Just wondering about your thoughts...with so many options available "in the box," it seems like there's less need for using external hardware. That said, though, I've been playing around with taking tracks out and feeding them into external inputs of hardware synthesizers so I can "play" the synthesizer to do processing. Some synths are more useful (or more bizarre) than others; my current fave for this application is the Casio XW-P1, which can pitch-shift an input signal from the keyboard. The results are not hi-fi by any means, but for "what the heck is that?" sound design, it's pretty cool.
 
And of course, you can chop sustained sounds by hitting the keyboard and do other fun stuff like do processing with stompboxes...but considering the broad creative endeavors of the community as a whole, I was interested in any comments you might have.

Do those external inserts actually work reasonably well with stomp boxes? I thought they were more for rack type stuff. I've got an interesting little Korg pedal board with a rocker pedal and a ton of wacky effects that might do some interesting stuff to tracks. It would also be nice to access my other stompboxes without necessarily having to print the effect straight to the input (although I have recently figured out that my TU-2 can act a s a splitter anyway but still... the more options I have the better).
 
Cheers.

I have a DBX 266 and a Really Nice Compressor (RNC) external compressor that I use with the insert effects, oh and sometimes my Kaoss pad 3.  I like using the externals especially the Really Nice Compressor as they seem to give a different feel to in the box compressors.
 
I don't like the fact that I am forced to use stereo pairs for the input and output of the external inserts, it means I am left with less inputs and outputs on my interface.  It would be nice to be able to have mono external inserts.

I have a Lexicon PCM-90 permanently connected to the S/P-DIF port on my Dakota, and I use analog I/O to connect to some of my older, difficult to replace hardware. As time progresses it seems more and more that there are plug-ins that emulate my hardware sufficiently well, and if I had some spare cash I'd probably replace the PCM-90 with the Exponential Audio reverbs. For now I'm quite happy with the PCM-90 as external hardware.

I no longer remember exactly, but either 8.5 or maybe X1 caused me a little bit of grief, the external insert would just stop working, it would not allow me to select the S/P-DIF ports, but re-starting Sonar would resolve that. I can't remember the last time that happened though.
 
I think Craig hit the bulls eye, I mostly use stomp boxes and other hardware for sound design because I am quite happy with my other plug-ins<G>!

I've been liking my vocal bus.
 
The mic input channel is sent to a dummy output.
 
I setup 3 sends:
1. Main
2. Voice Live via S/Pdif
3. TC M-One via toslink
 
I use 3 sends so I can set them on one by one etc.
 
Then mix the 3 signals together to make it sound like I have a voice!
 
Lot of room to play there.
 
 

Phonic
 
I don't like the fact that I am forced to use stereo pairs for the input and output of the external inserts, it means I am left with less inputs and outputs on my interface.  It would be nice to be able to have mono external inserts.

+1
 
This is a (stupid) thing that should be improved. Maybe in the next update(?)

Beepster
Do those external inserts actually work reasonably well with stomp boxes? I thought they were more for rack type stuff.

The only real issue is you'll likely need to cut down the levels going to the stompboxes, then use gain to bring the low-level output back up. But they work fine!

I use external inserts all the time.

Anderton

Beepster
Do those external inserts actually work reasonably well with stomp boxes? I thought they were more for rack type stuff.

The only real issue is you'll likely need to cut down the levels going to the stompboxes, then use gain to bring the low-level output back up. But they work fine!

hmm... noted.
 
I just realized I have another minor "problem". Because I pretty much never use line outs for anything anymore I take it for granted that my 18i6 only has two 1/4" line outs (for the monitors). However there is a monitor volume knob so that would make turning the levels down easy. hmmm...
 
I was almost gonna say that this would be a good excuse to try daisychaining my Layla to the Scarlett via the optical connectors on both but the Scarlett only has optical in (not out) so that won't work. I could also just reinstall the Layla but I have it installed on my old DAW for snagging old material from but it has a plethora of outputs.
 
That is the only complaint I really have about the 18i6... not enough outputs.

At one time I had a 2 track tape machine hooked up to an external insert.
But not anymore as that tape machine is all gone now.
 
I never had a loop tape going and it was a pita to rewind from time to time.
 
If I had a PCM-XX or Eventide HXXX I'd be using it again.