Right, a small problem...

RevTech

Butthole=output transduce
VIP Junglist
Joined
Aug 19, 2008
Location
AZ
So I see that this one reverb unit has a usb to connect with a daw to be used like a plugin. Well, my rack units don't have that feature. So, I want to put some media thru them, but I can't really do that right now. what are my best options?

Here are my guesses:

burn the sounds on a cd and play them thru a cd deck (I have one)

Put it on my mp3 player and use an adapter to make it go into a 1/4 cable

buy a mixer that has recording capabilities, maybe it could play back the cd aswell
 
If you want to use the effects "live" and retain tweakability, get a mixer that has plenty of auxes. You can connect 1 device to each aux out (usually a mixer has 2-4 auxes) and have the return signal be 100% wet (only the reverb). Then you can control the amount of the effect by how much you send to that aux, and also with the aux return knob. Or if you want to show off you can put the return signal on a channel too so you can use channel EQ's and inserts on it, like compression or more effects. If you want to use them in a production live you will have to have multiple outputs too so you can buss for example your drums to your mixer channel 1 and then send that channel to the aux, then a synthline on anothe channel etc.

You'd do good to have live loops in the chain anyway, as you'd be best off sending a signal to the unit and recording the output at the same time. Burning a cd of something or encoding to mp3 just to get an effect on sound is a bit overkill and takes huge amounts of time compared to a live setup.
 
Having multi outs and ins is the basic way of doing this without a mixer. You can have your main outs (to monitors) on 1-2, then outputs to whatever effects on 3-4, 5-6 etc. Then you return those effects to inputs 1-2, 3-4, and so on. Most interfaces have the option to set 1 pair of outputs as monitor outs, and then you can opt not to monitor the outgoing effect outputs at all, and instead you can listen to the inputs and the effected sound. I'm having currently a bit of trouble with my sampler because I only have 1 input pair. That leads to a situation where I cant listen to what I record... it's hard to explain, but multiple I/O is the way to go if you want to utilize hardware. Even if you have a mixer, you still need a way to record the inputs and stop the signal that's being recorded being sent back to the mixer...

am i being unclear enough?
 
You'd do good to have live loops in the chain anyway, as you'd be best off sending a signal to the unit and recording the output at the same time. Burning a cd of something or encoding to mp3 just to get an effect on sound is a bit overkill and takes huge amounts of time compared to a live setup.

See when I do things live, (connecting to midi for the timing and all) my synth starts to change to another program randomly, so when I record, I usally hope for the best and get the take on the 3rd time or so. So this wont work till I fix that.
 
Having multi outs and ins is the basic way of doing this without a mixer. You can have your main outs (to monitors) on 1-2, then outputs to whatever effects on 3-4, 5-6 etc. Then you return those effects to inputs 1-2, 3-4, and so on. Most interfaces have the option to set 1 pair of outputs as monitor outs, and then you can opt not to monitor the outgoing effect outputs at all, and instead you can listen to the inputs and the effected sound. I'm having currently a bit of trouble with my sampler because I only have 1 input pair. That leads to a situation where I cant listen to what I record... it's hard to explain, but multiple I/O is the way to go if you want to utilize hardware. Even if you have a mixer, you still need a way to record the inputs and stop the signal that's being recorded being sent back to the mixer...

You know, I might just have to do this, thanks so much man. This will take a while to figure out but I get the jist of what you're saying.

I could have justed used the multi quote btw, shiiiittt
 
hey man i was a bit bored so i drew a picture of it.

A%20PICTURE.bmp


The thing I circled in blue is the main thing here. This routing will be done in the control software for your daw somehow, you can set what channels you want the hear. Also the channels leading to the outputs that lead to fx have to cut off from the monitoring.

Also that means that you will have to record things when you think they are "ready", it work the same way I suppose, you will record the signal that goes out of the monitoring outputs. When using my sampler I like to leave this to the last bit. I'll only have the midi source in the DAW and light up the sampler every time i work on the track so i keep things flexible. I only record the track to wav when I consider the track ready.
 
Last edited:
See when I do things live, (connecting to midi for the timing and all) my synth starts to change to another program randomly, so when I record, I usally hope for the best and get the take on the 3rd time or so. So this wont work till I fix that.

I dont understand. Is your synth broken? Maybe you're sending a program change by accident... have you tried on a clean project file?
 
I dont understand. Is your synth broken? Maybe you're sending a program change by accident... have you tried on a clean project file?

It might be the fact that I got the midi barely to work. And I might just be sending the signal for it program change. You know, since I have almost all of my gear out from a band meeting, I'll whip out my webcam and show you what happens and in general my setup for understanding.

I'll upload it in a few, and thanks so much for taking time out of your day to draw me a diagram, cheers!
 
View My Video

Sorry for the weirdness of posting a video like that.

oh and I tried putting the headphone jack into the wah wah and it worked but was kinda shit quality
 
my question is why would you need a reverb external when the reverb in fruity is "AMAZING HIGH QUALITY GROUND BREAK SHIT" ;)
 
Converting cables from 1 kind to another is not a big deal, you just need an adapter that costs about 1€.

Give me your kit list (what sound card/audio interface do you have and what is that mixer mainly) and I'll give you a suggestion on how to string it up.
 
Converting cables from 1 kind to another is not a big deal, you just need an adapter that costs about 1€.

Give me your kit list (what sound card/audio interface do you have and what is that mixer mainly) and I'll give you a suggestion on how to string it up.

Mixer: mackie vlz3, and my soundcard is the onboard 6.1 soundcard. Basically my soundcard is shite and I should invest in a new one. My stereo system is a old school sony hcd - m500av.
 
Haha I aint giving up on you man, one more post! Here goes, and note that this is just how I would do it, someone else might do it in a different way completely. I'm not sure how much of this you already know so I'll be thorough.

Connect the sound card output to mixer ch 3 & 4 as they are a stereo input (hook the korg to 1 & 2). Then connect the main out to the sony amp, naturally. Then connect the tape out to the FX unit input. This way you can direct anything that goes into the mixer, into the FX unit as well (**edit, note the PS**) . Next step could be done better with a bigger mixer and a proper audio interface but it can still be done as is. Just connect the FX unit's output straight to your computer's line in. You'll just have to find a way to block the incoming sound from going back out from the sound card main output, as it will cause a feedback loop and if worst comes to worst, destroy your equipment, so be careful: keep one hand on the main mix knob at all times in case you accidentally connect a feedback loop.

Then open up fruity (it was fruity you were using, right?) and select any empty channel, and drop its send level to the master channel to 0 before doing anything else. Then you select the input to that channel to be the line in - this is a part that could cause the feedback loop so be careful. TBH I'm not sure if you can even do it with a built-in soundcard, so an getting an multi I/O audio interface would be a good idea.

EDIT. it would be good if your mixer had a knob for the tape out level, so you could turn it to 0 when you don't want to record, just to avoid the feedback loops. Also, doing things this way prevents you from hearing the sound you're recording so you have to set the level by eye and adjust it after recording. Also you propably know how to record in fruity but in case you dont, you just click on the little disk icon in the bottom the channel strip you want to record, then do a time selelction and hit rec.
 
Last edited:
oh dear. it's made simple on my new audio interface. inserts one and two. But without this I wouldn't have had the idea
 
Back
Top Bottom