can't get my head around recording with Logic pro.

[markblack77]

I'm trying to record guitar and vocals at the same time.

 

I can record just a guitar track, all works fine, and guitar and mic onto one track (obviously not much use)

 

I can spit the output by panning one hard left and the other hard right, but then recording is a bit weird as you have one part in one ear and one in the other.

 

As it stands I have the output blocks on the Helix so it's:

guitar > USB 1/2

Mic > USB 3/4

Then in Logic I have software monitoring turned off.
The track for the Guitar set to input 1/2 & output 5/6
The track for the mic set to input 3/4 & output 7/8

I have audio going in OK, but I can't hear anything through the headphones (I'm just running out of the headphone port on the Helix)

 

If I set both outputs to stereo out then I can hear everything except that I can hear both the input and the monitoring with a slight delay. Almost like a 'chorus' effect.

 

Here's a grab of my set up in Logic.

 

Is there something dumb I'm doing? Headphone monitoring set wrong?

 

Any advice would be great.

 

Cheers

 

Mark

 

[amsdenj]

To use Helix with Logic, you should consider first recording dry inputs for your mic and guitar. That way you can re-amp with Helix or other plugins like S-Gear or Bias FX. By default the direct guitar is set to USB 7 and the direct mic USB 8. You can change these in global settings if needed to select specific Helix inputs. Note that USB 7/8 can't be selected in a Helix Output Block, its dedicated to dry outputs for re-amping purposes.

 

I think your problem is the outputs. Unless you need to specifically send outputs to Logic tracks outputs to specific USB inputs routed to Helix effects sends and returns, you should set the output of each Logic track to the Stereo output, then configure Mac OS and Logic to use USB 1/2 for the Stereo output - this should be the default. Helix dedicates USB input 1/2 to output from your computer, it can't be selected as an input in an Input Block, bypasses all block processing and is always active. You should now be able to play audio from your computer to USB 1/2 and hear it in the Helix headphone jack.

 

Now we can address the inputs. You have a couple of choices. If you have your Helix output blocks set to Multi, then you will hear your processed guitar and mic signals directly from the Helix headphone output, with no latency. And USB 1/2 can be selected as inputs to a stereo track in Logic. In this case you want input monitoring off in Logic since you are already monitoring direct from Helix. This will work, but it will record the guitar and mic stereo signals into the same stereo track, so all the mixing would need to be done in Helix and can't be changed in Logic. Generally this isn't what you want, unless you want to record essentially a live performance from Helix to see exactly what your audience would hear using the same configuration.

 

If you want to separate the guitar and mic into two stereo tracks, then you need to set the Helix output block of the guitar path to USB 3/4 and the output block of the mic path to USB 5/6. Note you can also use USB 1/2 for either the guitar or mic, but not USB 7/8, these are dedicated to dry signals. But this will only direct monitor one of your instruments, so it should be avoided. Then select the appropriate USB inputs in the Logic tracks for the guitar and mic signals.

 

At this point you will not be able to monitor your guitar and mic from the Helix headphone output because the Helix Output blocks are set to USB 3/4 and 5/6 and so they aren't sending any output to the headphones. You can use global settings to change what the the headphones monitor: Multi (including 1/4", XLR and USB 1/2), 1/4" outputs, or XLR outputs. You want to leave it on Multi so you can monitor USB 1/2 which is the output of your computer.

 

To monitor the tracks, all you need to do is turn input monitoring on in the Logic tracks. Latency shouldn't be a problem if you have a reasonably recent Mac computer with a reasonably recent OS. If it is, open the Logic audio preferences and reduce the buffers on the audio device. Do this until you get some digital noise and then increase the buffers a bit.

 

At this point you should be ready to go. 

 

Note that Logic Pro X has been available for a few years and is quite an improvement in every way over the version you have as shown in your screen shot. The prices is also very reasonable. You might want to consider an update.

[spikey]

Note that Logic Pro X has been available for a few years and is quite an improvement in every way over the version you have as shown in your screen shot. The prices is also very reasonable. You might want to consider an update.

 

 

 

Agreed. Once you use X over 9, you wont go back. 

[PeterHamm]

When its' problematic, one thing you can try is going in from Helix, but out through the built-in headphones just for monitoring.

That will, at least, help to figure out what's going on.

You don't need to upgrade (although I think it's money well spent) to do this.

[frodebro]

As mentioned above, the outputs are what is throwing you off.  For your situation you'll want every track set to Stereo Output (there are exceptions, but it's not important right now to get you up and running).

[markblack77]

thanks all for all of the above. I'll have a look tonight.

