New to the forum. Recently purchased BB and am considering also getting the Aeros since it can be synced with the BB via midi. I like that idea. I currently own the Trio+ which I like also and have it incorporated into my board.
My current signal chain is as follows (All Strymon Pedals except for the Trio+) - Guitar > Compadre (Compressor) > Sunset (Overdrive) > Trio+ > Iridium (Amp & IR Cab) > Mackie Mixer > PA…Then I’ve got a Flint (Trem) > Big Sky (Reverb) > Deco (Tape Saturation & Double Tracker) running into the effects loop of the Trio+
I like the tones I get out of the Iridium and am thinking if I simply add the Aeros after it and then run the outs from the Aeros to the Mixer it would allow me to capture those tones in whatever loops I record. So basically the Aeros would be very last in my signal path before the mixer. Would this configuration create any issues?
You are correct in capturing your effects/tones. This is how I do it (albeit with other than Strymon effects) and I’m sure many others do it this way also.
It’ll work, and you’ll probably want to start there and experiment, but since you are using a mixer, what I like to do is run all my instrument signals to the mixer on their own channels first for monitoring directly, and then using a mixer Aux out, send each of those signals back out to the Aeros (the Aeros routing configuration gets set to only send Recorded signal out, not the direct signal coming in).
Then the Aeros goes back into the Mixer on another channel just like it’s another instrument.
This will give you the most flexibility in mixing and monitoring, gain staging, as well as leave the door open to adding additional channels to be recorded easily.
Gotcha. Another question came to mind while considering your configuration using the Aux out from the mixer > Aeros > back to mixer. Since I’m using a channel on the mixer for the BeatBuddy, won’t the Aux out also send that signal to the Aeros thus recording the drums as part of the loop? Which I definitely don’t want.
Depending on your mixer, but many can choose which channels get sent to Aux. If you have the ability, send BB & Aeros recorded out main stereo only or you’ll get an ugly infinite loop. Only what you want to go to the Aeros is sent to Aux. The advantage is recording loops with multiple instruments at once and/or not have to switch inputs to the Aeros. However, recording a single instrument with other lines not muted will introduce noise.
Caveat: This is based on my experience with studio console routing. I’ve not done it with Aeros and BB.
I have been thinking about getting an Iridium.I play acoustic mainly but I’ve thought about getting a Strymon Iridium to be able to add some electric parts (ether whole songs on electric, or switching part way to do a lead or something).
My thought is that I would have my normal pedal chain (tube screamer, octave, delay, chorus verb, looper), and add the Iridium just before the looper.
I would leave the Iridium OFF for acoustic and turn it on when I switched to the electric. @Angaval or others, Have you done anything like that with your setup?
My current signal chain is as follows (All Strymon Pedals except for the Trio+) - Guitar > Compadre (Compressor) > Sunset (Overdrive) > Trio+ > Iridium (Amp & IR Cab) > Mackie Mixer > PA…Then I’ve got a Flint (Trem) > Big Sky (Reverb) > Deco (Tape Saturation & Double Tracker) running into the effects loop of the Trio+
I primarily play acoustic but just recently got a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin hollow body with P90s so it’s kind of a dual rig. Hence the Iridium and Sunset OD.
I just received the Aeros this morning and haven’t even unboxed it yet but plan on running it last after the Iridium so I capture the simulated amp tones on whatever loops I record. The main outs from Aeros will go to two separate channels on the mixer and then I run everything to the PA.
The only concern I have is input level to the Aeros. The combo of Sunset and Iridium may cause some clipping so might have to turn down the output on those.
Again, haven’t even unboxed Aeros yet so no firsthand experience with this configuration but will find out soon. I’ll keep you posted.
You should be able to control the amount of level sent by any channel to the Aux Out channel that is feeding the Aeros without impacting the main mix. I don’t think a mixer can truly say that it has Aux channels without the ability the control the signal to them. The BB channel will just have none of itself being sent to the Aux Out that is feeding the Aeros.
BTW, this is why I said in my initial post that you get more flexibility with mixing levels and monitoring using a mixer this way. If you already have a mixer anyway, it’s a valuable lesson to learn how to use its features. It’ll up your game. You can make quick mixing decisions and adjustment to everything in your rig without effecting the other things, which is nice. It comes at the cost of being slightly more abstract and may take a minute to wrap your head around; so worth it though.
To start, just read up on how to use Aux channels and their typical use cases, which is normally presented as how to make several independent mixes for stage monitoring, and I think it’ll become clear. If you are familiar with playing on stage and asking the sound engineer to give a little more guitar to your mix, what he is adjusting is the level of the guitar being sent to the Aux Out feeding only your monitor.
Now, if your Aux channels have returns (they usually do), this is where the Aeros Outs would go, but you don’t have to use them. To explain, Aux channels get used for several things. Stage monitoring is just one use case … the signal goes out, but it doesn’t come back. Another use case is sending multiple signals to fx units such as reverb, and then having the fx signal return to the mixer. That’s the purpose of Aux Returns, but you can also just feed the output of the Aeros right back into 2 new mixer channels instead of the Aux Returns. These 2 new channels that Aeros goes into will also NOT send their signal to the Aux Out feeding the Aeros, or it would create a feedback loop. Anyway, that’s how I like to work … using Aux Returns can be limiting and I find they are only necessary if I’ve run out of mixer channels.