SPDIF ReAmp Tutorial - Sonar X2, Presonus, AXE FX II

[WatersDeep]

When I was trying go figure out how to setup SPDIF reamping not many months ago I had to get information from multiple places to figure it out. Some solutions were either too vague or described more complex than they needed to be and there were never pictures. Now I find myself answering these questions for others now that I know how to do it most effectively.

So I decided why not just create a quick tutorial with pictures (we all love pictures) to better illustrate at least how I do it. Works really well without noticeable latency, at least I can't tell if there is any.

SPDIF ReAmp Tutorial - Sonar X2, Presonus, AXE FX II​

How to ReAMP using SPDIF, Sonar X2 and Presonus Firestudio Project/Mobile. This should translate to any DAW or interface.


1. Be sure your cables are setup correctly. SPDIF cables must absolutely be rated at 75 Ohm. I use these

Guitar --> Axe front instrument Input
Connect both SPDIF cables in/out to from Audio Interface and Axe FX II

2. Set preferences in DAW

• Set DAW sampling to 48kHz (48000) and 24bit
• Set DAW buffers as low as possible. here is my setting that provide no noticeable latency.
  • Record buffer at 64 ms
  • Playback at 128 ms.

This requires two setups. One to record dry/wet and the other to reamp.

Step 1: Recording DRY/WET while hearing WET

1. Audio Interface setup

• Audio Interface 48kHz
• Set as SPDIF making AXE FX the master clock.
• Buffer at 128

2. Setup two paths, one for wet, one for dry. Add a mixer on each end of your path in stereo mode not mono.

• Pan wet path left.
• Pan dry path right

3. Set I/O in Axe FX front panel to Analog. Most likely you already have it at this setting.

4. Setup tracks in DAW

• Dry - Input is SPDIF right, panned hard right. Output is master or bus channel. Mute, record on, echo off.
• Wet -Input is SPDIF left, panned center (so you can hear in both speakers). Output is master or bus channel. Record on, echo on.
• Reamp - Input SPDIF Stereo (L/R), panned center. Output is master or sub channel. Mute, echo off.

Once all the settings are as stated click record in your DAW and start playing. You should not hear the dry track, only the wet track however both are recording.

Step 2: ReAMP the dry track

1. Save your recorded project and close the the DAW completely.

2. Audio Interface setup

• Audio Interface 48kHz
• Set as "Master" making AXE FX the your slave to do nothing but pleasure you.
• Buffer at 128

3. Set I/O in Axe FX front panel to SPDIF.

4. Launch the DAW and open your project.

5. Shunt the block just before the mixer on the dry track and change the wet mixer panning to center.

6. Reconfigure tracks in DAW

• Dry - Input is None. Output is SPDIF, Un-mute, record off, echo off.
• Wet -Mute, record off, echo off.
• Reamp - Input SPDIF Stereo (L/R), panned center. Output is master or sub channel. Un-mute, record on, echo on.

7. Push play in your DAW and you should now hear your dry track playing though the AXE FX and back through to the Reamp track. Tweak your AXE FX II as it plays to make alterations to your sound. This is also great for fine tuning your tone into the mix.

If you experience latency

• Turn off any unneeded plugins
• Turn off synths if your using them.
• Double check that buffers match between DAW and Audio Interface.
• Possibly you have the wrong type of SPDIF cables, see original HW config section.
• Tune your damn computer, shut off all the crap you don't need, strip it down to bare bones processes.
• Stop watching porn.

If you don't hear the ReAmp sound, I found sometimes I had to change the dry pan from one side to the other. Depends if I got mixed up during the recording process when setting up the AXE mixers. It happens.

If you start getting static during playback, you didn't set the Audio Interface Clock settings correctly or SPDIF cables are not 75 Ohm.

8. If the play test was successful and the sound is dead on to what you want, click record.

If you are not able to make this work,

• You're doing it wrong
• I'm doing it wrong
• See bullet 1

I hope this colorful tutorial helps many who are unfamiliar with reamping SPDIF. Should anyone find any errors in my layout mapping, please let me know because it took a while to piece this together.

