track. In your sound card you would then have to send that source to it's own output for 'monitoring' purposes (you could probably do this in the DAW or mixing software that comes with the audio interface). That output would then be either wired to the input of the front panel or the rear of the AxeFXII. Take the analog outputs of the AxeFXII, feed them to their own input on the audio interface and then send them to their own track. Hit record on both tracks and wail away.
The big issue here is that it's going through your soundcard first which to be honest isn't ideal from what I've tried so far. I think that it also screws with the impedance settings in the AxeFXII's front panel since it's not seeing the pickup but rather a buffered signal. I just know that compared to plugging straight into the front jack it loses some mojo.
Regardless I'll end up trying that out some more. Only other thing that I'll add here is that if you go that route you really have to watch the signal levels. When you record the dry guitar it has to be extremely low when recording or you will have to lower it a lot before sending it back into the AxeFXII because it's looking for a low level signal. Go too hot and it will lose it's mind and clip and wihle I doubt that it will hurt anything I wouldn't want to take a chance.
I've also came to the conclusion, after a few days of thinking about this and tried a lot of things to get it work, that maybe I'm overthinking about this "AD/DA" thing.
I don't think that a couple of conversions will deteriorate the signal too much.
I just checked it with the AxeFXII as the master. Recorded about 5 minutes with no glitches on the dry or wet tracks, but once I switched the AxeFXII to digital input I think that it was expecting to have a master clock because it was just a ton of glitches and drop outs while monitoring the re-amp process. Funny thing is that I went back and listened to what was actually recorded and I wasn't hearing it in the track (I didn't re-amp the whole clip though).
Regardless its such a mess that way that even if there were no glitches in the final that if that's the best monitoring situation there is I don't think that it's usable as is right now.
Yeah, I thought about that too, but the thing is that you have to restart the DAW in order to release the firewire driver in my case in order to change the clock....Yes, you need to switch the interface back to internal clock if using digital in on the Axe. You had the correct setting for a different half of the process each time, just have to make that change when switching between recording & reamping.