Hardware Effects in Logic

[Doug Young]

You're correct on the Logic assumptions, moon. Here's the IO Plugin setup to send the signal it gets to channels 5&6 of my RME interface, and take back the signal coming from channels 3&4 of the the RME.

[Rick Shepherd]

In the I/O utility the output options are: output swreturn 1 thru 10. The input options are: analog input 1-2, analog input 3-4. and spdif input 1-2. I have selected "input spdif 1-2". Nothing selected for the input. I don't know what to select for an output, because they are not listed as pairs: 1-2, 3-4, etc. They are listed as singles, such as: "output swreturn 1"

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

In the I/O utility the output options are: output swreturn 1 thru 10. The input options are: analog input 1-2, analog input 3-4. and spdif input 5-6. I have selected "input spdif 1-2". Nothing selected for the input.

You need to set something for both, the IO plugin's output sends a signal to the spdif bus, which sends a signal to your reverb, then the reverb's outputs are presumably connected to another channel on your interface, you need that to come back to the IO plugin's input.

[Rick Shepherd]

I am connected to and from my 610 and the lex with aes/spdif.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

I am connected to and from my 610 and the lex with aes/spdif.

OK, so in the IO plugin choose the spdif (the output of the reverb) as the input of the IO Plugin.

[Rick Shepherd]

Ok, I have chosen "5-6 (Input S/PDIF 1-2)" as the input. Not sure about the output.

[Rick Shepherd]

Doug, As soon as I insert I/O in the aux channel strip, the sends signal from the guitar tracks disappear. When I delete the I/O insert, they are back again. This also happens when I try to insert Logic effects.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

Ok, I have chosen "5-6 (Input S/PDIF 1-2)" as the input. Not sure about the output.

The output of the IO plugin needs to go to whatever the input of the reverb is - think of it like pluging in a guitar - the output of the guitar jack goes to the input of the amp (not sure if this is what's confusing you, so excuse me if I'm being too obvious). Then the output of the reverb goes to the input of the IO plugin. So I'm assuming you have spdif out of your interface to the input of the reverb and also spdif out of the reverb back into the interface's input. Right?

[Rick Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Doug Young

The output of the IO plugin needs to go to whatever the input of the reverb is - think of it like pluging in a guitar - the output of the guitar jack goes to the input of the amp (not sure if this is what's confusing you, so excuse me if I'm being too obvious). Then the output of the reverb goes to the input of the IO plugin. So I'm assuming you have spdif out of your interface to the input of the reverb and also spdif out of the reverb back into the interface's input. Right?

yes, but I don't have that as a choice in the I/O utility.

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

yes, but I don't have that as a choice in the I/O utility.

Hmm, well, that's an issue for Moon, I guess. I mean you have to be able to select the inputs and outputs that are being used for the reverb in your interface.

Doug, As soon as I insert I/O in the aux channel strip, the sends signal from the guitar tracks disappear. When I delete the I/O insert, they are back again. This also happens when I try to insert Logic effects.

I assume you mean the meters on the bus. You've broken the line, and are sending the signal out to the reverb, but nothing's coming back, so the meter shows nothing. You have to return the sound from the reverb, then the bus's meter will show a level again.

I'm used to thinking about electrical wiring, so I think of this stuff that way. Plumbing's another way to conceptualize what you're trying to do here. Say you have water running in your sink. Now you go under the sink and cut the water pipe in half. The water flowing into the sink will stop, and the water will be running out of the pipe where you cut it, onto the floor. Now you connect the pipe with the water coming out of it to something (a filter, perhaps) and now the water is running into the filter - then running out onto the floor :-). Connect the output of that filter back to the input of the pipe where you cut it, and the circuit is restored, and water will start coming out the faucet into the sink again. That's what your trying to do here, you're inserting the reverb into the bus by cutting the signal, diverting it to the reverb, then returning it back. Not sure if that helps or just confuses things more :-)

[Rick Shepherd]

Yes, the meters on the bus.

Similarly, if I disconnect the profire 610 altogether, open up my project and repeat the process, the same thing happens. I inserted reverb/space designer, and signal from the sends disappears and all I get is a tiny bit of level on the meter. So that rules out the profire 610 as the problem with this. Does yours do this?

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

Yes, the meters on the bus.

Similarly, if I disconnect the profire 610 altogether, open up my project and repeat the process, the same thing happens. I inserted reverb/space designer, and signal from the sends disappears and all I get is a tiny bit of level on the meter. So that rules out the profire 610 as the problem with this.

Well, the return from a reverb will generally be a lot lower than the signal going in. Try inserting something else, like a chorus that tends to return full volume. Also check out the meters in my example video. Also try a simpler reverb, space designer has so many controls, it's easy to mess something up with it.

[Rick Shepherd]

Ok, I see what you mean. It does that with the space designer.

As far as the I/O utility issue goes, I checked my lexicon AES settings for the signal being sent, and it seems to be fine. I was thinking that maybe the AES output on the lex to spdif on the profire 610 was where the problem was, causing the profire to not recognize the signal and where it was coming from. But the thing is, I am receiving signal from the lex to the profire, because I can see it and hear it if I turn up the level in the software mixer. The question is, why isn't Logic seeing it coming from the spdif?

[Doug Young]

Originally Posted by Rick Shepherd

But the thing is, I am receiving signal from the lex to the profire, because I can see it and hear it if I turn up the level in the software mixer. The question is, why isn't Logic seeing it coming from the spdif?

What channel is it showing up as on the Profire? That's the channel you need to set as the input of the IO plugin.

[Rick Shepherd]

Doug, the lex's output appears to be the software returns 1-2, which also strangely correspond to fader control 7-8. I can only turn it up a little before it peaks the level meter(too hot of a signal).