Outboard Effects Process Issues

[Ves Paul]

Greetings,

I'm using a Presonus Firestudio Project (8 Input interface) along with the Studio One 2 Pro DAW.

I've got a kick mic going into the Input of of a Mackie ProFX16 mixer (not a control surface) so that I can utilize the pre's and the EQs going in. From there, the left main output is connected to the FSP's first input and is feeding the DAW. The snare top mic is treated similarly, utilizing the right output channel and the second input of the FSP. There is an OH mic going into a Presonus Studio Channel and into the fifth input of the FSP.

 

Pretty standard stuff and is working as expected. My experimentation with the bottom snare mic, however, is not. I'm trying to utilize some of my guitar effects in what may be considered an unorthodox manner. I've got the mic going directly into the FSP's third input, the third "general output" (an assignable signal output for each input is located on the rear of the FSP) going into my delay pedal and then into the fourth input of the FSP as a sort of effects loop. I have adjusted the Universal Control for the general outputs as suggested by Presonus to achieve single channel output I'm after, and that seems to be working fine. My problem is this...

 

I've got a slight slapback delay on the pedal with a very short regeneration time, but upon striking the snare the signal seems to be looping at a rate of infinity, resulting in a solid, unwavering tone after the first hit.

 

Is the delay effect being run through the pedal over and over instead of just once? If so, why? If not, is there another way I can achieve my goal of using outboard effects on signals being sent into the interface?

 

Thanks for reading.

P

[Ves Paul]

Just had a thought. I could use an A/B box instead. Although, if it's passive, will I be losing half the signal for each input?

[Phil O'Keefe]

It does indeed sound like you have a feedback loop happening. Have you tried using an aux send on the Mackie for patching in the delay?

[Ves Paul]

I have not. I did try the A/B/Y box and it worked well. Funny thing is, I didn't like the result! I will give the aux send on the Mackie a shot and see if I get move favorable results.

 

Thanks!

[onelife]

Is it possible that, instead of having a single input routed to a single output, you have a pair of inputs going to a pair of outputs?

 

Maybe you could try bringing your delay back into the Firestudio on an input other than 3 or 4.