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Helix and an Audio Interface


MusicMan4274
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Hey I don't see an answer for this anywhere...

I want to record a dry DI track, and a mic'ed up guitar cab.

I have my guitar > Helix > real amp and cab. I also have a USB cable from Helix into my computer.

I use a Focusrite 2i4 as my main audio interface, and my guitar cab is mic'ed up with an SM57 and running to the Focusrite.

I'm using Reaper, and can easily get the mic'ed up cab coming thru the Focusrite. But I can't even see my Helix inputs anywhere.

Am I able to run the Focusrite and Helix thru USB at the same time? Or do I need to get an actual DI box, then run everything thru the Focusrite?

(Helix is only being used as effects before my amp...no amp or cab models are being used on Helix).

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You won't see the Helix in Reaper unless you're using it as the AI. If you're using a MAC you can create an aggregate device and use both the 2i4 and Helix, but on a PC you get one or the other. I'm a PC guy, so if you're on a MAC look into creating an aggregate device. If you're on a PC:

 

On page 9 of the 2i4 manual there's a hookup diagram. They have the mic into channel 2 . Create a second path in Helix with no effects, select XLR as the output, and take L/Mono XLR to channel 1.

 

 

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Beware, ASIO4All is seriously buggy. In particular, I used it with Windows10 + Focusrite audio interface and got regular bluescreens (due to ASIO4ALL trying to write where it shouldn't).
An alternative for windows is VoiceMeeter Banana, it's designed specificatlly to be an aggregate of multiple interfaces (including ASIO ones). However it's not really trivial to configure for specific cases, I mean I use it and it works well but not with Ableton Live for some reason (probably my fault for not setting something properly).

It's the closest non-crashing tool for that though.

I wish DAWs would have an internal way to handle multiple ASIO interfaces. I don't know what is exactly the limitation here, I just know it's an OS one, but programming-wise (I'm a programmer) I saw code acquiring several ASIO drivers without a problem, so I don't know, it's maybe just that it was not common until recently?

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ASIO4ALL may be buggy but more importantly it is not an ASIO-compliant driver. It does not conform fully to the ASIO protocol. Most significantly it exists in part to overcome one of the more restrictive aspects of the protocol, namely the requirement that the same audio device be used as both the input and output device. ASIO4ALL does not impose that restriction, which is one reason it is not a fully compliant protocol. When audio interface devices (like Line 6 devices) are designed to be fully ASIO-compliant it's no surprise that issues emerge when used with ASIO4ALL.

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6 minutes ago, silverhead said:

ASIO4ALL may be buggy but more importantly it is not an ASIO-compliant driver. It does not conform fully to the ASIO protocol. Most significantly it exists in part to overcome one of the more restrictive aspects of the protocol, namely the requirement that the same audio device be used as both the input and output device. ASIO4ALL does not impose that restriction, which is one reason it is not a fully compliant protocol. When audio interface devices (like Line 6 devices) are designed to be fully ASIO-compliant it's no surprise that issues emerge when used with ASIO4ALL.

Oh that explains a lot! I was wondering why all DAWs were doing that "oversimplification" of forcing input and output from the same interface... (didn't make sens for me, coding-wise, but it make sens if it's a protocol requirement, even if it looks old-school)

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I wonder if a major iteration of that protocol (or maybe another protocol) could allow multiple interfaces and routing different interface input and output however we want. I mean, I don't see the hardware limitation. Or maybe it's for "forcing" the  soft-realtime guarantee at the protocol level, but it looks like it's an arbitrary barrier today.
I'll check if there are discussions in audio devs circles about this kind of thing.

 

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I have both a Helix rack & a Scarlett 6i6 2nd gen interface.  Maybe its my old ears but, the difference in sound quality between these 2 units is immense.  The Helix has much better stereo imaging & seems to have more headroom.  I use Kali Audio 6"  monitors for playback.  In 6 months, the Helix has replaced a box full of pedals & DI boxes. 

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My ears are 70. If you use the SPDIF connection, there should be zero difference between the two. Truth be told, I can't tell the difference between SPDIF and XLR into my 18i20.

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