I have a Novation Peak, Digitone and also a Motu M6 audio interface plus a Bluebox 1010 mixer.
I’ve been playing with VCV rack some more and I think it’s possible to somehow run my Peak or Digitone synth through VCV to use it for effects etc? I’m waiting on some cables, but can I simply send my synth to the Motu M6 Audio Interface then have that connected to my PC via USB and use one of these modules? If so how would I get the audio back to my mixer?
In my head I can’t think on how I would do this. Just seems a nice way to learn VCV more and save some money as I’ve been looking at some fx pedals. I do have a iPad I can use too, but I’d learn modular more this way.
Modules like Plateau, Texture Synthesiser (clouds) etc
The other issue is I’ve connected my external sequencer to VCV just to make sure it can connect as well and I’ve set it to 130bpm, but VCV’s clock is going crazy, I’ve set the CLN diver to 24 ppqn. What else do I need to set here?
Dead easy to use VCV as an effects processor, I probably use it for effects more than sound generation!
‘From Device’ is the inputs on your interface, so if you have a basic model with stereo inputs only 1 and 2 will work. If you have 4 inputs, the first 4 will correspond to the physical inputs, etc. You’ll get the idea.
‘To Device’ is the outputs on your interface (ASIO works best). I usually use aux sends on the Mindmeld mixer to control the wet/dry balance, but you can patch the inputs straight into any effect module, and patch the outputs through to the ‘To Device’ inputs. Hope that makes sense!
Regarding clocking VCV to an external sequencer, I’ve never found that works particularly well. If you have Pro, it’s better to do it the other way and sync the external sequencer to a DAW, and trigger the VCV plugin from the DAW too.
If you use VCV free (standalone version), you need to buy a module called VCV Host, which lets you load plugin virtual instruments. You can then just patch in to VCV effects like any other module.
If you have Pro, load VCV as an effect plugin instead of a virtual instrument. It’s the same as using standalone for live processing, just connect the outputs from the audio module to whichever effect modules you want to use, then patch the output back to the audio inputs. It will automatically grab the audio from your DAW.
I’m clearly not understanding how to do this, so bare with me, I tried for some time last night too.
So I was trying to send my synths audio to VCV and hear the FX on my Bluebox mixer headphones. I assumed the audio should come back via the USB link from the Motu M6 audio interface, but maybe I am wrong.
So I setup the Bluebox mixer to send my Peak Synth audio to the output to the Motu M6 as a send effect (I’ve used this before with an iPad and a Mircrocosm pedal and they were ok). I then used the Audio 8 and can see my Motu listed there on channels/ports 1/2 and I can see the the Mix and Recording modules respond to the melody from my Peak synth, but I can’t hear it via the mixer or PC headphones. In the screenshot I also set the output to the Motu to in theory send back to the Bluebox, but no joy.
I’m close I think and also as you can see have a knowledge gap here, hopefully you can see what the issue is.
Do you have an ASIO driver for that interface? You may need to use that to get ins and outs at the same time. Not sure because I know nothing about MOTU kit, but whenever I use WASAPI drivers, I only get inputs or outputs available to select:
But with ASIO, I get options with in AND out:
(you can’t see my interface because I’ve just moved house and it’s not connected - but honestly, I have two interfaces with ASIO drivers and they both give me simultaneous input and output)
with 2 interfaces on windows and ASIO, you need to aggregate them (not native on windows) with VB-Audio Matrix , otherwise, there will be distorsion due to internal clocking of both cards (even at same latency / sample rate) → i use this software with ES8 and presonus studio 24c
Welcome to the hell that is called “Operating systems and audio routing”. Sidenote: macOS is far better where this is concerned.
First a few general observations:
Things can get really complicated if you’re ambitious so perhaps keep it simple to start, until you understand the signal flows.
You have to decide the overall plan of what you want to do, because there are potentially many ways to Rome, so to speak.
First: Where do you want your main, mixed, audio output to come from? An external hardware mixer? A mixer in Rack? Main output and mixing from Rack is probably the easiest, cheapest and most flexible.
The more you route signals back and forth between different units, the easier it is to confuse yourself and also get bad audio.
As far as possible keep all audio devices at the same sample rate. I suggest 48Khz.
I suggest starting to use a proper mixer in VCV Rack straight away, and the Mindmeld mixer(s) is the best we have, so use that.
Mixer:
Send effects mixer:
So in that screenshot you should notice something about the “audio 8” module. The green lights between the input and output ports means “connected”. As you can see, only the “From device” input ports 1 and 2 are connected, the output ports are not connected (no green light), which means that the “device” you have selected only offers input ports, not outputs, and so you will hear no sound coming out.
In your second screenshot here, if you notice the green lights on the second “audio 8” module on the right, you have managed to select a device which offers 8 input ports and 4 output ports. That’s the one you should use. Remove any other audio modules, you don’t need them and they are most likely to give you trouble.
So now you know how to get audio signals in from the MOTU audio interface and send them back out to the MOTU audio interface.
So let’s start simple. First the scenario where want to mix dry/wet signals in an external mixer, and only want to use Rack as a send-effects box, where only wet signals are returned to the external mixer from Rack.
You want to receive one stereo signal from an external synth (dry signal), via your MOTU, into Rack (red cable), and apply a reverb to it in Rack, and only send the reverb signal (wet signal) back out to the MOTU (blue cable) as one stereo channel.:
Etc… you get the idea. If you want the different dry inputs to have seperate effects chains/setting you simply duplicate the effect(s) and use more aux sends, cables and outputs.
Now to the IMHO better/simpler/cheaper/more versatile scenario, where you use Rack as the master stereo output, and use as many sound inputs and effects as you like, and make the final dry/wet mix in Rack, instead of an external mixer.
One stereo synth in, apply a reverb, finished mixed dry+wet result sent back on one master stereo output (purple cable) to the MOTU:
Etc. etc… and of course you can mix and match sound sources and effects chains as you like. And if you need more input or effects channels you can use the bigger versions of the mixer or auxspander.
Just a thought. I looked into that interface and it should definitely support simultaneous audio input and output. Is this a routing problem? I’m wondering if Motu have an application where you can map ins and outs, maybe you have something set up wrong.
I wrote above that it can be seen in his second screenshot that he has managed to select the device that supports both inputs and outputs. Audio 8 module on the right, 8 ins + 4 outs.
