SPDIF or AES as external FX Loop?

I've done this with all my audio interfaces since the late 90's. Fractal analog in to DAW interface, ADAT optical to Eclipse, AES to H3000, SPDIF to Lexicons. Would be an ENORMOUS game changer to have this happen internally and NOT require and external unit like a MOTU 828. I have an 828 from early 2000's sitting next to me just for this functionality.
 
USB, AES, SPDIF - if you're going to go digital in the studio and not use analog, you're only going to use one of those connections at a time as output to DAW anyway. That's a lot of real estate in all those other hardware outs just sitting there not being utilized. All paths should be 'open for business' and routing at all times.
 
digitalwaveform said:
Can you run a SPDIF device and AES and use them as an FX Loops send/return and still use all analog ins/outs?

ie. Eclipse (or H8000 etc) in AES Loop, PCM-80 in SPDIF.
Click to expand...

FractalAudio said:
Not currently but it might be possible. I'll have to think about it.
Click to expand...
PLEASE! It would be glorious, if the digital IN/OUTs could be freely assignable to (at least) one of the IN / OUT Blocks!
 
FractalAudio said:
Not currently but it might be possible. I'll have to think about it.
Click to expand...

Please do, I really like the sound of my Bricasti M7 reverb and this would save me conversions and hauling around a line mixer and more cables because using the FX analog loop on my 2 requires using a full wet mix due to latency/cancellation.

I may not want to use it if there are 2 true stereo reverbs blocks now in the 3, but even so, being able to use another company's high quality specialized effect in an AES loop could add still more richness and colors to the total AXE3 output and make it that much more flexible and unique in recreating a full guitar rack of pro gear in so small and flexible a device...
 
Please rehash this topic.

What about clocking the Axe fx 3 to a DAW's clock? Does that work flawlessly while having simultaneous analog and digital routing in and out? Because I think I figured out a potential way i could be able to get my favorite IR company Two notes happening while still being able to use all the reverbs and delays and effects in the Fractal after the externally routed cab sound. I plan to run the Fractal AFX3 unit with blocks like OD, eq or fuzz then Amp block into my Daw analog into the soundcard ... which then would have the Two notes Wall of sound plugin loaded. But while i do this I would want to simultaneously have the Afx 3 clocked to the DAW and then run the daw out to the Axe FX3 input digitally on either AES or Spdif to be able to take advantage of the effects blocks and then run it back into the DAW on AES or Spdif. Is this possible? If so then this is a done deal for me.
Otherwise running everything into the Two notes may not properly hear the full the depth of the Fractal Box's reverbs especially and other effects since in that case the final stage would be the two notes cab sim which is certainly ideally placed after reverb for studio stuff.
 
Last edited:
For the OP, not sure if you figured out the best scenario yet after these two years but to get the eclipse sound going most optimally, maybe all you need is analog into the eclipse but then come back with the unconverted AES or Spdif sound into the Axe FX.
or 2) my case, another alternative is maybe running analog out of the Fractal and into the torpedo rack analog in since I would not be overly finicky about D to A conversion of amp distortion before a digital cab sim as much as i would be A to D conversion after a cab sim .... so then maybe i could go AES or Spdif into the axe fx 3 and using the daw as the master clock despite being connected as a slave to the rack clock?. Can someone please confirm if this will work smoothly?, and finally:
3) Would adding an AES or Spdif output at this stage from the Axe FX into the Daw work simultaneously to either points #2 or #3 I make in this message?

and finally #4), hopefully seperate channels of the two cab sims in the Torpedo Studio will work flawlessly back into the AFX as Digital input to the AFX 3 as well!
 
Last edited:
Anyone know if the afx3 connected to the daw will screw up clocked as a slave via AES when the daw is already a slave to a hot crystal clock in a rack connected via BNC when all the other gear is connected BNC also to that rack clock?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom