Recording using line out's

SteveW

SteveW

Experienced
Long time Axe user here...and on my AXE FX III...have a question:

I recently decided to record myself - and went out and bought a Focusrite 18i20...which comes with a number of DAWS (lite versions).

I use Yamaha HS8's and am using CAB SIMS. I have built a plethora of patches and I've got a pretty good handle on the Axe in general.

I was going to go with a pair of Shure SM57 LC's, but was told that if I use the HS8's which are IMO, as close to flat as possible, I would be better off using a line out from the Axe instead of mics on the HS8's. I was told the mic'd setup wouldn't sound as good, because the mics needed to be on a Cab with full range drivers, rather than a woofer /tweeter setup.

For those of you who routinely record yourself...do you mic your monitors or go line out direct to your DAW?
 
Direct is the way to go unless you are using power amp and traditional guitar cabs in place of cab IRs. Trying to mic up split frequency full range monitors and get anything close to flat results, especially with SM57's would be challenging at best.

Also, the Axe III has its own built in USB audio interface. No external audio interface is needed for direct recording.
 
So, you're telling me that if I take that USB interface plug it into my windows notebook using Pro tools, I can record directly off of there, and play back through it as well?

I could use Cakewalk as well I suppose?
 
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Yes and yes. You will need to download and install the drivers first (for Windows only).

I'm not sure what the specs are on a notebook, but that may (or may not) be a bottleneck for performance especially with Pro Tools.
 
It's a Dell XPS 15...64 GB RAM/ 2 TB SSD / 10th gen processor... So... It's faster than most premium desktops! ;)

I'm just now watching Leon's video on how to record with the Axe.

Thanks so much for the info... I'm going to return my Focusrite as I think this is a way better solution!

So you also saved me 840$!
 
Your preset with a Cab block and IR is already a "mic'd cabinet". That's what the IR is.

Sending that through ANY speaker and micing it doesn't make any practical sense.

Your direct signal from USB is a little better than going through the line outs and another interface since it bypasses some extra A/D and D/A conversions.
 
SteveW said:
It's a Dell XPS 15...64 GB RAM/ 2 TB SSD / 10th gen processor... So... It's faster than most premium desktops! ;)

I'm just now watching Leon's video on how to record with the Axe.

Thanks so much for the info... I'm going to return my Focusrite as I think this is a way better solution!

So you also saved me 840$!
Click to expand...

Don't feel bad about misunderstanding this. There's are a lot of posts on this forum where somebody is confused about connecting an AxeFX to a computer. Part of the problem might be: the AxeFX II user manual has a section on how to connect your AxeFX to other gear for various scenarios, including a computer for recording. However, the "Setting up" section in the AxeFX III manual is missing that section. There's a USB section, but it assumes you already know how to connect things. Maybe that's the reason so many people come to this forum with very basic questions about how to set up a computer/AxeFX rig for recording?

Maybe the answers that have been provided in this forum over and over about how to connect your computer, your AxeFX, and your studio monitors could be included in the manual? Something that answers the questions: How do I record? How do I monitor my AxeFX? How do I get both my AxeFX and computer output to my studio monitors?
 
So, I did a little bit of testing today, and it sounds very close to the actual output of the FX through the HS8's, when I play back from Cakewalk through the HS8's. Very impressive! I seem to have a little bit of an issue with some fuzziness in the upper range, which is prevalent on a number of the patches that I use, and as soon as I get a handle on the recording, I'll post a clip to see if anybody has a clue what this might be. It's more apparent on playback, I'm guessing because the audio isn't identical to the actual HS8's themselves. The audio differences are marginal between the two, but enough of a difference to make me hear the fuzziness more on playback through cakewalk than the live guitar through the HS8's
 
SteveW said:
So, I did a little bit of testing today, and it sounds very close to the actual output of the FX through the HS8's, when I play back from Cakewalk through the HS8's. Very impressive! I seem to have a little bit of an issue with some fuzziness in the upper range, which is prevalent on a number of the patches that I use, and as soon as I get a handle on the recording, I'll post a clip to see if anybody has a clue what this might be. It's more apparent on playback, I'm guessing because the audio isn't identical to the actual HS8's themselves. The audio differences are marginal between the two, but enough of a difference to make me hear the fuzziness more on playback through cakewalk than the live guitar through the HS8's
Click to expand...

More important than the clip is probably the details of your setup and your Cakewalk settings. The audio should be identical for the two cases. Usually the difference between those two is the listening environment. For example, playing the guitar alters your listening environment when compared to listening to playback.
 
