Axe-Fx II as an audio interface?

[john.k]

Hi,

I am planning to purchase Axe2. I would like to use it instead of an audio interface in my home studio.

My questions:

1. Will I be able to hear everything in the Axe2 headphone output, i.e. both the guitar connected to Axe2 and the other tracks from the DAW? (Reaper)

2. When using the Axe2 to record guitar, will I be able to set the buffer to, say, 1024 samples without affecting the delay of the guitar heard from the Axe2?

3. How many input channels does the Axe2's built-in interface support? Four channels?

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

 

[BTU]

Hi there!

1. Yes, if you set it as audio interface in Reaper.
2. Yes, it's possible to operate with long buffer without affecting the monitoring latency through axefx (but I prefer to use short buffer).
3. Total 4 channels: 1+2 - processed signal from axe fx, 3+4 - source DI.

Note that you could do software reamping through USB but axefx2 receives only 2 channels that would be sent to processing (you should change input settings for this).

Check the manual for details. Good luck!

Edit:
Also note that axe fx operates at fixed sampling rate - 48 kHz.

 

[john.k]

(but I prefer to use short buffer).

Could you explain why?

 

[BTU]

Could you explain why?

I'm not using my axefx2 this way for a long time and my studio setup has changed dramatically since then, but I believe I used to monitor through DAW a lot. So it all depends on familiar workflow.

 

[stm113]

Hi there!

1. Yes, if you set it as audio interface in Reaper.
2. Yes, it's possible to operate with long buffer without affecting the monitoring latency through axefx (but I prefer to use short buffer).
3. Total 4 channels: 1+2 - processed signal from axe fx, 3+4 - source DI.

Note that you could do software reamping through USB but axefx2 receives only 2 channels that would be sent to processing (you should change input settings for this).

Check the manual for details. Good luck!

Edit:
Also note that axe fx operates at fixed sampling rate - 48 kHz.

I have been thinking of revisiting my AF2 to decide whether or not I am going to sell it. I have been using my FM9 as an interface. If y ou know, in Reaper, what kind of routing needs to be done for DI tracks & Reamping through USB?

Also does anyone know if the AF2 can send a midi cc out to Reaper to write wah type automations using my Mission Labs Ep-1 into the AF2?

 

[BTU]

I have been thinking of revisiting my AF2 to decide whether or not I am going to sell it. I have been using my FM9 as an interface. If y ou know, in Reaper, what kind of routing needs to be done for DI tracks & Reamping through USB?

IIRC you should set min latency in driver control panel and use preset without connection to main output if you want monitoring through DAW with plugins. As a source for track in reaper you should set input 3 or 4. Done.

If you want monitoring through axefx just set two tracks: one with source at input 1 (or 1 + 2 if you want stereo) to record processed signal and another - with input 3 or 4 to record a DI.

If you want do some reamping you should route DI track to hardware output (1 or 2) and set USB as input source in input menu of axefx. For reamping it's important to increase buffer size to avoid dropouts (set to Safe in driver control panel).

Simple as that)

Also does anyone know if the AF2 can send a midi cc out to Reaper to write wah type automations using my Mission Labs Ep-1 into the AF2?

Yes you can do it with axefx 2, but I've never done this) You can check this out by setting axefx2 midi in enabled in Audio > MIDI Devices in reaper and then setting up the track with axe fx midi in as a input source.

Good luck!

 

[stm113]

Thank you. I am going to try this over the holidays. fAS has said the FM9 doesn’t send midi cc out over USB

 

[BTU]

fAS has said the FM9 doesn’t send midi cc out over USB

Correct for 3rd gen. But for details on axefx2 check the "usb adapter mode" in manual (p. 151).

As audio interface fm9 is much more flexible.

I decided to keep my axefx2 because presets I made sounds good for me even now (same about axefx std)). If it sounds good, it sounds good.