Introduction
USB audio devices have increasingly become a part of music production and recording setups, offering convenience, portability and flexibility for integrating external audio devices into your DAW.
INJECT is our plugin that simplifies the process of using USB audio devices and in this article we will explain how you set up and use INJECT with external USB devices, providing you with a seamless workflow where creativity can thrive.
What is INJECT?
INJECT is a plugin that allows you to utilize any external audio device within your DAW without having to change your playback engine. It also allows you to utilize any hardware device that supports USB audio streaming such as Roland’s boutique series synthesizers, allowing you to significantly speed up your workflow when working with devices that support USB audio streaming, this could be another audio interface and even your iPad/iPhone.
Utilizing INJECT within your workflow allows you to connect extra audio interfaces and synths that utilize USB audio streaming without having to select any of these devices as your DAW’s playback engine. The plugin also supports multi-channel audio and allows you to bring in up to 16 channels of audio from external devices into your session.
Instructions
Firstly, you’ll need to install and authorize the plugin. The INJECT plugin can be downloaded on the Downloads page. Once the plugin is installed, open your preferred DAW and load the INJECT plugin onto an aux track or audio track (if using Ableton LIVE).
Click on the plugin and follow the steps outlined to authorize it. With the plugin authorized, you are now ready to start using external USB audio devices through INJECT. Let’s explore a couple of practical use cases.
Connecting a USB microphone to your session
USB microphones are popular for various applications like voice overs and live streaming. However, using them in your DAW typically requires selecting them as the audio input device, restricting the use of other audio inputs. By using INJECT, you can keep your preferred playback engine while bringing the audio from your USB microphone into your session.
To set this up, insert an instance of INJECT on an aux track or an audio track, (if using Ableton LIVE). Access the plugin’s external input settings and choose your USB microphone as the audio device. Here you can also customize the audio channels, channel formats (for multi-channel devices), and hardware device buffer size.
Once you have selected the USB microphone, the level meter for the external input becomes active. You can now use the built-in recorder within the INJECT plugin to record your commentary. After recording, you can either drag and drop the recording into your DAW’s timeline or alternatively, you can route the aux track that INJECT is inserted on to an audio track to record directly into your timeline.
Using USB synthesizers
USB audio is supported by many synthesizers, allowing you to quickly integrate them into your DAW without the need for an audio interface. However, when using multiple USB synths in the same session, you can quickly run out of I/O on your primary audio interface. INJECT solves this problem by allowing you to use multiple USB synths without using up the inputs from your audio interface.
Similar to the steps for connecting a USB microphone, simply create an aux track (or audio track in Ableton LIVE), insert the INJECT plugin, navigate to the external input settings and select the USB synthesizer you wish to use. INJECT supports up to 16 channels of multichannel audio, allowing you to utilize multiple channels of audio from usb audio devices.
In the channel selector you can choose between a variety of channel formats from mono up to 16 channels. Meaning you can insert multiple instances of LISTENTO to bring in each channel from a multichannel audio device into your session, alternatively you can bring in up to 16 channels from one instance and record the audio using the built-in recorder.
If supported by your DAW, you can then drag and drop the multichannel INJECT recording into your session’s timeline.
Troubleshooting
You shouldn’t encounter any issues while configuring the plugin, but here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Ensure INJECT is correctly installed and enabled in your DAW’s plugin directory.
- Verify that the USB audio device is properly connected.
- Confirm that the USB audio device is supported by your operating system, and you have the necessary drivers installed.
- Attempt to resolve any other issues by restarting your computer and relaunching your DAW.
Conclusion
Incorporating USB audio devices into your music production and recording workflow has never been easier thanks to INJECT. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can seamlessly interrogate USB microphones and USB synthesizers into your DAW without needing to switch your preferred playback engine or dealing with troublesome I/O limitations.
INJECT provides a straightforward solution for utilizing multiple USB audio devices, allowing you to bring external audio sources directly into your sessions with ease and flexibility. Enhance your creativity and streamline your workflow with INJECT today.
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