How to Hear Metronome in Headphones While Recording Through Audio Interface - Help!

Question

How to Hear Metronome in Headphones While Recording Through Audio Interface - Help!

Hey everybody,

So I've been trying to work through this problem for 3+ hours now and I'm stumped. It's very frustrating as it is such a simple problem. Right now I'm recording acoustic guitar through an audio interface - guitar sound goes to microphone, microphone goes to interface, interface goes to audio jack in Macbook. Pretty simple setup. I can even insert a splitter into the audio jack on the Macbook which will allow me to hear what I am playing through the interface in my headphones, which is what I wanted. However, when I hit record and the metronome starts playing, as I want it to, I can't get the metronome to play through my headphones - they will only play through the speakers. How can I get around this? Is it even possible, or do I need an audio to USB interface so I can have a set audio in (through the USB) and a set audio out (through the audio port)? Again, your help would be much appreciated as I am completely stumped.

Cheers!

MacBook Pro, iOS 7.1.1

Posted on Jun 2, 2014 9:48 PM

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Answer 1

kcstudio

Level 4

1,808 points

Jun 2, 2014 10:49 PM in response to caleb.miller734

Have a nice day!

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Answer 2

Jun 9, 2014 5:48 AM in response to caleb.miller734

Ah.. Ok..

The bluetube is not an audio interface.. It is simply a stand alone preamp....

So the reality is, you don'thave an external audio interface.. you are using the built in audio and so you don't have multiple inputs/outputs... which is why you only see, in your own example... Stereo Out.

So, you cannot use a different output to assign to the Metronome to be able to hear it via headphones.

To do so, in either LP9 or LPX... requires an external audio interface connected to your Mac... which has multiple inputs and outputs.

An example would be the Motu Ultralite..... but there are several others...

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Answer 3

Eriksimon

Level 6

15,428 points

Jun 10, 2014 12:27 AM in response to caleb.miller734

In Logic Pro 9 (and X) you can assign different devices to the In- and Output, so I don't understand why you wouldn't be able to get sound in through the microphone and out through the headphones. You can even combine the ouputs into a Multi-Output device to send the same sound simultaneously to all outputs.

You can also aggregate all your in- and outputs into an Aggregate Device, then you can use any of your outputs and any of your inputs inside the same Logic project (on the channel strips).

Setup in Audio MIDI Setup (separate app, part of any OS X install, can be found in the Applications>Utilities folder)

Setup in Logic Pro>Preferences>Audio>Devices (apart from colorscheme, it's the same in LP 9 and LP X)

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Answer 4

Jun 3, 2014 7:04 AM in response to kcstudio

That somewhat makes sense. However, I can only see one output available under the I/O options for the Metronome channel strip: Stereo Out. How can I change this? Again, any help is much appreciated.

Cheers!

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Answer 5

Jun 3, 2014 5:06 PM in response to kcstudio

Is that Logic Pro X? I'm using Logic Pro 9 :/ And I mean, theoretically, I only have one way to get audio in or out (through the audio port). Like I said, I'm going from my microphone to the audio interface, which is then going in to the computer (i.e. nothing can go out, that's my problem). How am I supposed to send a line out to my interface? Thanks,

Caleb

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Answer 6

Jun 9, 2014 11:47 PM in response to The Art Of Sound

Ah. Okay. I checked out the UltraLite on Musician's Friend... does that device double as a pre-amp? What are differences between the two?

Also, would a viable cheaper alternative be to purchase a USB to Audio converter (I know they have them at least online) and just set the Output on my MacBook to the USB out and the Input to line in? Does the MacBook let you do that?

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Answer 7

Eriksimon

Level 6

15,428 points

Jun 9, 2014 11:56 PM in response to caleb.miller734

Am I missing something here? The metronome should be sent to the stereo out also (just like the rest of the sound), I do not understand why you say you can't hear it, unless you've assigned it specifically to the speakers. If that's so, you should reassign it to the main out.

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Answer 8

Jun 10, 2014 12:04 AM in response to Eriksimon

Right now I can only have a stereo in or a stereo out assigned through the MacBook Pro's audio system at one time, not both. I want to be able to hear the metronome, while I play through the audio in. Hence an audio in and an audio out going at the same time. If I assign my MacBook's speakers to an audio out (System settings -> sound -> use audio port for Sound Output) I can hear the click through my phones just fine. However, when I do that I can't play my guitar through the microphone and have the sound enter the MacBook Pro via a line in.

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Answer 9

Jun 10, 2014 12:36 AM in response to Eriksimon

Already tried that mate. Only "built-in input" and "built-in output" show up. Hence, I only have one input, the built-in input, and one output, the built-in output. Unless there's something I'm missing?

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Answer 10

Eriksimon

Level 6

15,428 points

Jun 10, 2014 1:04 AM in response to caleb.miller734

Ah, so on a Macbook the speakers and the outport are (digitally) the same device? Like it is on home stereo's, when you plug in phones, speakers get muted? I'm sorry, I thought speakers and out port were two separate devices, but I understand they are not. In that case you'd better get a USB interface, as the others suggested.

What I still do not get is why you cannot hear the click when recording, as the click should be routed to the same output as the rest of Logic. Also, you shouldn't need a splitter to monitor yourself, you can use Software Monitoring (inside Logic) instead.

⚠Later edit: never mind, I suddenly remembered that the newer generation Macbooks (and iMacs?) have only one physical port for both in- and output.

So yeah, get an interface. MOTU, Presonus, Focusrite, RME, Apogee etc etc.

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