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Hello all!

I am new to DAW. I want to create nice guitar playing video like on youtube.
Recently downloaded reaper to try out.
I have; an electric guitar
interface (Behringer UCG102)
Asio4all
Guitar Rig 4
HP Win 10 laptop (Pavilion dv4), Win Desktop

I don't have problem plugging UCG 102 and using GR 4. I can hear guitar with and w/o effects very well through audio out on UCG unit (using headphone).

What I want is to hear what I am recording through computer speaker while I am listening what I am playing. Yet no luck!
What am I doing wrong?

Attached files

Comments

Sean G Thu, 12/10/2015 - 16:54

Try changing the output settings in Asio4all and also in Reaper preferences from output 1 + 2 back to suit your computers' default audio device.

- I could be wrong, and I'm happy for other members to chime in here and correct me if I am, but I don't think you can have it both ways, its got to be one output or the other, meaning you can't swap the headphones from your PC to your interface without changing the settings back to suit the one you want to monitor from.

Hope this helps.

- Sean.

DogsoverLava Thu, 12/10/2015 - 21:34

KWAN KUH, post: 434355, member: 49584 wrote: Hello all!

I am new to DAW. I want to create nice guitar playing video like on youtube.
Recently downloaded reaper to try out.
I have; an electric guitar
interface (Behringer UCG102)
Asio4all
Guitar Rig 4
HP Win 10 laptop (Pavilion dv4), Win Desktop

I don't have problem plugging UCG 102 and using GR 4. I can hear guitar with and w/o effects very well through audio out on UCG unit (using headphone).

What I want is to hear what I am recording through computer speaker while I am listening what I am playing. Yet no luck!
What am I doing wrong?

Actually your issue is a simple one -- there is a speaker icon that is a record monitoring button on the track -- but in the latest update it is very hard to see -- you need to toggle it on. If you cant see it, make the lane bigger and it will show up but it's really easy to overlook even for experienced reaper users.

DonnyThompson Thu, 12/10/2015 - 22:51

To add to Sean's advice, and to Lava's obviously experienced suggestion regarding Reaper on this, you might also want to make sure that your computer has only one audio device enabled, and this would be the one you are currently using with your DAW.

If your computer has a built-in audio card - as most of them do - the cheap built-in I/O's like SoundBlaster, Realtek, Conexant, etc., which are pre-installed at the factory for gaming and general internet streaming purposes - you'll want to go into your control panel/audio devices/settings menu and disable all audio devices other than the Behringer you are currently using to record. This will help to insure that the Behringer is the only audio device that your system and software recognizes, and will take away the potential for further related problems that can occur when using multiple audio interfaces on a system.

That's not to say that you absolutely can't have multiple audio devices/drivers running on a system, but those who are doing this are not using these cheap built-in audio devices as one of the choices; they are more likely using multiple external USB or FW devices... and even then, you need to know what you are doing in order to tweak and set your system up correctly, so that they integrate well together.

For now, since you are only using one external I/O, it would be beneficial to you to disable any other audio device/drivers you have installed on your system.

Finally, make sure that all drivers and firmware for your current audio device are up to date. It's not uncommon for these drivers to need updating, because often, the audio device you purchased could have been sitting on a shelf for as long as a year, and the drivers that came with that original device are now outdated and have since been updated.

Visit the manufacturers support page for your audio device, and make sure that all the drivers and firmware that you currently have installed are the most current:

http://www.music-gr…

KWAN KUH Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:16

Sean G, post: 434359, member: 49362 wrote: Try changing the output settings in Asio4all and also in Reaper preferences from output 1 + 2 back to suit your computers' default audio device.

- I could be wrong, and I'm happy for other members to chime in here and correct me if I am, but I don't think you can have it both ways, its got to be one output or the other, meaning you can't swamp the headphones from your PC to your interface without changing the settings back to suit the one you want to monitor from.

Hope this helps.

- Sean.

I guess you are right. The sound card I have won't let me have both ways.

KWAN KUH Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:19

DogsoverLava, post: 434361, member: 48175 wrote: Actually your issue is a simple one -- there is a speaker icon that is a record monitoring button on the track -- but in the latest update it is very hard to see -- you need to toggle it on. If you cant see it, make the lane bigger and it will show up but it's really easy to overlook even for experienced reaper users.

I found the icon and played with it but still same problem. Thanks your

DogsoverLava, post: 434361, member: 48175 wrote: Actually your issue is a simple one -- there is a speaker icon that is a record monitoring button on the track -- but in the latest update it is very hard to see -- you need to toggle it on. If you cant see it, make the lane bigger and it will show up but it's really easy to overlook even for experienced reaper users.

I found the icon and played with it but the same. I guess Sean is right. Thanks for your help!

Sean G Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:27

DonnyThompson, post: 434363, member: 46114 wrote: Finally, make sure that all drivers and firmware for your current audio device are up to date. It's not uncommon for these drivers to need updating, because often, the audio device you purchased could have been sitting on a shelf for as long as a year, and the drivers that came with that original device are now outdated and have since been updated.

This is really sound advice (pardon the pun...lol:D) from Donny, and most important...(y)

KWAN KUH Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:30

DonnyThompson, post: 434363, member: 46114 wrote: To add to Sean's advice, and to Lava's obviously experienced suggestion regarding Reaper on this, you might also want to make sure that your computer has only one audio device enabled, and this would be the one you are currently using with your DAW.

