Just figured out how to use ASIO for recording guitar, but

[πορτοκάλι]

If i have MC6 open with the asio driver running i get no audio outside of it. Anyone know if there is a way to work around this?


Also, i am a bit confused with how asio works at all, i could use my USB interface as the computer output so i could listen to things through my guitar amp. But i would get immense lag if i used it to play through my headphones or if i tried to use MC6 with the interface output, so i could pick ASIO from the list on MC6 and do it all lagless (and that before installing the Asion driver.)

Now that i installed the driver i can do it all 100% on MC6, but i get no audio on the computer if i have MC6 running.

Not sure if i explained myself well, my english is not very good, i'll try to do it better if needed.

[Aztec]

Check out audio hardware setup.

ASIO can only use the same 'device' for input (recording) and output (playback). This is typically via an external audio interface (supplied with ASIO drivers) connected via USB. With regard to playback, your speakers/headphones would have to be connected to the Audio Interface (as your amp must be?). What are you using as your ASIO 'device'?

Also however, you can use a virtual ASIO 'device' such ASIO4ALL[www.asio4all.com] or Voicemeeter[vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr] to route your ins/outs e.g. if you wanted to have guitar in and playback through headphones connected to the PC (1/8" jack or USB) for whatever reason.

[πορτοκάλι]

Originally posted by ShellstaX:

Check out audio hardware setup.

ASIO can only use the same 'device' for input (recording) and output (playback). This is typically via an external audio interface (supplied with ASIO drivers) connected via USB. With regard to playback, your speakers/headphones would have to be connected to the Audio Interface (as your amp must be?). What are you using as your ASIO 'device'?

Also however, you can use a virtual ASIO 'device' such ASIO4ALL[www.asio4all.com] or Voicemeeter[vb-audio.pagesperso-orange.fr] to route your ins/outs e.g. if you wanted to have guitar in and playback through headphones connected to the PC (1/8" jack or USB) for whatever reason.

I kind of got it, yesterday i tinkered a lot with it and found there is a software you can install that allows Asio to be used in multiple programs (A program that runs alongg ASIO4ALL), but they don't work too well. I guess i'll just surrender playing guitar through the headphones.

[Aztec]

There's obviously a little lost in translation/interpretation ... but your English is much better then my Portugese :)

There will likely be a solution ... the best likely through purchase of an Audio Interface.

But ... we'd have to understand a couple of things further.
a. Your goal.
b. Your hardware.
c. Your connections.
d. Your driver mode.

If it's latency that's the issue then refer to the sticky, but understand the limits on the various driver modes.

'Direct Monitor' may also be an option if you are OK with the unprocessed (dry) sound.

Never surrender :p :).

[πορτοκάλι]

Originally posted by ShellstaX:

There's obviously a little lost in translation/interpretation ... but your English is much better then my Portugese :)

There will likely be a solution ... the best likely through purchase of an Audio Interface.

But ... we'd have to understand a couple of things further.
a. Your goal.
b. Your hardware.
c. Your connections.
d. Your driver mode.

If it's latency that's the issue then refer to the sticky, but understand the limits on the various driver modes.

'Direct Monitor' may also be an option if you are OK with the unprocessed (dry) sound.

Never surrender :p :).

My goal is to be able to play guitar through my computer, what i mean by that is so i can play guitar along with computer audio. i already can do that through some ways but there is always a bit of lag, so i could say my ultimate goal is to it lag free.

I own an USB interface which i can use to record my guitar directly from the amp output, i can also use that interface to send computer audio to the amp, if i do that, i can record and listen to to computer audio on the amp. If i choose the output to be the interface, i can work with the daw set either to MME or ASIO, though ASIO gives me better quality.

The problem is when i try to do it on reverse, instead of sending everything to the amp, i want to listen to it on my headphones, plugged into the PC. If i just plug the interface into the PC and select the "listen to it" option on the control pannel i get some lag.

So what i did is get ASIO4ALL to get the computer audio as an output option for ASIO inside mc6 , doing that, i can play guitar through the headphones lagfree, but i only get sound through MC6, computer audio is muted, i think it is because ASIO can only work on one end at a time.

