Hi all,
Before you read, I'm sharing this to maybe bring new ideas to those using or willing to use HX Stomp as INTERFACE.
I use the Stomp and a lot of other sims mostly at home studio setting, always trying new things, A/B plugins, IRs an so on. Long story short, after some experiments I started using HX stomp as interface in the following way:
All starts with a preset named INTERFACE with some blocks disabled (GAIN, PEDAL, EQ, anything) and a FX LOOP L block.
Yeah, but why?
From the manual you can see the FX LOOP L is conected to USB input 3, so, with this setup you don't need to mess with the OUTPUT MAIN L/R Volume to kill the direct signal. This FX LOOP block will route the signal out of the main output and send it to whatever is connect to USB input 3. So, when you activate a track in the DAW and set it's source to input 3, you get the signal from where FX LOOP L left of, while monitoring with the Stomp. In other words, The FX LOOP acts like "from here on, the signal chain continues in the the DAW".
This turns HX Stomp into a very versatile interface, allowing the creation of "hybrid" chains.
You can put an AMP block in the HX (before the FX LOOP) and use an IR loader in DAW or, which I do frequently, use a pedal in the stomp (with the benefit of the impedance input circuit) into an AMP sim and IR Loader in the DAW an so on. If you are trying to match some tone you can just toggle the FX LOOP to switch between some AMP chain in STOMP and the DAW.
So, a list of PROs one can get from this setup. Of course, some can be accomplished if you use Native, but others can't:
- HX used as main interface.
- Use HX pedals in front of other plugins/Amp Sims. (benefit of the impedance input circuit)
- Use HX Eqs in front of other plugins.
- Use the gain block as input gain for Amp Sims that need it (just like an interface's "gain" knob).
- Test IRs in your DAW with your HX presets easily and load only the ones you like.
- Compare and match amps from HX with others by just toggling the FX LOOP block.
- Don't need rotate the output main knob down to zero every time you need to monitor only your DAW.
- Try other FX with your current presets.
- Monitor directly from HX Stomp.
- You still have the unprocessed signal for recording (put the FX LOOP L first in chain) just like using USB input 5.
This shows, once again, how versatile of a unit this is. If you are already using HX Stomp as interface give it try!
To me, using the HX Stomp as interface like this gives a lot more options than setting main output to zero with USB input 5.
Any ideas, thoughts or suggestions on the matter?
Thanks!