Using VST or DX Plugins

[i8rice4dinner]

This is just a question out of curiosity, is it possible to have the Plugins process the music going into your soundcard without you having to receord the audio first and then process it? For example, having your electric guitar plugged in to your mic-in on your sound card, and then somehow assigning your plugin to process the noise coming through that line? Wow, kinda difficult for me to explain, hope yall understand. I just hate having to record my pieces without knowing what it's going to sound like. Probably a stupid question, but I am fairly new into using plugins. Thanks alot

[dagosto]

I think I get what you are saying.

You should be able to listen to the sound of your audio with the plug-in effecting it while you record. The problem is that there is a delay that is introduced by VST or DX effects. Most recording programs compensate for this delay by adding an equal amount of delay to all the other tracks. This works on playback but cannot fix the problem when processing a live input signal.

Perhaps if you descibed your setup and what your trying to record myself or another member of the board could help you with a way to deal with this.

[willem]

Your question is smarter than I am, but I heard one thing you said loud and clear:

"...I just hate having to record my pieces without knowing what it's going to sound like..."

When you are so concerned perhaps you should record two tracks at once; one dry, and one with the effect mix that you like at that moment. By simultaneously recording to two separate tracks, you have a dry backup of the captured performance allowing you to abandon the "effected" track if you don't like it... for any reason. As I'm sure you know, there are ample sonic options that can be added to the dry track. Use the effected track for your monitor. That which is pleasing and creates 'ease' during tracking is not necessarily what you want in the final mix. Tracking dry is seldom pleasing. Unhappy trackers are to be avoided as well. Emotion offers its own spectrum of sonic character, often effecting sound in ways more important than any plugin available.

So, one could say there are at least four tracking questions here: what it sounds like; what it can sound like; the sound I like as I monitor the take; and, the sound I want downstream in the production.

There may be other, better solutions to your exact question, but double tracking with one track dry might be the better overall production solution for your immediate concerns.

[i8rice4dinner]

Thanks guys.....I pretty much got my answer. I wasn't even thinking about the delay time it takes to process the sound waves of the incoming signal before putting it out. So I guess even if there was a way to process your sound and hear it live, it wouldn't really help all that much b/c it would be delayed so much. Double tracking the recording is probably the best way for me to go. Nice! Thanks again.......

p.s. - Maybe a little better explaination of what I was talking about......basically having an instrument or mic plugged into the sound card, then assign a plugin of some sort to the incoming sound and then process it to the output. That way, you could use plugins as sort of an effects pedal for guitar or add effects to vocals and hear them live without having to record a dry take and then add the effects and then hear what it sounds like.

[dagosto]

I think a direct box is the way to go for you. The Radial JDI is probably my favorite for the price. You plug the guitar in and there is a thru output that goes to your amp or effects. There is also a microphone level output that goes to a mic preamp and can be recorded dry. You can record either or both the dry and effected signals.