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I am using Scarlett 18i20 into an OctoPre MK II and other stuff (see my profile) but my question is: I had a little session the other day that drove me nuts and I need to get reverb into my session without going through the DAW for latency issues. As you all know people don't like the sounds of their own voices without FX.

Of course I have no budget and I was looking at getting a few MiniFEX FEX800 or Lexicon MX400 to run between 18i20 and my HA8000 or maybe the SPDIF In and Out on my Scarlett. I may be over thinking this but I need to figure out a solution.

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Matt Sun, 01/04/2015 - 19:26

I've got the same issue. I also use an 18i20 and have been playing with all of the settings to lower the latency to try to add reverb into a monitor mix. By lowering the buffer on the 18i20, I was able to get the latency down but it is still noticeable. You can try to lower the fader of the input channel in the Scarlett interface GUI and activate the monitoring in your daw, but it seems like you might have tried that and it still gives some latency but might be a bit less noticeable. I do not want an external reverb processor just for monitoring but it seems like there aren't too many other options.

Davedog Mon, 01/05/2015 - 00:33

Adam Phillips, post: 423207, member: 48741 wrote: I am using Scarlett 18i20 into an OctoPre MK II and other stuff (see my profile) but my question is: I had a little session the other day that drove me nuts and I need to get reverb into my session without going through the DAW for latency issues. As you all know people don't like the sounds of their own voices without FX.

Of course I have no budget and I was looking at getting a few MiniFEX FEX800 or Lexicon MX400 to run between 18i20 and my HA8000 or maybe the SPDIF In and Out on my Scarlett. I may be over thinking this but I need to figure out a solution.

First I'd like to know what you're recording into?? You list two different 8 channel interfaces and say that you are putting on through the other?? Or am I reading that wrong?

Yes, latency is a killer for this. Its too bad but if you can get it down to a usable level with your DAW program then you should try to solve this in the software.....BUT and this is why I ask, what are you using? I spent a few years on PT LE and this is one of the things that drove me to a bigger and better program.

There may be a hardware solution but this requires understanding where you are originating your headphone mixes from and a basic idea of your setup in order to make any sort of semi-educated stab at it....

anonymous Mon, 01/05/2015 - 05:11

Adam Phillips, post: 423207, member: 48741 wrote: As you all know people don't like the sounds of their own voices without FX.

Well, I'm not sure whom you are referring to when you say "as you all know"...

Actually, speaking with the experience of recording many professionals over the years, I came across very few who wanted to listen to their voice with effects. My personal experience is that the vocalists who want to monitor their voices "wet" through the cans were the ones who either weren't very good, or who were insecure about the way that their voices sounded.

As far as the Scarlett you are using... I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure it came with a library of effects that you can send to the headphone mix without printing the effect to the DAW track.

You should check your manual to see if this is possible. If you can't, and if your clients insist on hearing their voices wet, then there are many very inexpensive options you could look at... maybe something as simple as an Alesis microverb, that you could insert into the monitoring chain, to be used only for that purpose. I wouldn't be spending any more than $100 on this, tops, as its use is strictly one of nuance for the vocalist to monitor to.

Adam Phillips Mon, 01/05/2015 - 05:30

DonnyThompson, post: 423220, member: 46114 wrote: Well, I'm not sure whom you are referring to when you say "as you all know"...

Actually, speaking with the experience of recording many professionals over the years, I came across very few who wanted to listen to their voice with effects. My personal experience is that the vocalists who want to monitor their voices "wet" through the cans were the ones who either weren't very good, or who were insecure about the way that their voices sounded.

As far as the Scarlett you are using... I could be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure it came with a library of effects that you can send to the headphone mix without printing the effect to the DAW track.

You should check your manual to see if this is possible. If you can't, and if your clients insist on hearing their voices wet, then there are many very inexpensive options you could look at... maybe something as simple as an Alesis microverb, that you could insert into the monitoring chain, to be used only for that purpose. I wouldn't be spending any more than $100 on this, tops, as its use is strictly one of nuance for the vocalist to monitor to.

I am dealing with amateurs, and frankly people who need lessons or shouldn't be singing most of the time. But, who am I to trash their dreams. The plug-in suite only works through the the DAW. Already ordered a few Microverbs and gonna try that.

Adam Phillips Mon, 01/05/2015 - 05:33

Davedog, post: 423215, member: 4495 wrote: First I'd like to know what you're recording into?? You list two different 8 channel interfaces and say that you are putting on through the other?? Or am I reading that wrong?

Yes, latency is a killer for this. Its too bad but if you can get it down to a usable level with your DAW program then you should try to solve this in the software.....BUT and this is why I ask, what are you using? I spent a few years on PT LE and this is one of the things that drove me to a bigger and better program.

There may be a hardware solution but this requires understanding where you are originating your headphone mixes from and a basic idea of your setup in order to make any sort of semi-educated stab at it....

Using the Scarlett 18i20 as my interface with the Octopre for the ADAT added 8 channels into ProTools 11.3. I have 8 channels of monitor mixes to work with (if mono) and a Behringer HA8000 as my headphone amp. If only one of these pieces of hardware had an insert!! I miss the old days.

anonymous Mon, 01/05/2015 - 07:44

Are you are saying that you don't have the ability - using the Scarlett Mixing Software that came with your device - to apply an effect to a headphone mix without recording it?

For example, I have a Presonus 1818VSL, and in the PreSonus Mixer Software, I can add reverb or delay - or any effect that comes with the Presonus Mixer FX Library - to a headphone mix without "printing" that effect to the DAW. It's simply a matter of choosing Pre or Post on the input channel / effect routing.

I find it hard to believe that your 18i20 and its included mixing software can't do the same thing. Have you checked your device's manual/documentation? Have you done a search on the web or on YouTube regarding this topic?

pcrecord Mon, 01/05/2015 - 08:56

It is very simple really, the scarlett mix software adjust the internal mixing fonction of the hardware.
What you need to do is to create a mix where the vocal can be sent. This mix needs to be rooted to an output other than the mains. That output goes to the input of your external unit and the output goes back to an input of the Scarlett. Now this is very important that the input from the reverb is muted on the reverb mix because you would be sending the signal to the reverb again and creating feedbacks.
Now if you want your signer to hear the reverb, you need to create a second mix that you route to the headphones or another output, in which you put the voice, the reverb and anything he/she needs to hear...
There is a few video on youtube that explain how to do mixes for the Scarlett. ;)

Adam Phillips Mon, 01/05/2015 - 09:37

Yeah, I figured it out after my last post this morning. Using an Aux track and a Send pre fader on the vocal tracks in ProTools. Sometimes I over think things immensely. Thanx all.

Donny: The Scarlett Mix software as it is now you can't insert the included FX pre DAW. It's kinda stupid really since the turn to analog equipment is back on the rise. The next rendition of the software and probably the hardware sound have inserts on them.

pcrecord Mon, 01/05/2015 - 09:49

Adam Phillips, post: 423228, member: 48741 wrote: Donny: The Scarlett Mix software as it is now you can't insert the included FX pre DAW. It's kinda stupid really since the turn to analog equipment is back on the rise. The next rendition of the software and probably the hardware sound have inserts on them.

I think the only one from Focusrite that has onboard effects is this one : [[url=http://[/URL]="http://global.focus…"]Saffire PRO 24 DSP[/]="http://global.focus…"]Saffire PRO 24 DSP[/]
There ain't a lot of audio interfaces with inserts. It's more common among mixers.
One that has it is the Zen Studio from Antelope. If only I had the money to buy it !! ;)