How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFRs ?

G

Gencives

Member
Hi
This is my first post here as i just received my Ultra and am very happy with it.
For now i simply connected axe's balanced XLR outs to my KRK RP8 G2 FRFRs and it sounds very nice.

But i'd also like to use the KRKs for earing my computer which is connected on a Presonus Firepod (a firewire audio interface ).
I thought it would go straightly : i connected the firepod's TRS balanced outs to KRKs then the axe's balanced XLR outs to some of the firepod's XLR inputs (line or mic levels indicated in its manual).
It works but the sound is... how should i formulate that... so much "little" and kind of far compared to the direct connection. And it also has several less volume !
Of course, i adjusted the gains of both inputs in the firepod.


Any idea would be greatly appreciated ! :D

PS : Sorry for my poor English, as you probably noted it's not my mother's language ;)
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

I suspect it is just a question of levels.

The Axe-FX balanced outputs have a very hot output (hot = very loud). This would drive your KRKs quite well. I am not familiar with the Firepod, but I suspect its output is not as loud. If you crank up the output to the same sound level, does it start to sound more like the Axe-FX direct into the KRKs, or is there still a significant difference in tone?

I'm fairly confident that if you get the levels right, it will sound almost as good (assuming the Firepod is a decent interface).
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

Even cranking the firepod outs up, the sound is very different at same audible levels, much less dynamic !
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

I have a similar setup, Firepod into KRK's. My Ultra is due Wednesday, so I can't try it until then. Have you tried going unbalanced to the line in jacks on the back of the Firepod?

Have you done anything with the Mix knob on the Firepod?

The Firepod document contains very little detail, so I'm a bit in the dark as to what the routings are through the converters.
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

I finnaly found the problem : it's the firepod !
its direct monitoring is only mono ! so i cant assign one input to left and another one to right, thus leading to phase cancellations...
i sold it and bought its successor that has a routing diagram for each input...
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

That's good to know! Is the successor the FIreStudio 2626 or some other model?
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

ok now i have no more phase and stereo problems with the firestudio project.
But i still miss a lot of dynamics when my axefx sound goes into the firestudio before getting into the KRKs.

Does someone know if we can connect 2 line outputs into KRK RP8 G2's rear inputs ?
I mean, on the rear panel of KRKs there are connections for balanced XLR and balanced TRS and unbalanced RCA. Can i connect a balanced XLR and a balanced TRS at the same time ?
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

I'm not sure about hooking up XLR and TRS at the same time. I wouldn't do it without contacting the manufacturer first; if the two balanced inputs are simply in parallel, then you would be connecting two different outputs together. Having said that, I used to do this with a pair of inexpensive Roland MA-8 monitors, and it appeared to work fine.

Have you tried connecting balanced inputs to the Firestudio Project? If I understand the connections, that would require an XLR to TRS patch cable for each channel.

Another choice would be to use a monitor controller if you only need one output active at a time, or a small mixer if you need both. I'm considering the small mixer route on my setup (since I have the Firepod), and although I'm not wild about inserting a relatively low quality box into the signal path, since all the signals are a line levels I'm hoping it will be sufficient.

My Ultra is scheduled to arrive tomorrow, so I will be giving this some more thought today.
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

Yes i only use balanced outputs, it produces higher level but same sound...
Of course the easiest way would be a line mixer but i cant buy new gear for now ;)

Anyway i found a complex way but it works very nice :
- Connect XLR axefx outs to KRKs directly
- Connect Firestudio (or firepod or...) main TRS outs to axefx INPUT 2 (be aware you need to set input 2 to stereo in axefx's settings)
- In each preset, put the FXLoop block in the most right matrix place, and connect its output to axefx main output block and its input to your preset sound last block but in paralell.

This way, i get :
- a mix of my axefx sound untouched and my soundcard from axefx's OUTPUT 1
- my axefx's sound only to axefx's OUTPUT2, connected in a soundcard input, in order to make recordings of the axefx ;)

Connections and presets preparations are a bit confused and complex but it's the only way to keep the pure sound of the axefx :)
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

That's complex enough that I may have to sketch it out to understand completely what you are doing.

I have an inexpensive Behringer 6 channel mixer that I'm planning to try. Firepod CR outs to stereo input channels 3&4. AxeFX balanced outs to stereo inputs 5&6. Mixer Main outs go to the KRK monitors; CR outs go to FRFR speakers; and if I want to feed a guitar amp I'll use the mono unbalanced out from the AxeFX. This way while I'm on the initial learning curve I can compare the different outputs easily. I can A/B the Behringer with my Allen & Heath mixer to see if the Behringer is degrading signal quality too much.

On second thought, perhaps I should forget the complex hookup and just hook the output of the AxeFX to one or two FRFR speakers. Surely I could find a spot to tuck away an FBT Verve 8ma somewhere. ;)

Tomorrow should be the big day. Did the Ultra escape destruction at the hands of the dreaded UPS? And what are all these references to chocolate?
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

lol yes i got it from "Chronopost" which isnt UPS... Chocolate means the shipment arrives destroyed ;)
Mine arrived in nice condition
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

G66, Europe distributor for Fractal, ships chocolates with the Axe-FXes. Or at least used to. I think they still do.
 
Re: How to correctly route PC+AxeFX into soundcard then FRFR

oh yes they sent chocolates !
very good ones, indeed :)
 
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