Logic Studio Cab Mixer

For those of you using Logic, here is the project I use to mix IR's.

[attachment=0:263frxc0]Cab Mixer.zip[/attachment:263frxc0]

CabMixer.jpg


It requires LAconvolver which I've found to be about the most resource light. It's also free and you can download it from here:

http://download.cnet.com/LAConvolver/3000-2170_4-142315.html?tag=vtredir

I tend to mix IR's in 3 stages: first I get a far field mix, second a near field mix. I get each of them as close to what I'm looking far as possible on their own. I then lastly mix those 2 together to get the best hybrid of live/studio sound I can. In the project I have 5 spaces each for far field and near field. If you want to keep things simple, just use one or the other. You by no means have to use all the tracks but you can if you like.

I use an Apogee Ensemble which is extremely low latency so the project is built to be able to play live through the mixer instead of having to record a loop. Keep in mind this is only possible on a very low latency system. You can still record a loop as well if you like, just delete it before bouncing. If you find latency is an issue, you can always fall back to recording a loop on the Trigger/Guitar track from bar 3 (after the trigger). Then turn your loop on over that phrase.

To get going:

-First, on the Trigger/Guitar track, select the input where you've plugged in your Axe-FX and record enable. (make sure software monitoring is enabled)

*If you don't have a low latency system, record a dry track from your Axe-FX from bar 3 and set your loop region over it. Hit play.*

-You then just load your IR's (Axe-FX truncated) in as many of the instances of LAconvolver that you like and slide the faders up on those channels. The FF and NF both go out to sub mixers which will also need to be up depending on which group your on.

-When you have the mix you like, hit play and check that the trigger is peaking at or just below '0' then bounce the track out to a wav file. (If you recorded a loop, make sure your loop region is turned off)

-Open the resultant wav in Soundtrack and clip the leading silence. (Set the ruler to 'Samples)

-Convert using AlbertA's utility and you're good to go.


BTW, I also have an aux loaded with Space Designer. While not the end all, I've found the short-medium reverbs can give a decent representation of what the IR's will sound like coming out of your FRFR rig. :)

Also, if you have a low latency system and can use a bit of volume, you can easily route the signal back out of your interface and monitor the mix right on your FRFR. :cool:

If you have any questions, let me know. Happy mixing.
 

Attachments

  • Cab Mixer.zip
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This is an amazing 'utility' for Logic, thanks so much for sharing it.

I have one question, but need to think of the best way of phrasing it - and also I want to have a play around with this to see if I can work out the answer myself...

Thanks again :)
 
Here's my question : what am I doing wrong?

I recorded a simple loop from the Axe, (using an amp, but obviously no cab) on track 1. This loop ran from the start to the end of the 4th bar. I loaded in a Redwirez G12M TC30 5ft IR for the FF mic, plus a Redwirez G12M SM57 for the NF mic. I adjusted the faders (including the submix faders) until I got a sound I really liked. Next, I deleted the recorded loop and bounced to a WAV file. Opening this WAV in Soundtrack revealed an 'empty' file - no waveform at all.

Have I missed something obvious?
 
There's a few possible problems that come to mind:

Was there a small audio file marked trigger in the project? If not, I know it's in the folder marked "Audio Files". That's the pulse which will plays through the different IR's to create your mix. If that's missing, just drag it from the folder into the top track where you recorded your guitar loop.

Another possibility is that you haven't disabled the loop section in Logic before the bounce down. It might have only bounced down that section which would be empty after you deleted your loop. On that note, check the region start and end points in the bounce window and make sure they cover the section with the pulse in it.

Did you play the pulse through before bouncing to check levels? I've found i need to turn up my sub mix faders a bit to get the pulse to a good level. To keep your levels between tracks the same, you can shift click to select multiple tracks. Once you do this, moving any one of the faders of the selected tracks will move them all together raising the overall level but keeping the mix the same. You can aim for zero, but some people have had good results mixing to lower levels then letting AlbertA's utility normalise them.

The last possibility I can think of is that the bounce file isn't actually empty. Check the wav in Soundtrack. The pulse is very small and would be easy to miss. The wav file will be completely empty except for a 22ms segment that starts with a big spike. Until you zoom in, it will only show up in the overview waveform as a single vertical line near the start of the file.

Hope fully one of those will sort you out. If not, try giving me some more information and I'll see what I can make of it.
 
Many thanks for the exhaustive reply. From your advice I tracked down the problem to the fact that I'd deleted the trigger audio file when I deleted my recorded loop. I've restored the trigger and now everything works beautifully.

I hope you're pleased that you've now opened a serious rabbit hole... :D
 
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