No Sound From Axe-Fx

APE

APE

Inspired
What do I need to do to get sound from Axe-Fx?


I'm going to try restarting my computer and see if that helps.
 
Change main input source to analog (or input 1, I don’t remember the options there), change Input 1 select to Front, and plug the guitar into the axe front input.

I’d also suggest using the Axe USB for your recording. It can record the dry guitar as well. When you want to reamp, change Main Input Source to USB, and send the dry track to the Axe USB output, making sure the other tracks are sent to your Focusrite output.

It would simplify things if you don’t reamp, if that’s an option. Get your sound beforehand and just track it for the easiest recording experience.
 
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is this a normal way to hook things up?

Isn't a more traditional way to go

Guitar->axe fx ->focusrite

Im sure I'm missing something but seems you are over complicating things?

Also are you sure you understand the focusrite.? You are showing us the output routing for your main monitors and talking about inputs as if they are outputs then asking why no spdif output just before you create the feedback loop when you set the sdpif to monitor inputs 1&2?. How is the sdif tab routed? to do what it looks like you are trying to do you need to set up a custom mix to your spdif out containing signal from input 1 only, then in your main monitor mix presumably mix in the spdif inputs?
 
Watching again I am pretty sure you need to read the focusrite manual.

In the video when the feedback starts you set up a spdif output routing from input1& 2. So your guitar and whatever that is you have plugged into input 2 (a mic?) are going out of sdpif outs through the axe. You showed us earlier that you have spdif In routed into your monitor mix. So the feedback makes sense from the mic if its close to the monitors or is that a hollow body guitar close to the speakers with a pad on the input?

You also have pad and 48v switched on for inputs 1&2?
 
yeah, this is making it way harder than it has to be. If you're dead-set on using the Focusrite, it should be, as others have said, guitar -> Axe -> interface. If you're just recording guitars there's no need for the interface at all.
 
jlynnb1 said:
If you're just recording guitars there's no need for the interface at all.
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This. Unplug the audio interface and put it in a closet. Connect your AxeFX to your computer and record/reamp your guitars. After, and only after, you get something, anything!, working, then come back to the more complicated setup that includes the audio interface.

Mr. Ape, by your own admission you've been trying for a month to record/reamp a guitar and still haven't succeeded. Your videos reek of frustration. It's probably time to try a new plan.
 
Here is my latest video.


I can't record amps in my room. The only other thing I can do is go DI into the computer and then send that to someone who has amps and is not forbidden from making sounds in his home.

I need the Focusrite mic inputs and mic pre's. I have a decent vocal mic that sounds really great on my acoustic guitar. It's the best tone I get.
 
APE said:
Here is my latest video.


I can't record amps in my room. The only other thing I can do is go DI into the computer and then send that to someone who has amps and is not forbidden from making sounds in his home.

I need the Focusrite mic inputs and mic pre's. I have a decent vocal mic that sounds really great on my acoustic guitar. It's the best tone I get.
Click to expand...

yes but you don't need them for the AxeFx. You can go straight from the Axe to your computer and use headphones, so no sound there.
 
jlynnb1 said:
yes but you don't need them for the AxeFx. You can go straight from the Axe to your computer and use headphones, so no sound there.
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I tried before to have the Scarlett and the Axe-Fx both connected to the mac independently where the System Settings I/O was the Axe-Fx. It didn't work. So I contacted Focusrite who told me that doesn't work and who had me stop doing that. If it worked I would do it.
 
APE said:
I can't record amps in my room. The only other thing I can do is go DI into the computer and then send that to someone who has amps and is not forbidden from making sounds in his home.

I need the Focusrite mic inputs and mic pre's. I have a decent vocal mic that sounds really great on my acoustic guitar. It's the best tone I get.
Click to expand...
are you trying to record the Axe-Fx or real amps? you don't need the focusrite to record the Axe-Fx. it has a USB built-in for recording.

use the mic inputs for mics. don't use it for the Axe.

you can start recording with the axe in less than 5 minutes. plug in the usb. set your DAW to the Axe USB input. record.
 
ok a quick overview of focusrite control

The page you are looking at descripes a 'snapshot' thing of this like a preset. You can hav one loaded at once (you can create many but only use one at a time)

The sliders to the right hand side of the screen are ALL inputs to the preset. The top sliders are hardware inputs (physical) the bottom sliders are software inputs (from you DAW)

They have the titles hardware inputs and software inputs above them

The boxes to the left of the screen are the different outputs that you can send your inputs to. So Main monitor outputs 1-2, you have headphones1 and headphones 2 and spdif (and possibly others depending on what focusrite unit you have) This lost of options has OUTPUTS written above the boxes

In a preset you can activate any number of inputs (click on the x of the slider to disable it) click on the + sign to the right of the sliders to add more hardware or software inputs to the preset.

For each output option you can now set the levels of each of these input (including muting ones you don't want). These levels and mutings are definable for each of your output options (so main monitors can be different routing to spdif out.) It is critical to understand this for what you are trying. All inputs are available to all the outputs so what you need to be careful of is to make sure you only route the ones you want to the individual output connections.

Lets ignore reamping for a minute and get the basic setup going. Based on your videos I am assuming you axe the axe fx input set to spdif.

