Using the HD Pro with the IRT Studio

I’ve been meaning to put together a video relating to this for ages now, but in the meantime here’s a quick diagram to show how I have my IRT Studio hooked up (as heard in theplaythrough video for Aurora). Typically what I tend to do is track using POD Farm or something similar. Obviously I could just as easily go straight into the IRT and into my interface, but I find this method works the best as I’m not locked into any one tone. Check it out:

1: After tracking, bypass the virtual amp and change the track’s output to SPDIF to route the signal out to the IRT Studio

2: Insert an FX Loop block into the HD Pro signal chain (I usually put this after Noise Gate and Tube Screamer blocks) to send it out to the IRT Studio

3: Using an XLR-to-1/4″ cable, connect the D.I. out of the IRT to the FX Loop Return, with cabinet emulation off (optional)

4: Finally connect the XLR output of the HD Pro to your audio interface and monitor the resulting tone through a second audio channel with an impulse response applied (or just use the cabinet emulation built into the IRT). When you’re happy with the sound, hit record and let it print-to-track.

Just a few tips/things to watch out for:

• When you come to the re-amping stage remember to only have one track at a time routed to the SPDIF output of your interface.

• You could just as easily use software plugins for tone-shaping (the TSE 808 is a great free Tube Screamer plugin) and just use the HD Pro as a re-amp box.

• If you use an X3 Pro you can run place the FX Loop before your Amp block, and run a cabinet model with no pre-amp selected, removing the need for an impulse loader. Unfortunately the HD Pro can’t do this. An alternative would be to use something like theTwo Notes Torpedo if you can stretch to it.

• I tend to get the best results when working at 24-bit. At 16-bit there seems to be more noise and digital ‘squelching’ in the tone. Could just be my interface but generally 24-bit is better anyway.

• If you’re getting any digital chatter try disconnecting the HD Pro’s USB connection and edit using the front panel. Also you can insert a Behringer HD400 in between all of your analogue connections to eliminate ground loops, but usually it’s not a problem if you’re working with XLR.

Hope this helps a few of you out there who have been wondering how to get these two awesome pieces of kit to work together. Any questions, just put them in the comments below. Now it’s back to the studio to work on some more CS3. Awwww yeah!