Knowing that, i went after someway to make ASIO work through multiple "systems", and there are quite a few on the internet, i installed one called "Virtual Audio Cable", it did the trick, i can play guitar with ASIO AND computer audio, but then, there is lag again, i could lower the quality on it to reduce lag, but at the moment it is lag free there is just too much clicking rendering everything useless.

Right now i don't want to keep messing with this stuff, it would probably be better if there was any piece of hardware that could help me.

About C and D, i am not really sure what you mean by connections and driver mode, also i don't know what is Direct Monitor, i am just starting all this out so sorry if i am just too bad. Thanks a lot for trying to help me out with all this.

[Aztec]

No problem. You're on the right track.

I'd probably try Voicemeeter (but I hear you when you say you don't want to pursue). It's a multi-in, multi-out donationware virtual mixer with an integrated virtual cable / ASIO. I keep blowing on about it ... but I think it's great.

Sounds like your amp is acting as the Audio Interface, ASIO aware and connected to your PC via USB. Either no headphone out on the amp or you might have USB headphones. Thing is USB headphones are another separate 'device'. The headphones should be 'dumb' and connected to your audio interface.

Without knowing the details of the Amp I can't really say a dedicated Audio Interface would be any better (but I think it might be).

Direct Monitor is a knob/dial/switch on an audio interface hear the sound of the guitar(/input) before it is processed by the DAW, hence not picking up the latency on the way. The DAW still processes the sound so it can still be recorded.

Example Audio Interfaces:
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/12-of-the-best-budget-usb-audio-interfaces-570850

Or even this ... http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCG102.aspx

[πορτοκάλι]

Originally posted by ShellstaX:

No problem. You're on the right track.

I'd probably try Voicemeeter (but I hear you when you say you don't want to pursue). It's a multi-in, multi-out donationware virtual mixer with an integrated virtual cable / ASIO. I keep blowing on about it ... but I think it's great.

Sounds like your amp is acting as the Audio Interface, ASIO aware and connected to your PC via USB. Either no headphone out on the amp or you might have USB headphones. Thing is USB headphones are another separate 'device'. The headphones should be 'dumb' and connected to your audio interface.

Without knowing the details of the Amp I can't really say a dedicated Audio Interface would be any better (but I think it might be).

Direct Monitor is a knob/dial/switch on an audio interface hear the sound of the guitar(/input) before it is processed by the DAW, hence not picking up the latency on the way. The DAW still processes the sound so it can still be recorded.

Example Audio Interfaces:
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/12-of-the-best-budget-usb-audio-interfaces-570850

Or even this ... http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/UCG102.aspx

I'll try voicemeeter then.

I use the amp simply as output, it goes this way ->

Guitar > Amp > Interface > PC (But the amp doesn't make any difference here, i could just plug the guitar directly into the interface, it changes nothing.)

About these audio interfaces, i have been looking about them for some time, as i am looking to build a setup for band recording, maybe i could ask you this: what is the major difference between these interfaces and one of this kind? http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/Q1002USB.aspx

[Aztec]

Audio interfaces will typically have as many outputs as inputs, allowing multi-track recording of individual mics/instruments to individual tracks in your DAW.

Mixers allow some external levels, FX and mix control (which can also be done within the DAW) but even if they have a USB/Firewire interface, and especially at cheaper models, will typically only produce stereo output i.e, no multi-track recording but instead a merge of its inputs to a stereo track (or 2 mono outs - one panned Left, one panned Right). Some more expensive mixers do include fully capable audio interfaces.
So why might you want a mixer? Read further[homerecording.com].

So ... at a price point, Audio Interfaces will likely provide you more recording capability ... but won't provide as much external control as a Mixer
You'll have to consider your requirement and ensure there are enough ins/outs for your purpose.

Further reading[discussions.apple.com].

[πορτοκάλι]

Originally posted by ShellstaX:

Audio interfaces will typically have as many outputs as inputs, allowing multi-track recording of individual mics/instruments to individual tracks in your DAW.

