Inputting Sound when USB Interface is Set as Playback Device

[Jamesptc]

I'm running PT with the Behringer X18 Mixer. In windows I have the choice to select my standard sound card or the X18 Air device as my Speakers/Playback device. My question is whether it is possible to have the XAir device selected as the Windows Speakers /Playback device and to get that sound into PT. My current set up has the XAir inputs 1 and 2 set for USB (which is the default output from the computer), which plays out to whatever Output I choose. But, if I try and grab that output PT, no sound is heard (I assume because the sound is technically coming off USB and not Analog.

[junkgear]

Windows actually has a feature for doing just this, which would be easier than trying to route your mixer to/from itself.

Take a look at the\is tutorial video:
Use Windows Audio (WASAPI)

[albee1952]

Beyond that^^^ its usually best for Windows users to set Windows Sound Properties to NOT use your interface as its "default playback device".

[Jamesptc]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I was not aware of the new WASAPI option - and that is a great to know about.

Just to confirm, that feature would not solve what I was trying to do - as it disables the Audio Interface (X18 Air), and at that point I can't record inputs from the XAir interface.

Just for background, I record voiceless / drumless tracks with a singer - and sometimes I use Karafun (online Karaoke) as the source music for new songs - so the singer can follow on screen words. I was thinking it might be good to record the USB audio since it would be all "digital" audio vs going analog.

Based on Albee1952 - it sounds like it is not a good practice to use the interface as the default playback device - and apparently this is not possible either - since I tried this, and could not send the USB audio to an output on the Xair, and "loop" it back to Protools (no sound comes back to PT on the output even though the XAir shows the signal). So I will keep the speaker/playback device set to the computer sound card/speaker and record the analog that way.


Thanks again!

James