Need help with audio interface.

rickbarclay

Inspired
I've posted a similar thread in Reaper but I'm posting here hopeful to get additional exposure.

I just installed a Roland Octa Capture. Everything works--as long as I use the O_C Asio driver. If I want to record I can only use the O C. If I want to playback, I have to use the Fractal ASIO. My question is: how do I set things up so as to be able to use one ASIO driver for both recording and playback?

I figure I would have to run the Roland through the Fractal or vice versa, but I'm clueless. Please help if you
can. Thanks a bunch.
 
Hold everything. Think I found it. I diasbled the Octa Capture playback properties, and now I can hear Reaper playing back some
pre-recorded stuff through what I think is the Axe. It seems to be working properly now, but I may have to tinker with it some more. Very early in the game.
 
Oops. Thought I had it--but no.

I want to record a new track, while pre-recorded track(s) are playing. Right now I'm forced to use two asio drivers, one for the AXE to play back and one for my audio interface to record. Is there any way to combine two asio's to use Reaper? Is anybody here doing this? Can you
tell me how? Thanks for any help.
 
What are all your connections between Axe-FX, Octacapture & speakers?

If you connect Axe (SPDIF, 1/4" or XLR) to Octacapture and Octacapture to speakers, and enable direct monitoring of the Axe through Octacapture, you should be use a single device (either one) as ASIO input & output.
 
Thanks for the reply B-man. I remember you're helping me set up my AXE when I first got it several years ago.
I've improved since then--but not by much--and this is my first serious swing at recording. So, please bear with me on this. If it works--fine--
if it don't--well, we tried.

AXE is connected to speakers. Octa Capture goes to the computer via USB. My assumption is I can connect the AXE via SPDIF to the OCTA Capture via RCA plugs.

I have a mic running from the O-C to the front of each speaker. I have two different speakers and they are different: one is an Atomic CLR wedge. It has 2 1/4" inputs and a male XLR connection marked "LINK." The other speaker (which replaced a dead CLR) is a Powerworks
100-watt monitor. It has a female XLR mic connection, a male XLR "thru" connection and a volume knob. It also has a 1/4" balanced line and a 1/4" thru line and a volume control. Both speakers run to the 1/4" connection of the AXE's OUTPUT ONE.

I also have a voice mic running to the Octa Capture. In addition if it makes any difference, I have an APHEX Headpod 4 that I once had connected to the AXE via SPDIF. So that's available if needed.

So, let;s see if I can make any sense here. If I run two XLR cables from OUTPUT ONE of the AXE to INPUTS ONE and TWO of the Octa Capture--that would be good. Then I would run from, say, INPUTS SEVEN and EIGHT of the O-C an XLR cable to each speaker--that would work. Then I would enable direct monitoring (which of course I don't know how to do just yet) in the O-C. And then I would set Reaper's
ASIO device to either Octa Capture or AXE FX--and hope it works. I've been told by a good fellow over at Reaper that Windows only allows
one asio device in use at once, whether it be for recording, playback, or both. Right now I have recording set to O-C and playback set to
AXE FX.

My math tells me that two cables running from AXE to O-C, plus two cables running from O-C to speakers, plus three cables running to
one voice mike and two speaker mics (Powerwork and Atomic CLR.) equals 7. Or can I eliminate the last three and hook them up directly to the powered speakers. I have a feeling my total cable count should be five and not seven, but I stink at math. I hope this makes sense to you and apologize if it doesn't. I really do appreciate you and all the other help I get here and at Reaper. Stay safe and enjoy the holiday if you're
in the U.S.
 
If I want to playback, I have to use the Fractal ASIO.
this is what you have to solve. something is setup wrong. by default, most programs prefer to use the same driver for In and Out.

so you need to find out how to set the output to the Octa. as you mentioned, direct monitoring is the way to go.

this is all pretty straight-forward - you send all your inputs to the Octa (mic, axe, any other instruments) and the outputs of the Octa go to your speakers. the USB from the Octa to computer records the signal. that's a simple as it can get. it's the computer settings that's an issue now.
 
something is setup wrong.
Well...no surprise there.