Mixers allow some external levels, FX and mix control (which can also be done within the DAW) but even if they have a USB/Firewire interface, and especially at cheaper models, will typically only produce stereo output i.e, no multi-track recording but instead a merge of its inputs to a stereo track (or 2 mono outs - one panned Left, one panned Right). Some more expensive mixers do include fully capable audio interfaces.
So why might you want a mixer? Read further[homerecording.com].

So ... at a price point, Audio Interfaces will likely provide you more recording capability ... but won't provide as much external control as a Mixer
You'll have to consider your requirement and ensure there are enough ins/outs for your purpose.

Further reading[discussions.apple.com].

So, in a nutshell, with a mixer you can only record one track independant of how many inputs it have, and with a interface you can record tracks separately?

Looking that way, if i want to record every instrument separately, it would not matter which one i picked, but if i want to record more instruments together, the Interface is a million times better, right? What do they use at real studios? Good mixers or good interfaces?

[Aztec]

I'm going to have to back pedal a bit and defer to someone with more experience. I do have a small format mixer (Behringer Xenyx 1204FX[www.behringer.com]) but only use guitar/mic - no band.

Further reading suggests that the stereo output limitation is just on the budget models ... so consider that when purchasing (and requiring multitrack recording).

[πορτοκάλι]

Originally posted by ShellstaX:

I'm going to have to back pedal a bit and defer to someone with more experience. I do have a small format mixer (Beringher Xenyx 1204FX[www.behringer.com]) but only use guitar/mic - no band.

Further reading suggests that the stereo output limitation is just on the budget models ... so consider that when purchasing (and requiring multitrack recording).

And is that behringher limited to a single track? Also, what does it means that i have 12 inputs?

[πορτοκάλι]

There is one more thing id like to ask, i don't think i need a new thread for only this, but it doesn't have anything to do with the previous ones>

You make any ideia why the signal my guitar interface sends to the computer is way too low? it goes like this: Amp > interface > Daw, but the only way i can get decently loud recording is if i crank my amp up to 10, so i have to put a phone in the output so i don't blow my windows off, and then, i also can't hear it in real time. Is it supposed to be like this?

[Aztec]

Originally posted by Dorsal Épica:

And is that behringher limited to a single track? Also, what does it means that i have 12 inputs?

Actually I have the the next model down Behringer Xenyx 1202FX[www.behringer.com](1 mix bus vs 2).
Yes - it only has a stereo output for recording. Which I'm required to pass to an audio interface anyway. This unit doesn't have USB so isn't a combination device or 'Mixerface'. I got it cheap as a way to take a XLR Mic, a TRS Guitar and able to route output to my Headphones / MonitorSpeakers. I have no 'real' multitrack / live monitoring requirement of a band. The 12 ins are are bit of marketing jargon too (all the manufacturers do it) - 4 XLR (preamped) or 4 TRS (preamped) at the same time + 4 Stereo TRS (non-amped).

Originally posted by Dorsal Épica:

There is one more thing id like to ask...
You make any ideia why the signal my guitar interface sends to the computer is way too low? ...

Pending an authoritative response here's may layman's (semi educated) understanding ...

In short it's all about maintaining clarity. The signal is kept low and let the destination device determine if it requires or how it's going to handle the amplification.

Your amp's primary job is to amplify (use voltage to increase the amplitude of) the input signal (sound waves) for output to it's onboard speaker. It's likely simply forwarding the input signal, to your output port without amplification and at low impedance to maintain the clarity of the forwarded signal. A higher output impedance will not only draw more power but may distort. You can then provide the pre/amplification at the next device according to it's ultimate destination.

Take reference/studio grade headphones for instance ... they are relatively high impedance and require pre/amplification to drive at a decent volume. Headphones for mobile devices, for instance are much lower impedance because mobile devices are all about using as least voltage (power) to save battery life, so they keep the output impedance very low. If you listen to a mobile device on studio headphones the volume will typically be too low. But once amplified the integrity/quality of the resultant signal will be better on the the higher impedance studio headphones = less loss/distortion.

Back to may physics days ... V=IR (Ohm's Law) Voltage = Current x Resistance. The greater the Impedance = Resistance (measured in Ohms) the greater the voltage required to drive it.