Need clarity on analog re-amping and multi ins and outs

henryrobinett

henryrobinett

Fractal Fanatic
I have a real basic question that can be answered easily if I only studied the manual. LOL. I've had the III for some time now. But at the time I got it I was building my recording studio, so I set the control room up and the III like I used to set up my XL II+. Now I'm going back and getting the routing right. Unfortunately, the III is racked in such a way that the rack is difficult to get behind, especially for an old guy.

I think I need to take advantage of the 4CM.

My Needs:

Basically, I need to record without 1 stereo into my DAW sample rates from 96-192k. Almost no 48k so I'm not using USB other than Axe-Edit. IN 1 - OUT 1.

In 2, Out 2 for 2nd guitar or bass. I have students. I've been giving the students the use of my AX8. But that's in the tracking room, not in the control room now. Bass players normally track into a high-end DI I have, but it'd be great to use the III as well. Or what the hell? Track two rigs simultaneously.

OUT 3 for clean DI for tracking into my DAW simultaneous to IN1/OUT1.

OUT 4 Tracking for clients who don't want all my effects but where I can feel more comfortable tracking with OUT1. I'm assuming I can set OUT 4 for just AMP and basic effects? Then the client can come back and re-amp later, as long as he keeps track of the administration of tracks!

I'm not sure what I'm asking exactly. Tips? Other applications I might be forgetting? Just writing it down is helpful.

I was trying to plug a guitar cable in the back Input 1. This was so I could send from my DAW/Console for re-amping. But I'm not sure I need to do that now? So I'm doing re-amp analog since I never record at 48k. If I'm sending the clean DI signal from the DAW it needs to come back in the III.

Am I on the right track? What do I need to watch out for?
 
It’s been so long. I actually set it up more or less correctly already but hadn’t been using it that way. So I’ve been resetting it up with better cables - humbusters and others.
 
you haven't described the need for "Four Cable Method" at all. you're describing multiple inputs and outputs.

can you confirm you aren't talking about the "Four Cable Method" which is specifically using a real guitar amp in a specific setup?
 
That’s right. I had a very specific question about 4CM. It says on page 27 in the manual that 4CM requires custom presets with NO AMP or Cab blocks. Hm. Can someone explain this to me?

Lol. This was the real reason I wrote this post/thread. But it took me so long I forgot!!! Lol.
 
henryrobinett said:
Nope. Yes guess what m not talking about the 4CM. I’m not using multiple amps. Thanks.
Click to expand...
just to finish the thought, 4CM doesn't usually involve "multiple" amps. it's using one real amp, putting some effects before it (like stomp boxes), and some in the effects loop (like reverb).

guitar cable
cable to front of amp
cable from effects loop
cable back to effects loop

those are the "four cables" in 4cm.
 
henryrobinett said:
OUT 4 Tracking for clients who don't want all my effects but where I can feel more comfortable tracking with OUT1. I'm assuming I can set OUT 4 for just AMP and basic effects? Then the client can come back and re-amp later, as long as he keeps track of the administration of tracks!
Click to expand...
everything you mentioned in the first post seems straight forward. this item might cause trouble though, as you'd have to place the Out 4 block somewhere so it only gets the "amp and basic effects." in the long run, this could prove to be more difficult, remembering where exactly you put this.

you're already setup for Out 1 being a "all blocks heard" output, and Out 3 for the clean DI. so you can just run that clean DI back into the signal path to reamp later. they'd hear Out 1 during tracking.
 
Thank you. Question: If I go to setup I/O and select Copy 1 to 2 ON, is that all I have to do? I should get a clean DI signal into my console? And this would be either +4 or -10 line, right?
 
henryrobinett said:
Thank you. Question: If I go to setup I/O and select Copy 1 to 2 ON, is that all I have to do? I should get a clean DI signal into my console? And this would be either +4 or -10 line, right?
Click to expand...
if you copy 1 to 2, 1 is the full signal. so a copy of the full signal would be a full signal, yes?

by chance, Output 3 and 4 happen to copy the Input of 1 in that menu. you could use those as the DI send. read what each option there says specifically (i'm not at the gear now to type it out here) and it should be clear what it does.
 
henryrobinett said:
It says on page 27 in the manual that 4CM requires custom presets with NO AMP or Cab blocks. Hm. Can someone explain this to me?
.
Click to expand...

Since you are using a real amp (Usually with a real Cab), a simulated Amp/Cab block is not necessary. Most often doing so will muddy the sound of the real amp, it would be equivalent to running two real amps in series. When have you ever seen that done in real life?
Essentially you are using the Axe FX as an effects unit but also gaining the use of its I/O routing capabilities using 4CM method.

IMO, using 96-192k is a waste of time. You will not be gaining any discernible advantage by doing so.
 
It's a shame you can't use the Axe III's 8x8 USB interface. It would be perfect for what you are trying to do.

I used to shoot myself in the foot all the time when I'd reamp. Invariably, I'd use the Axe II for reamping, by changing the input from analog to USB.

Then I'd have a couple of days pass, and come back to jam with my guitar, and have no audio. I'd panic, until I realized I forgot to change the input back to analog.

Now, with the Axe III, if I am using it to reamp, I just drop a USB block onto the front of the signal chain of the grid, maybe in parallel with the input 1 block, and then send audio to the usb. In this way, I could also plug my guitar in, days later, and utilize that same patch, or, as is the more likely case - play my other presets, for gigging, without ever having to mess with changing the input from digital back to analog, to restore audio with my guitar.

I love it.

Shout out to Leon - I saw his preset close up in one of his videos. Before I saw that, I had no earthly idea what to do with the USB effect block. No one reads manuals....
 
Well, I've been re-amping with Fractal since the Ultra days. I've gone Ultra, II, IIXL+ AX8 and now III. I have no problem with the process. That does sound cool. This is far easier than before. I even used to re-amp years before the days of Fractal. Now, since I'm doing "analog" meaning not USB, I just need to set the proper levels. I've made the mistake before of setting the levels too hot.
 
I love it. It’s the easiest thing in the world. It just took me a minute to grok. The input in the back is plugged into my patch bay for the console. All I do is unplug my guitar cord from the front to get the DI signal into the III from the DAW for Re-amping. And I love that I don’t have to install a FXL plug on the grid. It’s set up to record the DI along with my stereo tracks as default. Pretty cool. It defaulted like this before but this is just smoother.
 
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