[markblack77]

To use Helix with Logic, you should consider first recording dry inputs for your mic and guitar. That way you can re-amp with Helix or other plugins like S-Gear or Bias FX. By default the direct guitar is set to USB 7 and the direct mic USB 8. You can change these in global settings if needed to select specific Helix inputs. Note that USB 7/8 can't be selected in a Helix Output Block, its dedicated to dry outputs for re-amping purposes.

 

I think your problem is the outputs. Unless you need to specifically send outputs to Logic tracks outputs to specific USB inputs routed to Helix effects sends and returns, you should set the output of each Logic track to the Stereo output, then configure Mac OS and Logic to use USB 1/2 for the Stereo output - this should be the default. Helix dedicates USB input 1/2 to output from your computer, it can't be selected as an input in an Input Block, bypasses all block processing and is always active. You should now be able to play audio from your computer to USB 1/2 and hear it in the Helix headphone jack.

 

Now we can address the inputs. You have a couple of choices. If you have your Helix output blocks set to Multi, then you will hear your processed guitar and mic signals directly from the Helix headphone output, with no latency. And USB 1/2 can be selected as inputs to a stereo track in Logic. In this case you want input monitoring off in Logic since you are already monitoring direct from Helix. This will work, but it will record the guitar and mic stereo signals into the same stereo track, so all the mixing would need to be done in Helix and can't be changed in Logic. Generally this isn't what you want, unless you want to record essentially a live performance from Helix to see exactly what your audience would hear using the same configuration.

 

If you want to separate the guitar and mic into two stereo tracks, then you need to set the Helix output block of the guitar path to USB 3/4 and the output block of the mic path to USB 5/6. Note you can also use USB 1/2 for either the guitar or mic, but not USB 7/8, these are dedicated to dry signals. But this will only direct monitor one of your instruments, so it should be avoided. Then select the appropriate USB inputs in the Logic tracks for the guitar and mic signals.

 

At this point you will not be able to monitor your guitar and mic from the Helix headphone output because the Helix Output blocks are set to USB 3/4 and 5/6 and so they aren't sending any output to the headphones. You can use global settings to change what the the headphones monitor: Multi (including 1/4", XLR and USB 1/2), 1/4" outputs, or XLR outputs. You want to leave it on Multi so you can monitor USB 1/2 which is the output of your computer.

 

To monitor the tracks, all you need to do is turn input monitoring on in the Logic tracks. Latency shouldn't be a problem if you have a reasonably recent Mac computer with a reasonably recent OS. If it is, open the Logic audio preferences and reduce the buffers on the audio device. Do this until you get some digital noise and then increase the buffers a bit.

 

At this point you should be ready to go. 

 

Note that Logic Pro X has been available for a few years and is quite an improvement in every way over the version you have as shown in your screen shot. The prices is also very reasonable. You might want to consider an update.

 

Thanks for all that - very helpful.

 

I have everything now working as far as ins and outs. 

 

But I still can't get an joy through the headphones. If I leave on 'software monitoring' I get the two signals and a kind of 'chorus' effect.

 

If I turn off software monitoring I can hear nothing through my headphones. records fine. just no output. 

 

I have the headphones set to 'multi' in the global settings.

 

And if I set the output blocks to Mulit I can record fine - just both guitar and mic on one channel as you mentioned.

 

Here's a grab of where I'm at.

 

I might upgrade to Logic X - but I use it in a pretty basic way so might be overkill for my needs. Besides surly I should be able to get this to work without up grading?

 

[PeterHamm]

Leave software monitoring on... but set your Helix patch so that it goes out USB 1 and 2 ONLY. NOT multi including output.

[markblack77]

Thanks all for the help with 'ins' and 'outs'

 

The final part was a duff USB lead - I have two and one always caused problems with latency and one didn't - guess with one I used. :(

 

It's always something that get ya!

 

Thanks again - much appreciated.

 

Best 

 

Mark

[hankmadison]

I've gone through this thread multiple times and I'm still having some problems. I want to record the Helix via Logic Pro and be able to adjust the monitoring level of the track being recorded without adjusting the recording level. Up until now, in order to get a good monitoring/volume blend I've been using the Helix's channel outputs to set the level but this also changes the recording level. Is there a way to control these independently without latency? Thanks.

[soundog]

Ideally, you need an audio interface that has multiple ins/outs. You can then adjust output levels for your Helix hardware output (wet guitar with effects but no latency or using software monitoring) and Logic output (your non-guitar recorded audio tracks) independently as you record. In essence, you're recording your Helix dry and wet signal via USB, while live monitoring the Helix analog output through your audio interface .... your interface software acts as the "mixer" for the Helix and Logic output.