 

[Fabio KTG]

There must be hours of work in this. Thanks for the contribution. I'm sure that I could use the principals described with my M Audio 2626.

Muchos gracias

 

[WatersDeep]

There must be hours of work in this. Thanks for the contribution. I'm sure that I could use the principals described with my M Audio 2626.

Muchos gracias

Ya there is some good time in it. I just hope others find it valuable. The principles of it should translate to any Audio Interface and any DAW combination.

 

[H3O2]

HUGE help! I just picked up X3 last week. Picture's worth a thousand words with the painstaking detail. Thank you.

 

[Glennski]

Don't forget too that some DAWs (including Sonar) have an 'external insert' feature. Sonar's allows you to insert outboard effects as if they are plugins, and will also calibrate for any latency introduced so you don't have to realign the tracks.

 

[lp59]

Could anybody tell me if it's the same method with a Mac?
I read that you need to make an agregate device first with the Axe-Fx and the external sound card (Apollo for me), I would be interested in such a tutorial for Mac and Logic 9.

 

[Denis]

Thanks man

 

[Miscreant]

Quick question about this: I am booked up via spdif, but all I've done is used the Axe Fx as my soundcard, and recorded inputs 1/2, which are wet, into my DAW, and then set up another track and set it to input 3, which on the Axe is dry. Does this mean I'm not using my spdif connection here, or? Why is this method so much more complicated? (Though awesome job putting it together.)

 

[Stevelow74]

Quick question about this: I am booked up via spdif, but all I've done is used the Axe Fx as my soundcard, and recorded inputs 1/2, which are wet, into my DAW, and then set up another track and set it to input 3, which on the Axe is dry. Does this mean I'm not using my spdif connection here, or? Why is this method so much more complicated? (Though awesome job putting it together.)

No your always on usb. If you had a separate io card you could use spdif.

 

[dustinjm1]

Greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

 

[Bojangles]

This is good stuff, it should be wikified

 

[sadicus]

wikified and 2016 updated. Thank for the great Illustrated tutorial. I tried this several times, with same (bad) results.
Everything is "kinda" working. Input Signal Volume is a big issue, and on reamp the recorded audio is too low and that's why the playback is there, but is very low and therefore can't push through the Axe preset gate.

BTW, Before following this tutorial there was a volume 1:1 with the Axe Headphones and the recorded guitar to the DAW using S/PDIF (levels were calibrated) ...now something has changed.
Axe is showing good input, but the signal to the MOTU has dropped, and sounds too low. The recorded Drums, etc are all at the correct level, so I'm not sure how to safely increase the input signal. Changing Volume on the preset changes tone without sounding louder.

also, How to do this setup with AxeFX?
"SONAR has an 'external insert' feature that allows to insert outboard effects as if they are plugins, and will also calibrate for any latency introduced so you don't have to realign the tracks."

SONAR + MOTU Hybrid mk3 (firewire) + Axe-FX II XL (USB) + AxeEdit + (2) C2G S/PDIF Digital Audio Coax Cable (6 Feet)

 

[Hazar]

Thanks Brother! Excellent Tutorial!!!!!!

 

[derrylgabel]

Hi Waters Deep, I'm using Sonar Platinum and an M-Audio Profire 2626 audio interface. I can set my Profire the way you describe as well as my Axe FX II XL plus. When I try to open Sonar it just sits there taking forever to load and finally I get a dialog box reading that Sonar is not responding.
Now, if I set the Profire to Internal for the Sync Source as opposed to Spidif then Sonar will load fine. The problem is when I go to select the Output on my Reamp Track there is no option for Spidif. It's all Software Returns of the Profire. When I go into the Settings Control Panel of the Profire and try and change the Sync Source from Internal to Spidif like your diagram shows the drop down menu is "greyed out" so that it can't be changed.

I'm guessing that Sonar is 'taking over" as the Master Clock? Is there an option in Preferences of Sonar that will allow my Audio Interface to be the Master Clock?