can't hear my synthesizer through my headphones

[marieanne]

Hello, I just bought a 003 factory with protools LE 8. I don't have any speakers or monitors yet, but I wanted to test it already with only my headphones.. I can hear a click or demo track, but when I connect my synthesizer to the input at the back, I can't hear or play it! Its also hard to find a usefull tutorial or, do I just need the speakers to get/hear some sound and record?
I hope some one knows more about this..!
Thanks..
marieanne

[Hotcrazyfruit]

Open up a mono audio track. Set the input to the respective one that the synthesizer is plugged into. Record arm. (the record button thats on the track, not the transport). This will make the sound from input x come out your headphoneos or monitors.

[spkguitar]

We're going to need a little more information to be able to help you.

1. What synth, specifically?
2. How exactly do you have it connected? Please be as thorough as possible;l MIDI cable from MIDI out of synth to MIDI in of 003, audio out of synth to line in of 003, etc
3. What are you using as the sound source? The hardware synth itself? Or are you trying to use Virtual Instrument plugins?
4. What exactly are you trying to do? Record the audio outs of the synth? record your performance on the synth to MIDI? Both?

Basically, any audio that is coming out of Pro Tools can be monitored through the headphones, so no, you do not need monitor speakers. (I would recommend it, however, as mixing through headphones can be problematic).

Here are the basics for hooking up an external hardware synth to the 003:

1. connect the L/R audio outputs of the hardware synth to inputs 5 and 6 of the 003
2. in Pro Tools, create a stereo aux track and set the input to 5/6
3. Make sure the level of the aux track is turned up

Done.

That's the basics of being able to hear the synth through your headphones. If you want to record the audio or MIDI from the synth, there will be more, but until we know more details, (what you are using, what you are trying to do) we wouldn't be able to... give you details.

[marieanne]

thanks for responding both!
To spcguitar: I have a YAMAHA CS1x synth. I've connected him with two jags into 5/6 now. When I created a new stereo-intrument track, I heard my synth indeed!! But not so loud as, by example, a click track..
I just wanted to record my synth (i'm new at this, so no virtual instrument yet, you will hear from me later about that I gues!).
But now, the problem which is left is, I can not record what I hear.... so any solutions for that?
oh.. and is an aux track for you the same as a instrument track? cause the last one did only work for me... what's the difference?

[spkguitar]

My AUX track recommendation was to make sure you had everything connected properly.

Aux tracks and instrument tracks are almost the same thing. An aux track doesn't record anything; it just passes audio trough. An instrument track is a combination of an aux track and a MIDI track.

If you are looking to RECORD the synth, you should be using a stereo AUDIO track, and you would need to record arm the track and be in input only monitoring mode (alt - k to toggle between modes) to hear the audio.

[albee1952]

Instrument tracks are really for VI's (Virtual Instruments). Assuming you wish to record audio from your synth, create a stereo AUDIO track and set the inputs for 5&6(or whatever pair you need) and hit the Record Enable button on the track. Don't feel bad about this as its a common newbie goof(of course it makes sense to record an instrument to an instrument track.....doesn't it?)
BTW, If you just want to practice playing without opening Pro Tools, run a cable with a stereo plug at one end(from the Yamaha headphone jack) to dual quarter inch plugs at the other end(into the 003 AUX inputs) and hit the Aux to Mon button(actually, you could leave the keyboard patched there and use the AUX to 7,8 button for Pro Tools(sounds complicated, but it really isn't. You just have lots of new stuff to learn).