FM3 incoming... How do I connect?

vejichan said:
here is whats going on.. i plug my guitar into my focusrite solo 2nd gen which is connected via usb into my late 2012 imac and using reaper DAW to record. my jbl 305 is connected to my focusrite via unbalance red/white cables. The focusrite remains connected and is on all the time for recording/jamming/watching movies/listing to music.

now enter the FM3.. what do i do?
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Use both the Focusrite and the FM3 via USB creating an aggregate device on your Mac. I have my Axe-FX III setup like this. The monitors are connected to my Focusrite interface.
 
so do you mean bother focusrite and fm3 are connected to my mac via USB? but is the sound going to be coming out of my focusrite which the monitors are connected into? how does that work?
 
vejichan said:
so do you mean bother focusrite and fm3 are connected to my mac via USB? but is the sound going to be coming out of my focusrite which the monitors are connected into? how does that work?
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You can connect Out 1 L and R to your Focusrite inputs with XLR cables which you will use for monitoring only. When you record, you select the aggregate device in your DAW and use USB I/O on the FM3
 
Thanks, Is it ok to just leave the FM3 connected via usb to my mac all day long like my focusrite? by doing this does that mean the fm3 would be on all the time?
 
Denny99 said:
Use both the Focusrite and the FM3 via USB creating an aggregate device on your Mac. I have my Axe-FX III setup like this. The monitors are connected to my Focusrite interface.
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The FM3 usb interface has pass through audio. There is no need for an aggregate device unless you are recording something other than the FM3.
 
GlennO said:
The FM3 usb interface has pass through audio. There is no need for an aggregate device unless you are recording something other than the FM3.
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Output from the DAW then is routed from the computer to the FM3, then back to the computer and eventually into the analog output of the audio interface?
 
Denny99 said:
Output from the DAW then is routed from the computer to the FM3, then back to the computer and eventually into the analog output of the audio interface?
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Thankfully it's simpler than that. Playback audio from the DAW is sent over usb and is routed from there to analog output. Just make sure you have monitoring turned off in your DAW.
 
GlennO said:
Thankfully it's simpler than that. Playback audio from the DAW is sent over usb and is routed from there to analog output. Just make sure you have monitoring turned off in your DAW.
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Ok, if I got if right you have to connect your speakers to the FM3 which defeats the initial requirement to have the speakers connected to the audio interface.
 
Denny99 said:
Ok, if I got if right you have to connect your speakers to the FM3 which defeats the initial requirement to have the speakers connected to the audio interface.
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No, not at all. Simply connect the analog outs of the FM3 to the analog ins of the Solo. Use the FM3 as your audio device in your DAW and the Solo as your system audio device. Or, and this is what I recommended above, connect your speakers to both the Solo and the FM3 with a line mixer. That way you get convenient physical knobs for adjusting levels. Or, for someone who is using Logic, simply use the Solo as your output device and the FM3 as your input device. There are a number of ways to solve the problem without resorting to an aggregate.
 
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GlennO said:
No, not at all. Connecting speakers to your FM3 is not mutually exclusive with his requirement to hear system audio when the FM3 is off. Simply connect the analog outs of the FM3 to the analog ins of the Solo. Use the FM3 as your audio device in your DAW and the Solo as your system audio device. Or, and this is what I recommended above, connect your speakers to both the Solo and the FM3 with a line mixer. Or, if you're using Logic, simply use the Solo as your output device and the FM3 as your input device. There are a number of ways to solve this problem without resorting to an aggregate.
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If you connect FM3 analog out to the audio interface inputs, then you’ll have almost the same audio routing I described in post #27.
Why purchasing a line mixer when you can use an aggregate device without passing through DAC? The aggregate, if properly configured, works even if the FM3 is turned off (like for listening to music or watching videos), and it also works perfectly in Logic for mixing purposes when there is no need for the FM3 to be on, all of this without changing anything in the Logic I/O configuration, the System Audio or an external analog equipment.

Eventually it’s just a matter of taste and preferences. All the described solutions work, both yours and mine. I just personally find it a lot easier not to change anything configuration wise, and/or not having deal with outboard gear that takes up precious desk real estate. Is there anything wrong with aggregate devices? I don’t think so. 😉
 
You're right, there are multiple ways to solve this. But, I wouldn't recommend an aggregate in this particular case for the simple reason that it adds the complication of creating the aggregate without any corresponding benefit. Also, I've had clock drift problems using an aggregate when regularly turning off one of the components.

The big advantage to using a line mixer is it gives you physical knobs for adjusting the relative levels of the playback and FM3 audio. If someone doesn't have room on their desktop for that inexpensive and tiny mixer I referenced above (hard to believe :)), then use the option where you connect the FM3 to the Solo. This does not add any conversions or buffering. There is a single D/A conversion for the output no matter which solution you choose (the Solo monitor path is analog). Nor does it have additional DAW I/O configuration steps. However, this option avoids the need to create and manage an aggregate. For someone who is unfamiliar with aggregates, like the OP, that can be a significant advantage.

The only advantage I can see to an aggregate is if the OP lives somewhere where he cannot obtain audio cables. However, the bottom line remains, as you say, there are multiple ways to solve this and I'm sure he'll get it working no matter which option he chooses.
 
GlennO said:
You're right, there are multiple ways to solve this. But, I wouldn't recommend an aggregate in this particular case for the simple reason that it adds the complication of creating the aggregate without any corresponding benefit. Also, I've had clock drift problems using an aggregate when regularly turning off one of the components.

The big advantage to using a line mixer is it gives you physical knobs for adjusting the relative levels of the playback and FM3 audio. If someone doesn't have room on their desktop for that inexpensive and tiny mixer I referenced above (hard to believe :)), then use the option where you connect the FM3 to the Solo. This does not add any conversions or buffering. There is a single D/A conversion for the output no matter which solution you choose (the Solo monitor path is analog). Nor does it have additional DAW I/O configuration steps. However, this option avoids the need to create and manage an aggregate. For someone who is unfamiliar with aggregates, like the OP, that can be a significant advantage.

The only advantage I can see to an aggregate is if the OP lives somewhere where he cannot obtain audio cables. However, the bottom line remains, as you say, there are multiple ways to solve this and I'm sure he'll get it working no matter which option he chooses.
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I'm totally crashing someone else's thread here but why create a new one when this one is covering exactly what I want to know about...

I find myself in a similar situation to the OP in that I've got a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and an FM3. I've been using the FM3 as an interface and audio playback device but I'm tired of having to have it on all the time and want to listen to system audio via the Focusrite. I mostly play on headphones since I live in an apartment but play through monitors a couple of times a week.

So I connected the FM3 to the two inputs of the Scatlett 2i2 via XLR and used the direct monitoring on the interface to listen to the FM3. It sounded... pretty terrible to be honest. The sound seemed really lifeless, with more noise and a lot less clarity than plugging 'phones or monitors directly into the FM3.

I'm not sure if I'm doing something wrong with the settings on the interface or if this is just how it's going to sound. I'm running the FM3 at max volume on it's outputs into line level inputs and using the gain controls on the interface to make sure it's not clipping.

If this is as good as it's going to get, is there a small mixer you'd recommend that I could use to run the speaker and headphone outs from the FM3 and the Focusrite into to listen to them both on the same speakers and headphones?
 
Any line mixer will do to share studio monitors between your FM3 and your computer so you can listen to computer audio without turning on your FM3. Assuming your computer has an audio output port, you don't even need an audio interface. For example:

Amazon product ASIN B000KGYAYQ
 
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