AH As FX loop over USB?

Elektron Gear Analog Heat
#1

Hi,
I’ve been seriously considering the Analog Heat for some weeks now and it’s just one question holding me back - can I use it as a FX loop over USB? I’ve read the manual and am not really wiser for it. Maybe it’s just not possible and that’s why.

What I want to do is send signal from a particular channel out to external fx, and then route it back into the DAW. My current sound card setup is this:

OUTPUT 1+2 -> Master out
OUTPUT 3+4 –> Track assigned so it can go to the external FX (delays etc.) separately from the master
INPUT 1 +2 –> FX coming back in

So for this to work I need to be able to assign the output of the Master and the channel I want to effect, separately.

The AH has got 2 hardware outputs but what I’m wondering is if it is possible to assign the USB out (in this case it would play the master track into headphones/monitors) separately from the hardware outputs, which would go clean into the external FX before being routed back in.

Hope it’s possible to understand what I mean. = )

Best,
ben

#2

With Overbridge (and/or aggregate devices if you’re running macOS) you can integrate the Analog Heat completely via USB. Not using its analog I/O at all. Overbridge acts like a normal fx plug-in - except the audio is routed through the hardware device.
Does this answer any part of your question? I’m not sure I understand what you’d like to achieve with the clean output via AH.

#3

If I’m not mistaken, they’re talking about sending audio out of the DAW via Overbridge through the Main output of Analog Heat and into an external hardware effect where audio may be processed and then returned to the Analog Heat’s stereo inputs. I have wondered about that myself and don’t think it’s currently possible unfortunately.

If it were possible; I suppose I would want some level of control regarding the signal path (dry audio out of Heat into effect and back in to add some Heat, or perhaps Heat wet main out to other hardware effect and then back into Heat for recording in DAW).

#4

Thank you both of you for your replies.

Yes, that’s exactly it. So far my research indicates it is not possible, as you say. Will probably going the route of aggregate device then, but was hoping to be able to replace my current audio interface entirely and just run the Heat in it’s place.

1 Like
#5

Here is my relevant post:

1 Like
#6

Yeah, I would advise against doing that. Also, the AH currently doesn’t route Midi from Midi In to the DAW, so you can’t use it as a MIDI Interface.