So now you need to setup the spdif output mix on the focusrite . Click on the spdif output block select custom mix and then make sure THE ONLY input you have active is input 1 (the one you have your guitar plugged into) MUTE all the rest otherwise these inputs (eq the playback from you DAW or you mic will also get sent to the Axe fx along side your guitar)

In your DAW track to record the axe you would now select focusrite spdif in as the source for a track and you should be able to record the axe fx.

In your focusrite monitor 1-2 output block (or headphones if that's how you want to listen) you do not want to hear input 1 so mute this. You may want to hear the spdif in input (to hardware monitor the axe fx) so set this to a comfortable level, and you will probably want to hear your DAW playback so set playback 1-2 to a comfortable level. If you want to hardware monitor your mic then mix in input 2 as well. Personally I would move your mic to input 3. The inputs tend to operate I pairs for features like +48v and pad. You may need the +48v and pad for your mic but you don't for the guitar.

Beware in your DAW when recording, any inputs you are directly monitoring you may want to turn off the recording monitoring or when you hit record, you may hear a slightly delayed copy of that input.

If you get this far then we can think about reamping

It looks like the routing you want to do is guitar -> focusrite -> spdif out to axe fx -sdpif in -> axe fx spdif out -> focusrite spdif in -> monitors and DAW

Honestly I would not do this as a) you are not taking advantage of the axe instrument in capability and b) you have more D/A conversion going on than you need. c) you are tying up an input on the focusrite that you don't need to.

Seriously consider going this way

guitar -> axe fx instr input -> axe fx spdif (in and out) -> focusrute Spdif (in and out)

The slight advantage of your method is that we can set up a snapshot that allows recording and reamping without to much messing around. Where in my method when you want to reamp, you need to change the axe fx input from front to spdif (or usb but lets not go there!)

See how you get on with that and if its helpful then great. Make a call on the options I mention above and then we can talk through setting up reamping.

PS make sure your focusrite is set to 48khz sample rate. Check this by clicking on device settings in focusrite control.
 
Bigtim said:
Seriously consider going this way

guitar -> axe fx instr input -> axe fx spdif (in and out) -> focusrute Spdif (in and out)

The slight advantage of your method is that we can set up a snapshot that allows recording and reamping without to much messing around. Where in my method when you want to reamp, you need to change the axe fx input from front to spdif (or usb but lets not go there!)
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I don't like changing the front of the Axe-Fx because it is too difficult. I don't understand it and I also can't read it without using my phone to magnify the display.

I don't know why I get input from the DAW, Logic Pro X, into the Axe Fx. Logic's metronome sent to Axe-Fx, for example. I don't understand why. System Preferences > Sound, I/O are set to Scarlett 18i8 USB; Logic Preferences > Audio is the same.

Thank you for the answer. I sometimes think I understand it. I usually get confused by the display of the Focusrite Control. I don't know why it is so hard.
 
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chris said:
are you trying to record the Axe-Fx or real amps? you don't need the focusrite to record the Axe-Fx. it has a USB built-in for recording.

use the mic inputs for mics. don't use it for the Axe.

you can start recording with the axe in less than 5 minutes. plug in the usb. set your DAW to the Axe USB input. record.
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I want to use the Axe-Fx to reamp. I did it today successfully! The sound was not very good, but what I did was to record two left channels, then, when I reamped, reamped the second left channel to a channel panned hard right.

I did this because I have the Axe-Fx I/O tab as input 1 mode and input 2 mode. I did this to address the phasing issue and it worked.

1588744721336.png
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That got rid of the phasing issue.

Here is the audio result:


It doesn't sound as bad in Logic as it does here. Here, it still has some kind of phasey sound. In Logic, it's not a good sound but it doesn't sound phased.

HEre is the Axe-Fx preset I used, with Bogfish Strato, with input gain at 1.73. I turned down the preset's output level to -10.3 dB because it was clipping in Logic and I didn't know what else to do to fix it. So I tried that and it helped.

Thank you.

1588744883291.png
 
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APE said:
I don't know why I get input from the DAW, Logic Pro X, into the Axe Fx. Logic's metronome sent to Axe-Fx, for example. I don't understand why. System Preferences > Sound, I/O are set to Scarlett 18i8 USB; Logic Preferences > Audio is the same.
Click to expand...


I think the reason for this is that you are routing too much into the SPdif output.

This is how to avoid doing that:

"So now you need to setup the spdif output mix on the focusrite . Click on the spdif output block select custom mix and then make sure THE ONLY input you have active is input 1 (the one you have your guitar plugged into) MUTE all the rest otherwise these inputs (eq the playback from you DAW or you mic will also get sent to the Axe fx along side your guitar)"
 
I switched back to guitar --> Axe-Fx --> mac. It doesn't sound good. I don't know why.

I'm done w/SPDIF on focusrite. It's unintuitive and sounds bad. I'm not sure if it's a levels thing or impedance or what… The DI sound was bad.

But after reverting to guitar --> Axe-Fx -->Mac, it sounds bad, like it never did before switching to SPDIF. Why? How do I troubleshoot "it sounds bad." ?
 
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