I have a lot of support and suggestions, including an illustration in the back of the manual that shows how to set up for a live band
gig. I'll toy with it tomorrow. It's unclear now which asio driver I should use. One guy says Windows only allows one driver at a time; another
says no. It's getting to the point where things are getting a little big for me. Been a long day. Yard work has tuckered me out. Gonna put this to bed for now. New day coming. Later. Thanks to all for helping.
 

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Okay--this is how I have it set up now:

Input One of Fractal to Main Outputs of Octa Capture.

Output One of Fractal to Main Input of monitors.

Output Two of Fractal to Inputs 7+8 of Octa Capture.

Gonna try it now.

SUCCESS!!!!!!!!! I love you all! (I hope it still works tomorrow!)
 
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Okay--this is how I have it set up now:

Input One of Fractal to Main Outputs of Octa Capture.

Output One of Fractal to Main Input of monitors.

Output Two of Fractal to Inputs 7+8 of Octa Capture.

That doesn't give an easy way to hear the Octa-Capture output while also playing guitar through the Axe.

I'd recommend connecting as described in post #4. Another benefit will be that you can get computer sound through the Octa-Capture whether or not the Axe-FX is on.
 
Thanks Bakerman. I'll try that tomorrow. Right now I'm pretty pissed off and frustrated. When I tested the setup last time I thought it
worked, but I forgot to try the voice mike, which is running to Input One of the Octa Capture. When I tap the mic and speak into it, I see
a response in the O-C Control Panel, but nothing I've tried so far gets my voice recorded in Reaper. I have Inputs 1, 2,3, and 4 set to the
O-C asio driver in windows. Any idea what I'm doing wrong.

I'm really not sure what you mean by, "That doesn't give an easy way to hear the Octa-Capture output while also playing guitar through the Axe."

I'm hearing output from the Axe even with the O-C switched off. I just checked it. As far as I can tell I only need the Octa Capture for recording, It seems to work well there, except for the mic, which I cant get to record for some reason.

The frustrating thing to me is that in previous tests before I switched the lines around, I got the mic to record and play back, but with no playback from pre-recorded tracks. And now I forgot what I did to get that record ability, although I think I might have changed the asio driver from Axe to Octa in windows and Reaper. Maybe thats it. I haven't touched the Reaper preferences at all during the line switching.
I guess I'll try it tomorrow. Thanks for your help, buddy. Stay close. :)
 
I'm really not sure what you mean by, "That doesn't give an easy way to hear the Octa-Capture output while also playing guitar through the Axe."

With the connections you descrbied, the only way to hear any output from the Octa-Capture would be to set Axe to rear input. That will mute the guitar.
 
Hi, Bakerman. Good afternoon. I will study what you said until it gets through to me.

I haven't made any of the changes you suggested last night. I'll do that later today. I just want to bring you up to speed on what I did this morning to see if that gives you any more insight. First thing I did was change the asio preference in Reaper from FAS to Octa Capture, which I neglected to try last night. Sure enough Input One of the O-C recorded my voice. But there was no playback of
the pre-recorded tracks while Reaper's asio was set to Octa Capture. When I switched it back to FAS everything played back, including the vocal from O-C's Input One. So, I think that under this configuration I have basically the same problem as before. I can playback the vocal and guitar only when Reaper's asio is set to FAS. I can only record voice when asio is set to Octa Capture.

Do you think asiofall.dll would work? I could also connect the guitar to the Octa Capture, but that's not the problem as I see it, unless as you said I set the Axe to rear input (of the O-C?).

Thanks for helping.
 
Okay. I think we might have it B-man.

Fractal Input One is going to Octa Capture Outputs 1+2.