If your computer has a built-in audio card - as most of them do - the cheap built-in I/O's like SoundBlaster, Realtek, Conexant, etc., which are pre-installed at the factory for gaming and general internet streaming purposes - you'll want to go into your control panel/audio devices/settings menu and disable all audio devices other than the Behringer you are currently using to record. This will help to insure that the Behringer is the only audio device that your system and software recognizes, and will take away the potential for further related problems that can occur when using multiple audio interfaces on a system.

That's not to say that you absolutely can't have multiple audio devices/drivers running on a system, but those who are doing this are not using these cheap built-in audio devices as one of the choices; they are more likely using multiple external USB or FW devices... and even then, you need to know what you are doing in order to tweak and set your system up correctly, so that they integrate well together.

For now, since you are only using one external I/O, it would be beneficial to you to disable any other audio device/drivers you have installed on your system.

Finally, make sure that all drivers and firmware for your current audio device are up to date. It's not uncommon for these drivers to need updating, because often, the audio device you purchased could have been sitting on a shelf for as long as a year, and the drivers that came with that original device are now outdated and have since been updated.

Visit the manufacturers support page for your audio device, and make sure that all the drivers and firmware that you currently have installed are the most current:

http://www.music-gr…

I tried your advise and managed to monitor the recording yet not both ways. I guess not both ways are possible like Sean said. Do you think upgrading sound card will solve this problem or better audio interface?

DonnyThompson Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:38

While the Behringer you are using is a cheap, entry level budget model, and not something that you'd find in a real studio, it shouldn't make a difference as long as the drivers/firmware for it are up to date.
Now, I say that having had no experience with it whatsoever. I suppose it's possible that the Behringer could be part of the problem, but my intuition tells me it's something else... a routing or assignment thing in Reaper - which I don't use either, but I understand that it's a good solid basic DAW program.

It may be possible that your Behringer doesn't allow real time monitoring and recording at the same time. At $39 ( U.S.), it's pretty much considered to be a "toy" in terms of I/O's, so perhaps there are key features missing that you need.
I've never used one, so I can't say... give me a few minutes to research it, and I'll be back....

DonnyThompson Thu, 12/10/2015 - 23:58

Which is why he should be monitoring through the headphone out of the Behringer device, or connecting a pair of powered speakers up to the device using the 1/8" HP jack...

That's not to say he couldn't still have latency issues doing it this way...
But the manufacturer's site for this product claims to allow RT recording and monitoring IF you use their device to do both.

DogsoverLava Fri, 12/11/2015 - 00:09

DonnyThompson, post: 434373, member: 46114 wrote: Which is why he should be monitoring through the headphone out of the Behringer device, or connecting a pair of powered speakers up to the device using the 1/8" HP jack...

That's not to say he couldn't still have latency issues doing it this way...
But the manufacturer's site for this product claims to allow RT recording and monitoring IF you use their device to do both.

Even if he uses the laptop as the output device (which it says can be done) I'd be worried about blowing out the tiny laptop speakers - they certainly would sound very good. I like your idea Donny -- He could even use a splitter if he wanted to do both and run into the powered speakers and the Headphones.

DonnyThompson Fri, 12/11/2015 - 00:23

To the OP, to sum this up, from all of us on this thread...

You'll want to use either headphones connected to the Behringer, or a set of powered speakers connected thru the same HP jack, to record and monitor at the same time.

Ditch the whole idea of using your internal sound card; beyond the fact that yours obviously doesn't let you do both things at once, the quality will also suck, and you'll likely run into serious latency issues (and possible drop outs) the very second you assign a guitar sim to the incoming signal.

Stick with using the Behringer for both recording and monitoring. Given your current rig and computer, it's your best option at this point.

And I would still disable your internal sound card (at least temporarily, while you are recording) to head-off any possible issues that your DAW software might encounter in trying to integrate two audio I/O devices at once.

-d.

Sean G Fri, 12/11/2015 - 03:01

DonnyThompson, post: 434373, member: 46114 wrote: Which is why he should be monitoring through the headphone out of the Behringer device, or connecting a pair of powered speakers up to the device

As we are all aware, this would be the best way to monitor in RT, as opposed to monitoring via the laptop speakers...o_O
The sound quality, although being a budget interface should in principle be better than monitoring through laptop speakers...;)

IMHO, for what it is worth

Sean G Fri, 12/11/2015 - 03:03

KWAN KUH, post: 434367, member: 49584 wrote: I tried your advise and managed to monitor the recording yet not both ways. I guess not both ways are possible like Sean said. Do you think upgrading sound card will solve this problem or better audio interface?

My experience with Asio4all is that you can only assign one output regardless of the interface...
I could be wrong, but I believe this to be the case...
And I'm willing to stand corrected if I'm wrong(y)

DonnyThompson Fri, 12/11/2015 - 03:40

KWAN KUH, post: 434378, member: 49584 wrote: Meanwhile I will try the method Lava's link. ( I will post the result if I am successful.)

I think it's a big mistake to rely on your built in sound device/speakers, per the reasons already previously mentioned... but it's your game, man, not mine. ;)

and with that final word on the topic, I am outtttttta here!

:)