I received a HD Pro X today after using an X3 Live for 5+ years, and have been playing around with it for most of the day. While I like what I see and hear thus far in terms of the advances in technology, there are a few key features which existed in the X3 which either no longer exist, or I am having trouble figuring out in the HD Pro X.
The first is the ability to select a dry input in my DAW. It appears that the HD Pro only has the ability to select the left and right channel (labeled Input 1 and Input 2) which is the same as the wet mix after all effects. On the X3, I had Main Out (Studio/Direct Mix), Tone 1 Only (Wet), Tone 2 Only (Wet), Tone 1 Inputs Dry, and Tone 2 Inputs Dry. I have found a ton of threads on various forums stating that you have to use the SPDIF outputs routed to another device, which would not be preferable.
The second is the ability to control the mix of the XLR outputs and TRS outputs independently: On the X3, I can mute or pan those four outputs independently: XLR Left, XLR Right, TRS Left, TRS Right. This is extremely beneficial when processing wet guitar to TRS Left, processing wet vocals to TRS Right, and using the XLR Left and Right as stereo outputs to play computer audio without any guitar or vocals signal mixed, where all four outputs can be routed to an external mixer and controlled independently. It appears that this flexibility doesn't exist on the HD Pro X?
Both of these features are integral to my workflow... and I'm frustrated.
Any ideas here?