Fractal Output One is going to Octa Capture Inputs 7+8

Octa Capture Outputs 3+4 are going to the speakers.

I checked everything out and all appears to be working. Guitar coming through l+c, wah wah is functioning.

In Reaper selected tracks are armed and recording. Unarmed pre-recorded tracks are playing. When finished recording everything, including recorded vocal plays back.

It all looks good to me Bakerman, but time will tell. I really can't thank you enough (although I will try if you ever need a favor). I knew as soon as I saw your post, this problem was gonna get fixed. Stay healthy and safe, my man.
 
Fractal Input One is going to Octa Capture Outputs 1+2.

You might want to connect O-C outputs 1 & 2 to speakers. If you need a send from O-C to Axe (only necessary for reamping or other outboard processing of tracks) use out 3 or higher. It may work fine as is, but it's probably easier to think of the lowest-numbered pair as your main outputs to speakers.
 
Fractal Input One is going to Octa Capture Outputs 1+2.
this kinda doesn't make sense. where are you plugging in your guitar?

the Octa outputs should to to your speakers. think of it as a Mixer in a PA system - you wouldn't send your mixer outputs to the Axe input, then the Axe outputs to the PA.

Guitar -> Axe -> Octa -> Speakers

^ that's the most basic setup and probably the best way to do things.
 
Yeah. Octa Capture Outputs 1+2 are labled "Main Output" on that device. So I would Send Outputs !+2 to the speakers and O-C Outputs 3+4 to Axe FX Input One? See what happens. Thanks for the heads up.

Chris: Is this what you were talking about?
 
Yeah. Octa Capture Outputs 1+2 are labled "Main Output" on that device. So I would Send Outputs !+2 to the speakers and O-C Outputs 3+4 to Axe FX Input One? See what happens. Thanks for the heads up.

Chris: Is this what you were talking about?
where are you plugging in your guitar?

why not plug the outputs of the Axe to the inputs of the octa?
 
Guitar is plugged into AXE's front panel.

I'm a newbie at this, so the only thing I can guess as to the second part of your post is that any output that comes from the Axe might need a FAS asio driver in Reaper. I'm using an Octa Capture asio driver and Reaper is doing what I want it to do under that present configuration.

I've got a long ways to go on this recording business, so any suggestions as to how I can improve things is most certainly welcome. Reamping comes to mind, but I need to learn the very basics right now. Thanks for your interest. You guys here and at Reaper are great.

The fact that I haven't had to call Roland's tech support for help on this is a big, big plus for me.
 
I'm a newbie at this, so the only thing I can guess as to the second part of your post is that any output that comes from the Axe might need a FAS asio driver in Reaper.

what i mean is use Output 1 on the Axe and an XLR or 1/4" cable to plug into the Octa inputs, like you would with any other gear. you don't need drivers with this analog connection.

why are you sending Octa out 3+4 to the Axe-Fx at all? i thought you said the guitar was plugged into the Axe Input 1? (the Front input is Input 1 - you shouldn't use both Front and Rear input 1 at the same time.)
 
It' working. That's all I know. The only problem I'm having is that the speakers don't work when they're plugged into the Octa's Main 1+2
Outputs. So I put it back the way it was:

Octa main Outputs to Input One of the Axe's rear;
Speakers are set to Octa's 3+4 Outputs.
Everything works as per post #13.

I've switched the speaker cables between Octa Outputs (3+4) and (1+2) several times. They never worked plugged into Main OP's, always worked plugged into OP's 3+4. That where is stands right now. I just checked Reaper. All is well there.

Why they don't work in 1+2, I have no idea. I'd also like to know why I shouldn't plug my guitar into the front while using the back panel's Input One, and where should I plug the guitar to rectify that situation. You guys know a hell of a lot more about this than I do, and I would like nothing more than setting things up to your specs and have it work. Satisfaction all around!
 
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