Lexicon MX400 + Rack 003 intergration

[Matt Darcy]

Guys,

I've just purchased a Lexicon MX400 Reverb unit.

I'm looking for options and possible ways to use it and intergrate it with the Rack 003 and pro-tools 7.4

eg: what are my options, what are the pros/cons they give me.

I'm guessing I'd have to pass inputs into it, then out of the MX400 into the Rack 003, however I'm wondering if I can drop it in "effects loop" style and then use something along the lines of an "insert" to assign that effect to a channel ?

almost like a hardware plugin ?

thanks,

Matt

[DigiTechSupt]

Yes, you can use this as a hardware insert.

Since the MX400 has 4 ins and outs, both SPDIF and analog, but the 003 only has 1 pair of SPDIF I/O, you can either connect it all analog or one pair analog and the other digital (assuming the MX400 can split between them..).

If you connect it via SPDIF, you'll need to make sure to set the MX400 to clock to incoming SPDIF from the 003.

You should interface all analog connections in pairs - for instance, using the 5/6 inputs and outputs on the 003 for one pair, 7/8 for the other. Once you've made those connections, inserting the effect on a track is as simple as going to the inserts and choosing 'i/o' and the path going to the MX400, rather than a plug-in.

[Matt Darcy]

understood most of that, thank you for the explaining that.

I may have to progress a little further with you as I set this up.

[Matt Darcy]

I'm actually at the point of setting this up now.

I use inputs 5-8 on the rack 003 with an Octopre Mic Pre-amp.

If I connect the lexicon to inputs 5-8, a.) do I connect it to into the preamp -> then rack 003, or remove the pre-amp and then into the rack 003 ?

also won't inputs 5-8 now be unusable as "inputs", eg: won't I lose the ability to use these as 3 microphone inputs ?

[Matt Darcy]

I'd certainly appriciate a more experienced hand on this or a follow on from digiadministrator

I'm struggling

[flommer]

You could plug in through the pre-amp, but you would be adding some extra "processing" from the pre amp.. Better off to plug-in directly to the 003's line inputs.

If you need to use you mic's and process the signal with the lex400 at the same time, then you might need to get an additional A/D converter to use the ADAT inputs. It just depends how many channels of mics and processing you need:

1-4 channels of mics and single stereo processing, then use the spdif connection..

2 mics and 2 stereo effects loops you might be able to use an analog pair and a spdif pair through the lex400.

You can also save the processing for mix-down, so you'd patch in the mics to track then the lex400 for mixing..

One other idea that I don't know if it will work: The 400 can connect via USB and appear as a VST plug-in. Maybe one of the VST wrappers would allow you to see the lex as a RTAS plugin. If it works, that would be your best setup (unless there is really bad latency or something). Maybe someone out there will have tried this...

[Matt Darcy]

an excellent response,

I feel I should expand on my current setup and add a little more detail so you could advise me better, I didn't mean to limit the info I shared, I just didn't think I needed to be specific.

I'm using a Digi Rack 003 connected to a Mac Book.

I have purchased two Focusrite Octopre LE 8 channel mic pre amps (detailed http://www.dv247.com/invt/25741/).

one of these is being connected to the Rack 003 via an Adat card and I'm using the other 8 channel pre-amp to act as 4 channels for the rack 003 inputs 5 - 8.

This gives me 16 inputs and allows me to do a good live recording (drum/amp/vocal mics) on paper.

However I forsee it being quite rare that I would need all 16 inputs, if ever due to a.) limited live recordings b.) live recordings not needing all 16 inputs.

I foresee the need for 2 - 3 vocal mics at best in use at once, most commonly 1 mic recorded 3 times if not being used live.

I'm happy to lose some channels for the benifit of the lexicon and hardware solution for reverb, however i'd like to minise the loss against functionality trade off.

I'm interested in how to use the spdif setup as that seems from what your saying to be the most appropriate for my setup.

I hope that paints a better picture and allows you to provide more experienced advice.

[flommer]

The spdif connection will only give you access to 2 channels of processing because of the limitations of the 003. To use the other 2 channels of the lex you would need to connect using analog (assuming the lex allows this).

This really comes down to convenience, because if you need 16 inputs for recording (Mics and instruments) then you still have a stereo pair that you can dedicate to the lex (spdif) for an effects loop. If you don't usually need 16 ch of input, and can get away with 12 then I would patch the lex into 5-8 on the 003.

If you try to use the spdif and analog at the same time (on the lex) there is the possibility that you'll get a little bit of latency difference on the analog side because of the additional D/A > A/D that's happening.. This would probably only matter on effects that use all 4 outputs on the lex(like a 4 channel multi-tap delay for surround?). In fact, I'm not even sure that the lex has that capability, but just be aware of the latency..

Another aspect is like I said already: you wouldn't necessarily need the lex until mix-down, in which case you should have plenty of inputs available..

Hopefully someone will comment on the VST wrapper idea, because if that works well it is the best of all choices....

[Matt Darcy]

all interesting suggestions and input ideas, thank you.

I see what your seeing about only using the lex on mix down, however I'd like to have it real time so that a.) when singing it can be monitored b.) for live recordings.

As I can only see myself at this moment only ever recording 2 vocal mics at once, it sounds like the spdif being used as an effects loops should meet my needs and be able to provide reverb for the 2 mics.

I'd assume its as simple as the post digiadministrator made just use the spdif cables to make an effects loop then it should appears as a hardware insert.

[nedd]

Originally Posted by DigiTechSupt

You should interface all analog connections in pairs - for instance, using the 5/6 inputs and outputs on the 003 for one pair, 7/8 for the other. Once you've made those connections, inserting the effect on a track is as simple as going to the inserts and choosing 'i/o' and the path going to the MX400, rather than a plug-in.

What do you mean exactly by path going to the MX 400?
Is it then accessable via sends, or inserts? Is it inserted on AUX track?

thanx Digi

On Mac, there is only AudioUnit plug in unfortunatelly. I contacted Lex tech. who said there is no plans yet for RTAS or VST version for Mac.
Does anybody knows of AU to RTAS wrapper?

I have this machine connected to 5/6 and 7/8 (003r) and inserted as i/o. All I can say, it sounds fantastic, specially on long reverbs. My idea was to save some DSP and use this for classic Lexicon reverbs and this is what it does. There is latency too, but I use it right now as a pre-delay. There is also Mellowmuse ATA plug in that can automaticly calculate delay compensation for you. Tried that too and it works also.

P.S. Just receiving AKG perception 420 as a "present" from Lexicon. Curious.
greetings