I'm having quite a bit of trouble trying to add external inserts. I'm using X3 but I haven't been able to find options to add external inserts anywhere in the software. I've read the documentation on the cakewalk site that says the external insert option can be found in the drop down menu from the FX bin, but every time I try this it's not there. Any suggestions? Are external inserts only available in more advanced versions of X3? Is there something in preferences that needs to be enabled?
Thanks

So all but my final peices of outboard racks before emigrating. All I have now really is Focusrite Tonefactory and a Envoice Mindprint, and although I could use these as effects they are really for the first stage before entering the computer. The other thing I have is a Lexicon Reverb, it has SPIDF as does my soundcard (part of the reason I chose the quad), but I really think I should say goodbye and sell it. All three racks are in the UK, so I'll probably bring back to 2 channel strip type racks as luggage and sell the lexicon when I'm back next . Shipping them out and getting stung for import duties is going to sting.
 
A friend of mine who does some session and band work on Bass rated the tone of his bass through my Tonefactory, so I'm keen on retrieving it now I have a bass.

FastBikerBoy
I still use outboard from time to time but route it directly througn my mixer rather than via th EI plug. 

I know this is 4 weeks old, but this is exactly what I do.
 
I fired up my old Alesis Midiverb IV the other day using a spare set of IO on my interface.
I forgot just how easy it was to dial in any sort of reverb on the MV

I haven't for a while, but my O1V96 V2 has the RevX verbs in it and I have mixed entire albums using those (routing via ADAT) ... It's a schlepp but a lot of fun and those Revs have something special in them.

I use it once in a while for my lexicon pcm60 reverb. Works great. I can probably get the same reverb sound from plugins, but it takes a lot of time and tweaking. I can plug in my old pcm60, punch two buttons and viola.

Superpar
I'm having quite a bit of trouble trying to add external inserts. I'm using X3 but I haven't been able to find options to add external inserts anywhere in the software. I've read the documentation on the cakewalk site that says the external insert option can be found in the drop down menu from the FX bin, but every time I try this it's not there. Any suggestions? Are external inserts only available in more advanced versions of X3? Is there something in preferences that needs to be enabled?
Thanks

 
Superpar,
 
 To use an external effect in a SONAR project
 
1. Make sure your external gear is connected to your audio interface and turned on. The external gear’s audio input must be connected to one of your audio interface’s output ports and the external gear’s audio output must be connected to one of your audio interface’s input ports.
 
2. Right-click an effects bin and select External Insert from the pop-up menu. The External Insert property page appears.
 
3. Click the Send Port control and choose the audio port that is connected to your external gear’s audio input.
 
4. Click the Return Port control and choose the audio port that is connected to your external gear’s audio output.
 
5. Click the Delay Measurement control to measure the round-trip delay through your audio hardware.
The round-trip time for the signal to return is measured and displayed on the button. This is the delay that will be compensated for in SONAR to keep the track in sync with the rest of the project.
 
For information about testing the delay measurement, see Testing the delay measurement and When to measure the delay.
 
See the Knowledge base here for more information ~~~>  External Inserts in Sonar

FYI, the base version of X3 does not have the External Insert plug-in.

When I need external insert I use RMEs Totalmix to create the sends and returns for me in hardware on the RME UFX. I can also use the DSP if I need external fx in the monitor path.

I have a stereo mic pre that I use on the way in but I've never tried feeding the signal out and back in again. That my be an interesting afternoons experimenting.

I don't know....   Seems for the most part, especially if you run UAD, Waves or any of the much cheaper than hardware high end plugins , other than a nice preamp (chain), the need for external outboard FX gear is just not worth the expense or effort in general these days, especially for most of us who don't have access to a ton of it   For the cost of even a lower priced 1176 clone, you could get a UAD setup that will blow it away and give you many more instances of whatever effect(s) you are looking for instead of being limited to the one HW unit and as added bonus, you don't need to worry about external stuff and latency etc.  These days, to me, the only time external gear would be worthwhile is if you are running your tracks through some high end desk or even a great analog summing mixer do counteract what some folks dislike about digital but for that even, you won't really need the external insert capability since most likely you would either be just running the mix down to stereo or using the desk like a preamp and for neither do you need to worry about latency beyond what your interface can compensate for.  I know this may be a different take on the thread or original questions but this is what itbrought to mind for me.   All that said however, it IS cool to know that the capability IS there in case someone like me MIGHT need it along the way.  

stxx
These days, to me, the only time external gear would be worthwhile is if you are running your tracks through some high end desk or even a great analog summing mixer do counteract what some folks dislike about digital.

It's great for weirdo guitar effects that have no equivalent in the plug-in world.