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How-to: Basic Re-Amp with an Axe-Fx II and Reaper

32K views 23 replies 9 participants last post by  Lern2Swim 
#1 ·
Here's exactly how I do it, which works just the way it should. I can live re-amp the signal while the track is playing and tweak the Axe-Fx in the mix. Note that I do not use the USB for this, and that I'm not in any saying that this is the best way to do it - it's just how I go about it.

I'm using Reaper 64/OSX and a MOTU 828mkii.

Cabling is pretty simple. I record my rhythms mono, but the same applies for stereo, so everywhere I note one connection, make it two.

Guitar -> Axe-Fx II Front Input
Interface Output 1 -> Axe-Fx II Rear Input
Interface Main Output -> Monitors
Reaper Main Output -> Interface Main Output
Axe-II Output 1 -> Interface Input 1/2
Axe-II Output 2 -> Interface Input 3/4

There's nothing special/unusual there other than that I run an extra output from the interface into the back of the Axe-Fx.

I setup my presets like this, so that my regular tone goes stereo out of Output 1, and the DI goes stereo out of Output 2 via the FXL block.



Then in Reaper, I record a regular processed track by arming the track with the input on Input 1/2 (which I have named "Axe-Fx Wet") and a second track with the input set to Input 3/4 ("Axe-Fx Dry"). You can name your inputs in Reaper in the Audio preferences, and most DAWs have the same functionality.



Then, when recording, I just keep the OUTPUT level on my DI track all the way down (so I don't hear it when I'm riffing away). It's still recording, it's just not monitoring.

What I end up with is a clean DI and a wet tone for each track.



Once you have your DI track, set the OUTPUT of the DI track in Reaper to the hardware output that routes to the REAR input of the Axe-Fx. In this case, Analog 1 is Output 1 of my MOTU, and that's cabled to the back of the Axe-Fx.

Make sure that Master/Parent send is unchecked, and that the hardware output is the only output on that track, so that you don't hear the DI track at all when you play it back - the only place you want it to actually go is to the Axe-Fx.



Now, on the Axe-Fx, go to I/O -> Audio Tab and set Input 1 Left Select to Rear. If you just run your DI out of your interface to the front of the Axe-Fx, obviously this isn't necessary, but I don't like to swap cables around and there's a bunch of shit in front of it my chain. Plus, I'm lazy.



So all you're doing here is taking the DI that you created in Reaper and sending it to a new output on your interface that's cabled to a different input on the Axe-Fx. Easy as that.

Now just create another track for your reamped signal, and have it use the same inputs that your regular tracks use. So if Output 1 of the Fractal is the output that you use for your wet signal, your reamp track should use that for the input.



Then just arm the track, mute your original wet recording and go to town. You'll be able to live re-amp with the Fractal while hearing the rest of your mix in context.



Here's a video of it in action:

 
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#5 ·
:agreed: I've been meaning to try reamping some bass tracks through my Recto - I'll have to try your basic approach, and maybe document it in a similar manner.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the guide and taking the time to make this.
I helped Josh from Glass Cloud a while back with something
very similar. Using a pre-recorded DI track into a second
Axe-fx Ultra rig for extra guitar parts not playable by one guitarist
in a live scenario. Works very well.
Thanks again.
 
#11 ·
I noticed a bit of a difference between the wet and dry tracks the other night whilst messing with this. I wondered if anyone could shed any light, confirm similar outcomes, etc.

When re-amping the DI, it's not sounding quite the same as the wet recorded signal. It seems like the input from the DI is a little weaker. I've tried compensating for this by adjusting the trim on the DI going into my MOTU, but I can't seem to get it balanced; it's either too hot or too cold.

Chris, are you doing anything with the I/O levels on either your MOTU or the AFX? I tried messing with the DI:
coming out of the AFX
going in to the MOTU
coming out of the motu
going into the AFX

None of these seemed to work. I guess what I should try is sending the DI into the front input of the AFX, to see if that makes a difference. But any help or ideas?

I'll check the levels when I'm back home from work later, but, if memory serves me correctly, I think my DI from the AFX's Effects Loop is going into the DAW at around -12db.
 
#13 · (Edited)
I noticed a bit of a difference between the wet and dry tracks the other night whilst messing with this. I wondered if anyone could shed any light, confirm similar outcomes, etc.

When re-amping the DI, it's not sounding quite the same as the wet recorded signal. It seems like the input from the DI is a little weaker. I've tried compensating for this by adjusting the trim on the DI going into my MOTU, but I can't seem to get it balanced; it's either too hot or too cold.

Chris, are you doing anything with the I/O levels on either your MOTU or the AFX? I tried messing with the DI:
coming out of the AFX
going in to the MOTU
coming out of the motu
going into the AFX

None of these seemed to work. I guess what I should try is sending the DI into the front input of the AFX, to see if that makes a difference. But any help or ideas?

I'll check the levels when I'm back home from work later, but, if memory serves me correctly, I think my DI from the AFX's Effects Loop is going into the DAW at around -12db.
If anything it should be a little colder than that. Depends on the hardware. Some is calibrated to -12db being 0vu, some is -18. The former is generally found in US hardware, the latter in european and UK.

This is for real amps, but I daresay the same applies to the axe, or any amp modeller.

If youre going from too weak to overly distorted with seemingly no in between where it sounds basically the same as the real signal, that could be distortion in the DI. If you push past the 0VU rating of an analogue input, it distorts to some extent regardless of how hard youre actually hitting your peak meters in a DAW. That distortion does not fair well when fed into an amp; you get a weak signal with enough apparent distortion in the top end, but its kind of harsh and thin, or when it seems to be hitting the amp about right and youre getting the same sort of low end and compression you expect, it seems overly hot because the DI isnt completely clean and the amps distortion is stacking with it.

If thats what youre hearing, back off by about 6db on the DI and add clean gain from the DAW and/or interface to bring it up to level on the reamp out.

Good reamps should be expected to sound very slightly different to the direct signal, but only slightly. You can hear it in an A/B when youre really paying attention but its not a meaningful difference in real world terms. Most reamp problems, where theres some sort of obvious problem or major difference with the reamped sound, are gain staging realted.
 
#17 ·
No bother duder. Check out what motu experts might have to say on it as well; I would expect the motu to be calibrated to -12, but theres no guarantee; the axe may be pushing it a bit hard and thats only becoming evident in the DI.

Chris, what level are you running your DI?
 
#18 ·
I think you're right, I'm sure I've seen online or in the manual that it's -12. I also remember PeterAnima saying something about the DI levels being a bit of a prickly issue. He ended up getting strange discrepancies between chords and single notes. I'll have to find the thread for his post.

Chris, what level are you running your DI?
That's exactly the info I'm hoping to for. :D
 
#19 ·
#21 ·
I've just recorded something with the DI going in at -12db. Adjusted the trim to make it so. That sounds much better, but I need to do a bit of experimenting with it and don't got the time tonight, unfortunately. Still, the brief test I did makes it look like you could adjust it on just one device, Chris, instead of spreading it over the MOTU and the AFX.
 
#22 ·
I don't adjust the MOTU at all, I just set the levels to max on there and ignore it. The only knob twirling I do is the two output knobs on the front of the Fractal.

Probably goes w/o saying, but your DAW isn't downconverting/resampling the DI before it sends it back out to the Axe-Fx, is it?
 
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