More questions about making a home studio

[Matt Wildman]

So I bought an audio interface. (A Behringer UM2) I also downloaded Tracktion(DAW) into my computer. When I was trying out the interface tonight I couldn’t figure out how to get sound to come out of the DAW. I have plugins installed and everything. Then it hit me that I guess I need studio monitors to plug into the interface. I tried using my computer speakers but i guess those dont work. So do I have to buy studio monitors, or will some other type of speaker work? Btw I’m new to all this so any other tips or advice you guys have about making a home recording studio would be helpful.

 

[Ed Seith]

Until you can get studio monitors, you should be able to go into the SETTINGS of Tracktion and set the output to your current sound card and speakers.

 

[Matt Wildman]

Ok. I went to settings, then audio devices and I was able to change the audio device from Windows audio to ASIO which I think I’m supposed to do. I tested it through my sound speakers and it worked. I just can’t figure out how to make sound come out when I plug my guitar into the interface

 

[Matt Wildman]

I downloaded plugins and everything. I I’m thinking maybe the DAW doesn’t recognize the interface yet but I downloaded the drivers for it and that’s when I was able to change the audio device from Windows audio to ASIO.

 

[Firsty Lasty]

Regarding how to hear yourself play, I’ve never used Tracktion but in most daws this function will be called something like “input monitoring”. Hopefully knowing that phrase will speed up your search.

 

[Ed Seith]

^^^ What Firsty said.
Sometimes you have to add a track, set the input and turn “record” on (not necessarily ACTUALLY record, but have it “armed” to record to the track).

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Yeah you need to add an input on your track to be able to hear it because the signal goes from your guitar to the interface input and then you need to add that input to a track in your DAW in order to continue your signal flow and once you do that you should be able to hear it since you’ve already set your output. It’s a basic signal flow but I know that it can be confusing at the beginning but you’ll figure it out eventually. When you are going to add an input you’ll have 2 inputs available since your interface has 2 inputs (1 combo jack and 1 instrument) and you should plug the guitar into the instrument (INST 2) input because that’s actually a Hi-Z input (high impendance) and basically any instrument with pickups should be connected to the hi-z input. If you connect your guitar into the first input it should still work but it will alter your sound and to avoid that just connect it to input 2.

 

[Matt Wildman]

Yeah I added my inputs (1+2) to the track like you guys are talking about. When I press the record button, the DAW picks up the signal taht the guitar is making but I still can’t hear myself. I turned on live input monitoring and that didn’t do anything. Idk it’s just all confusing for me since it’s my first time. Anything else I should try?

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Did you try increasing the input and output on your interface?

 

[Matt Wildman]

I think so. There’s knobs on the interface for the Mic/line and INST2 line and I was turning them. Nothing happened

 

[Matt Wildman]

Well my interface has an output knob that I had at about halfway, INST gain 2 knob, and a MIC/LINE gain 1 knob I was messing with

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Where are your speakers connected? Can you hear the sound playing from your daw?
The way i have my setup is that my speakers are connected to the interface and i plug my guitar into input 1 and set the input 1 on the track in my daw and everything works

 

[Matt Wildman]

@filip I don’t have speakers that can plug into my interface but I have speakers that are set up for my computer and Ed said I should be able to adjust the settings in Tracktion to where I can use those instead. I can hear sound comming from the DAW I just can’t hear my guitar yet. Like there’s an audio test button for the ASIO driver I just put in and when I click on it it makes a beep noise. Maybe I need studio monitors to plug into the interface but I’m hoping to use the computer speakers instead

 

[Filip Tomiša]

Hmm…what kind of speakers do you have? For example if you had speakers that are connected to a subwoofer and that subwoofer is connected to your pc you could plug it out and get a 3.5mm to 6.3 adapter and comnect that into your headphone jack and it would work just fine. I’m just saying that there are ways to connect your speakers to your interface even if they are not compatible.
I don’t know what else to do, maybe someone else has any ideas?

 

[Matt Wildman]

Nevermind I got it to work! thanks everyone

 

[Matt Wildman]

I downloaded the Emmissary distortion plugin and I’m using the Nadir cab with it and the distortion just soumds kinda blah. It sucks for rhythm playing the leads are ok but when I play rhythm and switch to the rhythm settings it just soumds like crap compared to my vox amp with the metal distortion. Do you think I got a bad plug in or do I need to mess with the settings more?

 

[Ed Seith]

If you just want to direct into the DAW and shape your tone there, try this:
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/guitar/guitar-rig-5-player/
The price is right, and it’s good quality.

 

[Matt Wildman]

I’ll try that out. So will I have to have it set as a VST plugin in order to use it on my DAW?

 

[Ed Seith]

yes

 

[Firsty Lasty]

I’ve never been able to get a sound I liked from the ignite emissary, and I’ve never heard anyone on youtube get a great sound from it either. LePou is the king of free amp sims, but even those require a lot of experimentation and experience to get great results.
Here’s a super lazy way to get bigger fatness from a mediocre or crappy vst setup: play one track bridge pickup and one identical track neck pickup, perfectly in time with each other of course, put them together and high pass it as hard as you need to so that the kick and bass have room. Is it gonna sound professional and awesome? Lol no. It’s just a trick I used in the past when I didn’t want to spend money or spend time learning anything about producing music.