Quick Question - Audio Interface Mode

T

the-patient

Inspired
Hey guys,

So I'm trying to eliminate my audio interface, since I find the Axe's conversion to be fantastic.

My only issue so far is that when running the axe as a pro tools interface I'm hearing both the direct through the Axe-FX gutiar, and the guitar being monitored from PT.

The reason this is an issue for me is that I can't blend the axe-fx into the mix nicely with the faders in PT - but rather have to do it within the patch on the axe, making my levels coming in a little crappy.

What am I doing wrong?

TLDR; hearing the axe go direct to my monitors, and through PT soft monitoring - at once! any way to hear only the PT monitoring?
 
It's possible by setting USB/DIGI Out Source to Output 2 and routing your signal to the FX Loop block only.

Note that if you do this, you could also run to Out 1 (end of grid) and level/pan however you wanted there for monitoring, instead of monitoring through PT w/ more latency.
 
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It is Pro Tools setting not an Axe FX

Auto Input and Input Only Monitoring demystified

Auto Input Monitoring versus Input Only Monitoring: These two monitoring modes have to do with how an audio track passes audio to the tracks output path when the audio track is record enabled. These modes can be toggled using the shortcut of Opt-K (Alt-K on PC), or from the Track Menu. On HD this can be switch on a track-by-track basis, in LE it is a global setting.
Let’s start with the easy one first, Input Only monitoring. When Pro Tools is set to Input Only monitoring and a track is record enabled, Pro Tools sends the audio that it receives from the input path on to the output path at all times, regardless of whether Pro Tools is Stopped, Playing, or Recording.
Auto Input monitoring is a bit more complex. In Auto Input mode, when a track is record enabled Pro Tools sends the audio that it receives from the input path on to the output path during recording and when the transport is stopped. When Pro Tools is playing back the existing audio material on a track is sent to the output path (if there is any audio). If no audio has been recorded on the track then nothing is sent to the output (so no sound will be heard from that track, not even the incoming signal).

A practical example of when to use each of the monitoring modes follows:
** Input Only: You are about to record a background vocal part into Pro Tools. You set up the mic and the audio track. However, you are not sure what harmonies you want to sing and need to sing along with the existing vocal a few times to work out the harmony. In this mode, the track can be record enabled and you will hear your voice even when you are just playing back (not recording the vocal).

** Auto Input: You worked out the harmony part and recorded it for the chorus (from the example above). However, on the second line of the Chorus you were a bit flat. Set Pro Tools to Auto Input monitoring, create a selection of the line that needs to be replaced, set the pre-roll to 4-bars (for example), and hit record. During playback (the 4-bars of pre-roll) you will hear the playback of your harmony, when Pro Tools gets to the line you need to replace it will start recording and you will hear yourself singing (hopefully on pitch this time) during recording. When Pro Tools reaches the end of the selection it will exit record mode and resume playback of the existing audio (at least during the post-roll time, if the post-roll has been set) otherwise PT will just stop (if not set to Loop Record mode, but that’s a topic for another post ☺ ).
 
Thanks for the big write up! Unfortunately that's not the issue for me here.

This issue is that the Axe-FX is being monitored directly into my monitors regardless of my monitoring setup. When I do turn on input monitoring in pro tools, I'm hearing both the axe-fx signal and the slightly latent pro tools signal causing all sorts of phase issues, and really limiting my mixing abilities while monitoring.

The other issue, is that if I'm simply listening to playback, and leave my guitar plugged in I can still hear the axe-fx hummin' away in the backround, despite it being muted in my pro tools session, since it monitors direct to out 1-2 even when in USB mode.

IMO, there should be a setting in the axe, or some driver software that when in USB interface mode, the outputs are controlled entirely by the software; ie: only monitor the axe-fx through the digital out 1-2, and not direct through the analog out 1-2.

disclaimer: the axe works beautifully and i'm trying not to sound bitchy here!
 
Oh great! Thanks! Somehow I didn't get a notification of that in my control panel! Will try today and update.

One quick question - would out 2 correspond to Out 3-4 in my DAW?
 
Love the Axe in so many ways.
Using it as a standalone audio interface is not one of them.
But that's just me.
 
Regarding the volume issues of the mix vs. the Axe patch, rather than adjust the volume in the Axe patch (and screwing up your input levels), adjust the Pro Tools output via a Master Fader. If you don't have a master fader channel setup for your session, it's a good idea to always do so. Create a new track, select master fader, assign it to Out 1/2 L/R and then adjust the volume for the whole mix (minus the AxeFX) from there.

When recording a track, mute the track so as to eliminate the echo from ProTools's latent input monitoring and just mointor via the AxeFX output.
 
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