Setting up AFX3 as a USB Interface and Computer System Audio?

[backwardsanimal]

I pride myself on being pretty good at setting up audio settings, Digital Audio Interfaces and USB Audio devices, etc but for the life of me, I cannot figure out what I'm doing wrong or if it's even possible. I've searched high and low and through this forum and I haven't quite found an answer to my specific question. What I'm trying to do is use the AXE-FX3 as a DI into Cubase as well as a computer audio out. My desired situation is to be able to simultaneously listen to, lets say whatever is playing on Netflix, but also have the capability to hear my playback audio in Cubase. I love my AFX3, but I also have a ton of Amp SIMS I like to play around with. How can I use my AXE as my DI Line-In (or when using my preset tones on the Axe itself) and as well as my computer audio out?

I run Windows 10.

My workaround thus far is to send physical 1/4" cables out of the USB connected AXE to my Focusrite Scarlett Input into Cubase, but its unusable because there is about a 5 second latency.

I've tried the manual, specifically the I/O section and none of it makes sense to me in terms of setting two direct audio paths to the multiple I/O's on the AXE itself.

When I just use the AXE and have Windows recognize it as my audio device:
-I can see the computer audio coming through to Output 2, but there is no actual sound coming through the speakers when they are plugged in to both the front headphone jack or the output 2 jack.
-Do I need two separate sets of speakers to accomplish this? Or am I missing something easy and routing everything wrong?
-Can I route Output 2 to the Headphone Jack for computer audio playback, and use USB to control Output 1 and hear both at the same time? I never had this issue when I was working on MAC OSX with Logic Pro X.

To be more specific:
-I'm not trying to reamp
-I DON'T want a dry monitor.
-I WANT the dry DI to go to Cubase and bypass the plugins on AXEFX3 so I can tool around with my AMP SIMS but also have the option to use my patches on the AXE.
-I WANT to be able to plug my computer speakers into the AXE to use them to hear the sound of both my computer audio as it relates to media(Netflix, Tidal Music, etc) and have another channel(via USB?) that will simultaneously playback audio created by the instrument input.

I can tell the difference in output sound quality when I use AXE vs the Focusrite USB AI and I want to keep using my AXE but...

TLDR;
Not sure how to setup AXE-FX3 to use multiple ins/outs and USB as an audio card and a Digital I/O

 

[GlennO]

This is a common configuration, so this should work.

The usb playback audio will normally go to output 1, although you can optionally send it to output 2. Make sure your usb return level is turned up. If you want to combine the playback audio and the grid output in the AxeFX, make sure those are both set to the same output. If you're using the Control Room, make sure you've got Control Room Output going to the AxeFX.

Be sure to create an input channel with the usb DI input in your Cubase VST connections.

 

[GlennO]

@Admin M@, please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the red note on page 20 in the manual should be attached to the Computer Outputs, not the Computer Inputs.

 

[backwardsanimal]

So I'm trying to follow your fix.
-Right now I have my guitar plugged into the front "INSTR" input.
-My computer speaker cable is one 1/8" headphone style jack with a 1/4" adapter plugged into the front "Headphone" output
-I AM getting computer audio on Output 1 via usb
-I AM hearing the AXE-FX3 itself when my DAW isn't opened, through Output 1 as well. This is what I suppose I mean by monitoring.

I want to be able to seperately adjust the volume of the computer and my guitar playback with Output "X" and Output "Y"s volume knobs. Ideally, I am looking for a way to keep one of the Output channels exclusive to my computer media audio, so I can adjust the volume of a movie, but not also the guitar signal with it. For example:
I want to be able to use Channel 1 as the master volume for when I'm watching Netflix or whatever, and Channel 2 to be the "Monitor" Output so I can turn that output volume off when I want to hear the movie, and turn it up when I want to hear both (like if I am noodling around while watching tv).

Does that make any sense? Trying my hardest to accurately describe what I'm trying to do.

AXE EDIT Connections:


FWIW: In Windows audio preferences under "Test Your Microphone" I see my audio signal registering.

 

[VixKix]

This problem usually happens when there is a mismatch of settings in DAW and computer. Basically if your project in DAW is 48khz and 24bit your Sound settings in Windows should match it in order to have Windows audio playback available. Otherwise your DAW audio will be prioritized and drivers will be dropped for Windows.

 

[trb]

I usualy use the AFX3 as interface to run in reaper some plugins such as EZ drummer for instance. To not have too much latency and glitches you must have a good CPU, as usual with audio interfaces.
with my I7 I have a 64 sample latency with AFX3 drivers and its fine (around 3ms in reaper).

 

[GlennO]

So I'm trying to follow your fix.
-Right now I have my guitar plugged into the front "INSTR" input.
-My computer speaker cable is one 1/8" headphone style jack with a 1/4" adapter plugged into the front "Headphone" output
-I AM getting computer audio on Output 1 via usb
-I AM hearing the AXE-FX3 itself when my DAW isn't opened, through Output 1 as well. This is what I suppose I mean by monitoring.

I want to be able to seperately adjust the volume of the computer and my guitar playback with Output "X" and Output "Y"s volume knobs. Ideally, I am looking for a way to keep one of the Output channels exclusive to my computer media audio, so I can adjust the volume of a movie, but not also the guitar signal with it. For example:
I want to be able to use Channel 1 as the master volume for when I'm watching Netflix or whatever, and Channel 2 to be the "Monitor" Output so I can turn that output volume off when I want to hear the movie, and turn it up when I want to hear both (like if I am noodling around while watching tv).

Does that make any sense? Trying my hardest to accurately describe what I'm trying to do.

AXE EDIT Connections:


FWIW: In Windows audio preferences under "Test Your Microphone" I see my audio signal registering.

So you hear the computer audio now? Anyway, yes that will work. If you want them both going to the same output, use the USB return level to control the computer audio level and the output knob to control the overall level. You can assign a perform page knob to these so you have knob control over the levels.

If you want them going to separate outputs, use the USB Output Mapping I/O setting to send computer audio to output 2 so you have guitar and computer audio on two separate outputs. (And turn off Copy Output 1).

You're right, these kinds of problems are hard to troubleshoot since it's difficult to describe all of the aspects of the I/O configuration in a forum post.