Apogee Symphony MKII 2x6 Connectivity

[mrgroovy]

I have not ordered the Apogee Symphony MKII 2x6 yet but am close - wanted to run something by the forum.

I recently purchased 2 LaChapell 583e Mic / Pre Compressors which I have mounted in a Vintage King 500 Series Lunchbox Rack.

Currently I am using my 11R as my interface - the reason for the move to the Apogee.

Here is my initial thought on a signal chain (using a vocal mic for instance). I am thinking XLR out of my Lunchbox > XLR in of my Line 6 Helix > XLR out of Helix > XLR in of 11R > XLR out of 11R to XLR in of Symphony. Symphony last in line to be Thunderbolt into my iMac.
That way I can use any effects / amp cab sims of the Helix and / Eleven Rack.
I am thinking NOT to run SPDIF out of my Helix into SPDIF 11R and SPDIF to Apogee because the digital conversion would be at the Helix. I would want the conversion to be at the Apogee - correct? Thx in advance

Postscript - I would have to have the Helix and 11R connected to iMac via USB in order to use the editors yes and be seen as inputs in PT 12?

[Barry Johns]

You need to connect your helix and your 11 rack to the Apogee unit via digital input, either SPDIF or ADAT for all of your guitar recording.

I understand the desire to be able to use some of the effects in the helix, for other sources, I believe you will find you have better choices via plug-ins, but that's not for me to decide.

If you did want to use your helix for effects on other sources, the best way to do that would also be via a digital input/output, as described above. You can utilize your helix, as an insert with in ProTools enabling you to send your track out of ProTools into the helix, apply the effect , then return that back into ProTools. There is simply no advantage, of having any source converting a digital signal to analog, and then convert that analog signal back to digital, unless that's the only option. An example would be from a microphone into a mic preamp, that needs to be converted to digital.

Take a vocal Mic as an example into an analog microphone preamp, then going into the helix via analog, having that Helix convert that microphone signal into digital, and then turn around and convert that digital signal to analog, then sending that to the Appogee where it would have to convert that analog signal back to digital. There's nothing gained in this process, actually you would be degrading that signal significantly. In the digital world of recording, you need to avoid where possible, unnecessary converting from analog to digital, and/or, from digital to analog.

You live a little more than an hour and a half from me, you're more than welcome to come over to my studio one weekend, where we can go over things like this in greater detail. I'm more than happy to help you out if you interested.