Jump to content

Help with Focusrite and daw monitoring please

Pathfinder

By Pathfinder
in Cakewalk by BandLab

 Share

Recommended Posts

Pathfinder

Pathfinder

Posted
Posted (edited)

I sure hope i can explain this correctly. I have the 18i20 3rd gen, CWbyBL of course, Regular monitors and also 2 DXR10's in my little home cave. I use a small 12 channel; mackie mixer to play\practice\etc in the room using any combination of the speakers. When I record I use DT770 pros., no ext speakers. so it's like I have a PA setup in my room to play with CW But also the ability to record. At present, ALL outputs , well 2-8 come out of the 18i20 and into the corresponding inputs on the mackie mixer
Am I missing an easier or better way to do this? {laying in the room like i am at a live show is important to me. I know the 18i29 will run both pair of powered speakers if i connected them to 1234.

The only downside I see to using the 18i20 without the mackie mixer is I NEED\well WantFX on my vocals in the room when jamming or learning and when recording,.

I have an old but cool Alesis Midiverb 4 in the FX loop of the mackie mixer which gives me FX on vocals when recording with headphones or just playing thru speakers.
I guess the FX thing is the hurdle I cannot figure out. BTW everything works fine , sound great (I don't mean me I mean the sound) 
But is their a better way with what I have? Sorry for the novel friends...............I guess the FX is the biggest hurdle.

EDIT: I should add the FX on vocals I am speaking of are NOT RECORDED, they are only for playback when recording or playing.

Edited by Pathfinder
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted

Doesn't the Scarlett also use MixControl software? I have the Saffire, and the routing in MixControl lets you set up various mixes (and has internal FX), so you can monitor/record mixes as you see fit. On a cell here, but Focusrite's download page shows a Scarlett MixControl for the 18i20. Have you tried that? 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pathfinder

Pathfinder

Posted
  • Author
Posted

No I haven't, But I sure will. Ia ma good guitar player(better be at least good 45 yrs) and better than average singer, which was alays my place.
I am well versed with computers but recording stuff, even ag fter all these years, I am sub par for sure.

Thanks so much......Have to go read......Which I do enjoy. I know many, maybe mostm, would rather sing dry when recording-not me though. Maybe insecurity.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pathfinder

Pathfinder

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Sure

8 minutes ago, mettelus said:

Doesn't the Scarlett also use MixControl software? I have the Saffire, and the routing in MixControl lets you set up various mixes (and has internal FX), so you can monitor/record mixes as you see fit. On a cell here, but Focusrite's download page shows a Scarlett MixControl for the 18i20. Have you tried that? 

Sure does have it. I never even looked at it.......until NOW-Thanks again

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jeremy Oakes

Jeremy Oakes

Posted
Posted (edited)

There maybe some confusion here. MixControl is generally speaking used for both Focusrite legacy products and those using FireWire. Focusrite Control is for USB/Thunderbolt products, such as the 18i20 3rd Gen (i have the 2nd gen).

I also have a Saffire LS56, which is f/w and have to use Mix Control with it. Focusrite stopped updating the Saffire Mix Control after W8 i believe. It will not work on W10 unless you install the Legacy f/w driver downloadable from MS.  But, luckily for me, it does work without the said MS Legacy driver in W11 !!! There are instructional websites out there for installation of the MS diver. But its a lottery and not without glitches from time to time.

I also have an 18i20 for which i have to use Focusrite Control and its driver (for W10 and W11). The Focusrite mixer is easy to use and rock solid (on my system). When i feel the yrge to use the LS56, i uninstall the 18i20 drivers and re-install the LS56 Mix Control. Its a pain and i don’t do it very often.

I’ve never tried to use Mix Control on a Scarlett device. I wouldn’t. It may work but it’s not made for that product and anyway, will install the wrong driver.  Me, i would stick with the correct driver/Software that is made for your product. 

YMMV

J

Edited by Jeremy Oakes
Atrocious spelling
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted

That is a good point. I didn't realize the software changed over with 3rd gen, but the Control software is listed on the Focusrite download page for it. Another thing someone with that unit would have to speak to specifically is if DSP FX are included(?). The Saffire PRO 24 DSP unit I have (FireWire) specifically has "DSP" in the title because there is additional hardware in the box... I am not sure if the FX processing is available for other units that were made or not.

