Sound Card Source device

[Eanna]

Hi, has anyone gotten the "Sound Card Source" and "Sound Card Dest" modules working in Scope?

I have a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface, on the latest Focusrite USB2.0 driver. I instantiate the Sound Card Source, set it to use the Focusrite driver, set it to either 44.1 kHz/48 kHz sample rates, route the Sound Card Source LOut and ROut straight to my monitors via the Scope Analog Dest, but it's nastily broken up.

I prefer the preamps on my Scarlett to my Presonus Digimax FS (my usual preamps on ADAT to Scope). I'd like to see about integrating the Focusrite into Scope, as I rely on Scope's Mixers more than I do my DAW (Ableton). The only way I can think of to route audio from the Scarlett to Scope, bypassing Presonus, is by using the Sound Card Source device - since Ableton can only use one ASIO driver at a time...

Is this something amiss with my setup? Or something to do with sample rates? Or the Focusrite driver being somehow incompatible with Scope's interface to the Sound Card via that device?

Anyone have sucesses with other interfaces?


Thanks, Eanna

[garyb]

that module is a holdout from v3. Creamware tried to make that a reality and failed. the module has remained, though. it does work with the Soundblasters it was designed to work with, but it was never that great.

[Eanna]

Thanks for the explanation - I wish the documentation would be realistic about that...

What are the options to use something like my Scarlett as a preamp and A/D frontend to Scope? How might you wire up the Focusrite ASIO driver output as input to Scope? Ableton (my regular DAW) doesn't allow more than one ASIO driver's I/O to be available at a time (does something like Cubase or Reaper?), so I can only use Scope's ASIO driver in my DAW. Can't use something rewired into Ableton, because the rewire slave won't see the sound card. How else might you achieve it?

I'm aware of Plogue Bidule. Is that a (free?!) option? Does Max for Live enable multiple ASIO drivers to be made available for routing in Ableton's mixer?

A general question about Preamps - there's not much point in use the Focusrite preamps as a 'DI' or sorts, taking the direct output from the Audio Interface straight into the Presonus inputs? Would it make more sense to use Scope's Analog RCA's in? If there's line-level inputs going into the Focusrite, then is there benefit to use the Focusrite? Does it make 'more sense' to use the Focusrite preamps as a high-quality DI for things like Guitars and Basses, and Mics? I.e. where the preamps have 'work' to do...

I know, my ears will let me know... But there must be some theory behind it too... I am probably guilty of letting theory influence my expectations (Noah and Scope having far surpassed those same theoretically-based expectations!), but the physics of it all interests me.

Thanks..

[garyb]

to use the Focusrite with the Scope card, you'll need to connect the sp/dif or analog outputs into the Scope card's inputs(i assume the Focusrite can route like this). or just get a real micpre. the Focusrite isn't that incredibly good as an interface, it's certainly no better than the Scope card.

there's no way for Scope to see the Focusrite ASIO driver. only software can connect to a driver, which is a bridge between hardware and software. the Scope card is hardware, though it looks like software. a driver cannot connect hardware to hardware.

[Eanna]

Good explanation, thank you...

Got myself a DBX DDP (digital dynamics unit with DBX Type IV A/D that is impossible to 'over') as my frontend, and the Focusrite is gone where all good interfaces go... to a young fella starting off....

Very happy with the DBX Type IV - have a few bits that can really sizzle (Jomox MResonator, ADT Morphex and Synthex, and a Feedback-generating / Effect Looper pedal) - with 122dB of Dynamic Range of A/D conversion, I'm sorted.
EQ, Gate, Compressor, Limiter, Desser, all in glorious stereo in a 1U rackmount, I've landed on my feet with this unit.

Cheers, Eanna