I would have thought the differences between live audio and playback would have been greater, since I'm not actually hearing the recorded track coming off the HS8s, but directly off the output of the Axe FX...

it seems to me that some of the buzzing or fuzz that I'm hearing in the upper ranges could be distortion, as the meters on Cakewalke are through the roof in the reds all the time.

I'm trying to dial down the input gains, and it says it needs to be done on the sound card, which I've tried to do, apparently with no success.
 
SteveW said:
it seems to me that some of the buzzing or fuzz that I'm hearing in the upper ranges could be distortion, as the meters on Cakewalke are through the roof in the reds all the time.
Click to expand...

Almost undoubtedly you got the right conclusion immediately. Check meters on the Axe FX III, and Cakewalk. The fizziness you describe could well be digital clipping. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 for recording, not because the Axe FX III cannot do it, but because it enables some mic inputs and additional line inputs I use occasionally. What it does allow me is use of the Scarlett Mix Control app/programme/whatever these things are called nowadays, so I have a really good idea about whether I have any headroom to spare on input or output.

The Axe FX III IS the soundcard, so you just need to dive into setup and reduce the USB output levels a little, or maybe check output levels for what you are using in the layout.

Liam
 
SteveW said:
I would have thought the differences between live audio and playback would have been greater, since I'm not actually hearing the recorded track coming off the HS8s, but directly off the output of the Axe FX...
Click to expand...
Are you saying you're listening through different speakers when monitoring vs playback? Yeah, that will sound totally different.

I'm trying to dial down the input gains, and it says it needs to be done on the sound card, which I've tried to do, apparently with no success.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound right. It's the AxeFX output you should be adjusting, not the input. What sound card are you referring to? You shouldn't be using a sound card for recording.
 
It's going through USB, so it uses the on-board computer audio I would assume. When I adjust the USB levels on the Axe...it has no effect on Cakewalk. I did some reading online and the Cakewalk online instructions say that input levels are adjusted at the sound card. I am wondering where else on the Axe I'd be able to adjust USB output levels? I didn't think it was in the patch...
 
LiamH said:
Almost undoubtedly you got the right conclusion immediately. Check meters on the Axe FX III, and Cakewalk. The fizziness you describe could well be digital clipping. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 for recording, not because the Axe FX III cannot do it, but because it enables some mic inputs and additional line inputs I use occasionally. What it does allow me is use of the Scarlett Mix Control app/programme/whatever these things are called nowadays, so I have a really good idea about whether I have any headroom to spare on input or output.

The Axe FX III IS the soundcard, so you just need to dive into setup and reduce the USB output levels a little, or maybe check output levels for what you are using in the layout.

Liam
Click to expand...
I will try the levels on the patch and see if that works. I want to ditch the Focusrite...
The Axe can do what I need, but just need to figure out how to reduce input gain on Cakewalk!
 
SteveW said:
I will try the levels on the patch and see if that works. I want to ditch the Focusrite...
The Axe can do what I need, but just need to figure out how to reduce input gain on Cakewalk!
Click to expand...

It will be through the Axe FX. I seem to recall having similar issues - will have a look in the morning and try to get back. Pretty sure it's an easy fix.

Liam
 
SteveW said:
It's going through USB, so it uses the on-board computer audio I would assume. When I adjust the USB levels on the Axe...it has no effect on Cakewalk. I did some reading online and the Cakewalk online instructions say that input levels are adjusted at the sound card. I am wondering where else on the Axe I'd be able to adjust USB output levels? I didn't think it was in the patch...
Click to expand...

No, that's the whole point of using USB. You bypass that processing, so you get a higher fidelity recording. You're not using your soundcard, so don't bother making any adjustments to that. Don't adjust any USB levels anywhere. You want that to operate transparently. If your input level to Cakewalk is too hot (use the meters in Cakewalk to check this), adjust your amp block output level.
 
Well, that fixed everything! I lowered the output on the amp Block, and it got rid of the buzzing live and all of the buzzing and distortion on Cakewalk. Now the two sound identical! My logic was flawed... They should be identical.... Lol
 
Use the Preset leveling tool in Axe Edit to set your preset levels. You want your average preset output to hover roughly around the 0 dB mark on the meter. That ensures ample headroom for peaks and makes it easy to keep them all roughly equal in volume.

0 dB on the Axe's internal meters (and the preset leveling tool) equates to around -14 dBFS in your DAW.
 
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