As far as setup (and FX specifically), track FX used in CbB do not print during recording; so another option is to run FX in CbB, but I am not sure if that will introduce undue latency in your system (you want only minimal/CPU-light FX in play in CbB when tracking).

Another more viable option (I am not familiar with your mixer), is that many mixers also include hardware FX (not the greatest, but often there... typically can choose 1 of 16 presets and have an FX dry/wet knob for each channel), so you can run the vocal output through a separate channel on the mixer that does have FX applied. Being on the output side, that will not be recorded, only monitored. You would need a specific output mix from the 18i20 that you only want the mixer FX applied to on that channel (e.g., vox only).

Link to comment
Share on other sites
msmcleod

msmcleod

Posted
Posted

IIRC Groove3 has tutorials on both MixControl and Focusrite Control. 

I'm not sure how good the Focusrite Control tutorial is, but I'm using 1st gen Scarletts, and the MixControl tutorial was invaluable. 

In general when dealing with audio interfaces, you have the following:

1. Hardware Inputs/Outputs
2. Inputs/Outputs as seen by your DAW
3. A mapping between 1 & 2.

Most people assume that 1 & 2 are the same thing - and by default they're probably set up to look that way.  They're not the same though, and once you start messing with things you can get unstuck pretty quickly.

I made this assumption too at first, but the tutorial corrected that for me.

Having not seen the Focusrite Control video, I can't really go ahead and recommend that specific one (and there are probably free tutorials on YouTube in any case), but it is well worth watching one or two tutorials just to help get your head around how the routing works before it even reaches your DAW.

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pathfinder

Pathfinder

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

Well for me I do nOT find focusrite control very intuitive. Never had issues with Roland Octa-capture, Echo Layla 3G, Audiophile 2496 (using 2  together
 and some others.

I have downloaded some videos mentioned , I have an old Groove3 account.  I found mixcontrol, which I now see does not apply to me. 
I will keep at it, watch all the videos and thanks for all the help............

 

I MUST ADD, I looked at Mixcontrol and if I had that I would not have the issues I do now because that looks so similar to the otghers I have used. But I don't!
 

Edited by Pathfinder
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jeremy Oakes

Jeremy Oakes

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, Pathfinder said:

Well for me I do nOT find focusrite control very intuitive. Never had issues with Roland Octa-capture, Echo Layla 3G, Audiophile 2496 (using 2  together
 and some others.

I have downloaded some videos mentioned , I have an old Groove3 account.  I found mixcontrol, which I now see does not apply to me. 
I will keep at it, watch all the videos and thanks for all the help............

 

I MUST ADD, I looked at Mixcontrol and if I had that I would not have the issues I do now because that looks so similar to the otghers I have used. But I don't!
 

I always found (and still do) Mix Control unintuitive and not easy to set up. It used to, and still does, take some time to set up correctly, when not using a video. 

This is why i now prefer (and only for ease of use) the 18i20 and its Focusrite Control over the LS56. However the latter has really great preamps……. But you can’t win them all 👍

J 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
mettelus

mettelus

Posted
Posted

I think I sent you down a rabbit hole with the Control software. I just looked at a couple videos and the 18i20 doesn't seem to have any hardware FX with it (I bookmarked the video below where he stated this point blank). That pulls things back to either using FX on tracks in the DAW (if latency is tolerable), or using hardware FX on the mixer (if they are available).

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pathfinder

Pathfinder

Posted
  • Author
Posted
18 hours ago, mettelus said:

I think I sent you down a rabbit hole with the Control software. I just looked at a couple videos and the 18i20 doesn't seem to have any hardware FX with it (I bookmarked the video below where he stated this point blank). That pulls things back to either using FX on tracks in the DAW (if latency is tolerable), or using hardware FX on the mixer (if they are available).

 

Actually you got5 me to check out many videos. I was up until 3am est.... enjoyed every minute. She didn't  🙂 

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...