Recording Help - Helix + BeatBuddy + Logic Pro X 10.2.2

[bsd512]

I have a Mackie Pro FX12 USB mixer, Helix, and a BeatBuddy drum pedal, and I'm using Logic Pro X to try and record a drum track, guitar wet signal, and guitar dry signal all in one take.

 

I can't figure out how to record separate tracks for the Helix "dry" signal, "wet" signal, and drums all at the same time - basically I want to do just one take with guitar and drums, and just in case by some miracle, it's a really good take, I'd like to have the dry signal so I can futz around with re-amping.

 

The Mackie only outputs 2 channels to USB, so it unfortunately does not separate the various input tracks into separate USB tracks for recording, or this would be much easier.

 

Two record from two devices at once in Logic, I created an aggregate device on the Mac and have that selected in Logic.  On the aggregate device (mixer + helix), the Mixer channel became USB inputs 1/2, while the Helix 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, & 7/8 became inputs 3/4, 5/6, 7/8, & 9/10.  So it's like I have a 10 channel device now with the mixer being the first two channels.

 

My plan was to record the drums on 1/2, helix wet signal from 3/4, and the dry signal from 9/10, which is where they all are after mapping.  So it looks like this:

 

BeatBuddy drums -> Mixer -> Aggregate USB 1/2

Guitar Wet -> Helix -> Aggregate (USB 3/4) (Native Helix 1/2)

Guitar Dry -> Helix -> Aggregate (USB 9/10) (Native Helix 7/8)

 

My problem is now I can only hear either the guitar or the drums, but not both.  Even when I select input monitoring.

 

I can simply plug the Helix direct outs into the mixer and record both that way, but that goes to a single stereo track, and I want them in separate tracks.

 

Sorry if this is old hat - I'm pretty new at this.  Any tips as to what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

 

Images of the track setup are below.

 

Thanks for any help in advance!

 

 

 

[bartnettle1]

Sounds like you might have the channel outputs not going to Master and Master to your interface Monitor outs.

And check the ASIO page of your interface in preferences and ensure you have all the ins and outs you are using enabled.

But rereading your post you mention that the Helix with that amount of outs doe'nt sound correct.

It looks like you have a chanel for each Helix channel but are not completing the routing back into the Helix thus no sound.

 

But simplify is the key here.

By routing all via the Mackie you are going backwards a bit. It is only 2 in and 2 out.  Any more than that and you are missing the point of mutitrack recording. (my first recording gear were two cassette recorders. You would have to guess the levels the more overdubbing you did)You are doubling the amount of Digital to Analogue conversion necessary by routing all via the Mackie The Helix converts then the Macking converts it back to digital ( not as degrading as cassette tape LOL)

 

You got a  powerful DAW with Logic. First it should have drum loops better than beat buddy but if you want to use a pedal beat machine instead of software drums then it can be done.

.

Put the Beat buddy via the Mackie and record the drums first. 

 

I'd make the Helix the monitoring device.

If the Helix and Mackie are recognized seperately you could playalong with the drums on the way in

 

There are some great Youtube channel tutorials on how to record. start with Logic ones and you'll soon be up to speed. There are others too for general recording and mixing engineering skills like Pensado's Place Into the Lair, Produce like a Pro, The Recording Revolution to name a few.

Recording is an Art and while Helix does make it easier for guitarists and DAWs are making it easy for even non musicians they both require a bit of learning the techniques to recording and mixing and even mastering nowadays. Good luck

[datacommando]

Sorry if this is old hat - I'm pretty new at this.  Any tips as to what I'm doing wrong would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hi bsd512,

 

Don't be sorry - we all have to start somewhere and it's better to ask for assistance than blunder around in the dark.

 

I think you should check this out - it may help!

 

 

Also, maybe it would be easier to lose the hassle of trying to get BeatBuddy recorded when Logic is pretty well rigged out with stacks of various drum kits and styles.

[bsd512]

Thanks to both of you!

 

I have watched the re-amp tutorial above and got that working a short while back - I was very impressed with myself. :-)  That was very cool and is the reason I want to capture the dry signal at the same time, in case I want to try with another setting or patch.  I'm not so great that I can faithfully reproduce what I did before, and I seem to have record-button-phobia.  I can play the same thing 10 times in a row and 9/10 are decent (for me).  But once I press record, it's the opposite - 1/10 are good.  So being able to record the dry signal and re-amp is a really nice feature.  That's actually the main reason why I sprung the $200 for Logic - GarageBand lacked the capability to re-amp.

