Hardware Insert No Signal
 

I'm using Pro Tools 2021.10 and an Apollo X8. I have my I/O configured for an outboard eq on Line 3. When I add the hardware insert in I stop getting a signal to that track. Any ideas? (Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere I have searched and could not find it)

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

Some pics

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

Hi, Welcome to DUC.

How exactly do you have stuff connected? What is connected exactly where using exactly what cables plugged into exactly what connections? You need the outboard hardware connected between what Pro Tools thinks are output 3 and input 3 (which might be messed around with the UAD console… if not sure about that disable the console). Start with a straight through cable with no hardware box and just get that working first.

What EQ hardware are you using?

This is often not worth the hassle and you are just better off using plugins, especially for mixing (vs tracking).

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

Yes : Likely a routing issue
First Idea : list your system


I believe the Apollo has to run through the Console App so you have to make sure your getting signal thru that

Also for a Hardware insert in PT the physical connections on the interface have to input and output on the same channel number -----so for example Apollo out line 3 to Daking (input) then Daking (output) to Apollo line in 3 .. Also as Darell pointed out your screen shot of your insert page the numbering is screwed up. You have line 3-4 spilled open and the Daking in the number 3 position in the spill BUT if you follow over it is sitting in the number 5 slot
Reset it to default and then make sure that what you label in there matches the physical connections on your Apollo

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

What I can just make out from the fuzzy photos of the screen is it looks like you are trying to use mic/line 3 as input on a track while concurrently trying to use it as a line 3 out to line 3 in to drive a hardware insert... you really likely don't want to do that (even if the intent is to track without the EQ then reuse the same input as an insert at mix time). Hardware inserts need their own I/O pair to work between and you should set this up as simply as possible, KISS: Keep it Simple and Stupid.

Please don't take crappy photos of the computer screen, use your computer to actually take actual high resolution screenshots.

And we don't have any idea of your experience here, but something that has come up in the past is confusion about real hardware inserts (e.g. in mic preamp hardware) when tracking and Pro Tools hardware inserts. Do you have an outboard mic preamp? Is so and all you want is hardware EQ when tracking then simply wire your the EQ box in line after the Mic preamp. if you are tracking with a Apollo 8x preamp then again I'd just suggest you use plugins in the Console or in Pro Tools.. especially given chances to combine with UAD mic modelling. You are very unlikely to beat what can be done with a suite of UAD mic and EQ plugins.

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

My guess is that the I/O isn’t aligned. Apollo’s in their default state have the Monitor Outs appear as Out 1&2 in Pro Tools. What this means is that Apollo Line Outs 1&2 appear as Out 3&4 in Pro Tools.

For hardware inserts to work properly, the input and outputs need to be aligned and paired. So Output 3 is returned to Input 3. If Console isn’t aligned correctly, then the hardware insert won’t work.

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

Through a patchbay I have the line out 3 of the Apollo into the Daking Pre/EQ Line In, and the Daking Line Out to Apollo Line In 3. Whentracking through the Daking into pro tools everything is fine, the issue arises when I want to use the EQ section as an insert. My I/O settings have been set in pro tools to correspond with the Apollo per UA's instructions (Pro Tools 3/4 = Apollo 1/2 and so on)

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

I'm using a Daking Pre/Eq MkII. I am able to track with it into pro tools it is when I try to use the EQ in the mix that I have problems. I have pro tools I/O set up for UAD (Line 1/2 in pro tools =mon L/R. Line 1/2 pro tools = Line3/4 in Apollo as per UAD set up instructions. I have ( through a patchbay) Apollo Line Out 3 to king Line In, Daking Line Out to Apollo Line In 3.

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

You say you can track through the EQ into Pro Tools... OK so for that you have stuff wired differently and then you change the wiring for mixing? Are you pressing the line input switch on the Daking when using it during mixing? Can you confirm that the line level input on the Daking works at all... and that the line level cable you are using is correct and not faulty? I really don't like that you seem to have the track input and inserts on the same IO.

The EQ just works while tracking because it's a physical insert in the Mic Preamp box, it has nothing to do with pro Tools inserts... which likely never work how you have stuff set up.

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The problem with this kind of issue is almost always folks not using matched IO pairs. Make your testing as simple and stupid as possible.

Disconnect everything not needed from the Apollo. Do not use the patch bay. Work with a one track test session with signal gen on the track. Work out where what Pro Tools think output 3 is actually going to... see a level in the console meters and better plug a headphone amp into that output and hear the test tone, or use a multimeter if necessary, but confirm by testing physically where that signal is coming out. Confirm input 3 is what you think it is as well, e.g. record a line level input from it into a track. Now connect both with a straight through TRS-TRS cable and set up a hardware insert, confirm removing the TRS cable breaks the circuit.

Re: Hardware Insert No Signal
 

I had this issue plenty of times and it's usually one of 3 things:

1. If I remember correctly, the channels you are using for the insert cannot also be used as regular inputs and outputs. So in I/O Setup, you have to go to the Inputs, Outputs, and Bus tabs and uncheck those channels and only have them checked under the Insert tab. It's been a while since I used my hardware as inserts since I moved them to just my master bus, but I remember something like this being the issue.

2. Have to reload your current Session template in UAD console. Sometimes the routing just goes inactive for whatever reason and reloading it kicks it back in. Simply click the Sessions button under the Monitor knob in Console and reload the one you're currently using.

3. Restart Pro Tools. Not sure why, but sometimes the inserts just don't work and restarting Pro Tools fixes it.

Like I said, every time I had this issue it was always one of these three things.