Best cheap audio interface for reamping

TheGoatLord

TheGoatLord

Experienced
I have a very simple question. What is the cheapest interface that I can use where I can monitor my recording while tweaking paramaters for reamping. My only complaint about the axe is that you can't reamp through it and not have the entire mix be affected by the processing. I don't care about I/O quality or anything like that as I'm still going in USB from the axe. I just need to be able to send my master to my monitors and my reamp track to the axe independently of each other. Thanks!

Edit: For what it's worth, I'm using a mac book pro and logic. Not sure if that makes a difference.
 
search for something with 2 analog in (monitoring the axe while playing), 2 outs (for the monitors) and S/Pdif in (record dry signal mono and reamp stereo) and s/pdif out (DI dry signal to Axe to reamp).

Something like ESI U24 XL. fits your needs to lowest cost...
 
Can't you just set up and aggregate device in Mac and use that as your main output for your DAW? Meaning that you can just use whatever is built in and not deal with SPDIF.
 
On top of that, I don't know what the going rate for a gen 1 DUET is, but my DUET set me back $500 or so (I just checked eBay - looks like you can find them for under $300).

Is guess this begs the question: what are you using for an audio interface now? If it's just the Axe II, then several folks have had great success just using USB. Myself, I do it all in analog because I don't record at 48Khz, and this also gives me more control over levels, using my RME Fireface 800 interfaces and Radial JDV and Xamp. Just the latter two would run you more than the aforementioned $200.
 
The suggestion from shasha makes sense. Otherwise:
Behringer UCA202 - $29,99 on Amazon. Just route the guitar signal through the Axe-FX, and the main mix to the Soundcard.
 
shasha said:
Can't you just set up and aggregate device in Mac and use that as your main output for your DAW? Meaning that you can just use whatever is built in and not deal with SPDIF.
Click to expand...

I didn't know you could do that. I guess I would just use the headphone out into my monitors?
 
TheGoatLord said:
My only complaint about the axe is that you can't reamp through it and not have the entire mix be affected by the processing.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing - then Tried ASIO or all which solved the issues. Im not sure if there is a version for MAC however as I use PC - but id think if there isnt there must be something similar.
 
The best way to reamp is to get an interface so you can record your using a DI box an recording your guitar into logic. A DI box usually has a 2 nd output so you can plug into the Axe Fx so you can play with the sound you like while recording the DI of the guitar straight into Logic which will be just the clean sound.
Then you'll need a re amp box like a radial in which you'll take the output from Logic to an interface's output then plug it into the Axe Fx.
I recommend the Motu Traveller which Ivan be used with USB or FireWire. It has 2 preamps, 8 I'm and 10 out.
The DI guitar has to be recorded as flat as possible to get the best result. The Apogee duet is also a good choice but not as flexible the Motu , you can probably find it on eBay for less than buying it new which cost around $500.
 
shasha said:
Can't you just set up and aggregate device in Mac and use that as your main output for your DAW? Meaning that you can just use whatever is built in and not deal with SPDIF.
Click to expand...

How should that work? In my DAW i have to define the audiocard. And i can define exactly ONE. So, if i monitor though inbuilt soundcard from the computer, i have to select this. But then, i just coul send the stereo mix out, and the Dry guitar signal to reamp? I think, you need one audio device, which could handle at least three output signals from the daw: one for Dry guitar signal to reamp, two for the monitor-mix. the most low-cost interfaces provides two outputs, configurable in the Daw. the next price step seems to me not more analog-outputs, but SPDIF/in out. when recording dry signal and reamping with S/pdif you can`t loose quality because of bad converters in cheap interfaces. so, this is the reason, why i think - that`s the way to go ... as i recommend in my first post.

Will do the job for example:
TASCAM US-144MKII USB 2.0 4-channel Audio/MIDI Interface | GuitarCenter
M-Audio M-Track Plus with Pro Tools Express | GuitarCenter


So, the pricepoint from ca 130 - 150$ is the cheapest, what really would work ... IMHO.
 
ASIO for all in a 3rd party plug in. It allows you to specify more than one output or input source. For me that is my PCs output, OR the AFX Output/input. I can assign a separate output for each track. So when recording I specify one track to AFX1 input and a second to AFX3 input. That records a fully processed sound to one track, while the second is the dry, raw guitar track. When it comes to re-amping, I send my master track to my PC outs, which goes to my monitors - while sending the dry, raw guitar track to AFX1 output. I then record a seperate track fed by AFX1 input - which is the raw guitar passed via the AFX.

What I know have is the backing track un-processed going to the monitors, along with the processed AFX track - being fed by the originally recorded dry guitar track that ISNT fed to the mains. This way I can play with the AFX settings to change the tone while listening to it in context with the backing track. Once Im happy, I just record that as a new track and mix to taste. I end up with the original processed AFX track, a Clean, Dry AFX track and the RE-amped AFX track - any of which can be used at any time to mix - or even re-amp further.

The ASIO4all plugin is a free download - so no costs to get this functionality. I just dont know if there is a MAC version or if its PC only. Nor do I know if there is a similar program for MAC (if ASIO4all isnt compatable). I have used it successfully in Pro-Tool LE and Reaper. I have a friend who uses it in Cubase.

Link:

ASIO4ALL - Universal ASIO Driver
 
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