 

I've messed with all kinds of settings in Logic X and still can't seem to get input monitoring working.  I can either headphone into the Helix and hear that, or headphone into the Mackie and hear that.  But even with creating an aggregate device of Mackie+Helix and seemingly routing all the inputs and outputs where they ought to be, I can still only hear whichever device I plug the headphones into.  I.e., if I plug headphones into the Helix, I would think that if I turn on input-monitoring on the drum machine track (Mackie), the signal would be routed back to the Helix by Logic and I could hear it through the headphones?  But that doesn't seem to be the case - it's possible I just have the way this should work all wrong in my head and I'm trying to do something it's not designed to do.

 

I probably just don't have something set right with the device inputs/outputs, even though I've tried about everything I can think of.

 

I have had round-about success though.  As suggested, I added a built-in drum track in Logic and that worked great.  It's really cool how you can change all the different settings while the track is playing to try out different combinations of all the parameters, and home in on what sounds the best.  The drummer capability in Logic is way beyond the BeatBuddy for sure.  The BeatBuddy is really nice, though, and it's right there at my feet - and even if I'm not recording or even have Logic up, it's way easy to just press the button and get an instant drum track to play to, press again for a fill, press and hold for a transition, and double-tap to stop.  And it has a decent variety of beats, drum kits, and genres that are very quick and easy to change with the dials and buttons.  No computer needed.

 

What would be ideal is if the Helix had a mode where the BB could feed into the AUX input, say, (or Return 1/2 for stereo, etc) and by a setting in the global settings route that input it to one of the USB output paths without having to take up one of the DSP paths with an input/output block just for that, and ... at the same time hear that through the Helix headphone monitor out.  I think that would do what I'm trying to do - hardware drummer without a computer, hear it in the headphones while I play, and also ability to record it into a separate track in the DAW without much futzing.

 

I'll still continue to experiment, though, and try and get this working.  I can, as suggested by bartnettle1, record the drum track first, then record the guitar.  Note that I'm not actually double-converting the helix, though - it's not feeding into the Mackie for recording, I'm recording the Helix using it's USB directly.  That's why I created the aggregate device using both the Mackie+Helix.  If Logic allowed more than one device at a time, creating the aggregate wouldn't be necessary.  And also because the Mackie only has a single stereo output to USB which is a mix of all the tracks - thus, it's serving as a glorified audio interface for the BB for this application.  I did price some digital multi-track mixers that do output each track to separate USB channels, and my eyes about popped at the price, so that won't be happening for me.  That money would be much better spent on guitar lessons. :-)

 

Thanks again, though!  I've got what I was after - drums in a separate track, so I can change the drum track and not have to re-record the guitar.

[bsd512]

Well, as I mentioned, I'm a total amateur compared to the talent on this forum, but since you guys were very helpful, I figured I'd share the fruits of this experiment from yesterday.

 

It's also my first soundcloud upload.

 

Just a little about me - I used to play guitar when I was a teenager, maybe for 4 or 5 years.  I never had a lesson, just listened to records and tried to learn.  I played with a few buddies on occasion, but mostly alone.  Never been in a band.  Then I went to college, got a job, got a family, bought a house, the whole catastrophe.  So 30 years later - I'm 50 now - I decided to pick it up again, and don't know why I ever stopped. I guess I hit a wall without having any lessons or anything, and lost some interest.  But picking it up again after 30 years from not touching a guitar has reinvigorated the joy of playing, and I'm actively trying to learn all the stuff I missed out on way back when.

 

Owning a Helix is way more than I deserve, but splurged on myself with a decent guitar, a Schecter Hybrid Solo II FR which I love, and the Helix which everyone here knows is pretty incredible.

 

Anyway, thanks again for the assistance - I've learned a lot from this forum and am totally blown away by the talent here.

 

This is a little repetitive riff I came up with the other day.  The drum track is one of the built-in, but tweaked Logic X drummers.  Since picking the guitar back up a few months ago, I've made about about a dozen or so of similar quality, but all sound very different in terms of style, rhythm, etc.  Hope you like it!

 

https://soundcloud.com/user-22828532/x-22

[datacommando]

As previously stated - "we all have to start somewhere".
So, there you go, now you have started - just keep on!
Let us know when the album is due for release. :D

Good times!

[bsd512]

Let us know when the album is due for release. :D

 

Any day now ... just a few small tweaks needed. :-)