How do I connect my H9000 directly to Mac M2 Studio and Cubase 14?

[circlingkailas]

Any advice greatly appreciated.  I just got the USB audio on my H9000 repaired, and my hope was to connect it directly to the Mac Studio using USB audio.  No other audio interface, use H9000 as an External Effect in Cubase Pro 14.  The H9000 is definitely connected to the Mac Studio – so that seems all fine and good.  However, I am pulling my hair out trying to incorporate the H9000 into Cubase 14.  If I select the H9000 USB Audio as the ASIO driver, I can see in Emote that the unit is receiving and sending audio signal, but I can’t hear the output (using headphones connected to H9000).  If I use Built-In Audio as the ASIO driver and try to set up H9000 as an external effect, I get the following screenshot.  I can select Built In as the send bus for the H9000, but the Return Bus doesn’t allow me to select Built In Audio.  And there’s no headphone port on the H9000.  I am probably doing something basically naive, but if anyone can tell me exactly how to set this up, that would be fantastic.  I also tried to create an Aggregate Device made up of the H9000 USB Audio and Headphones; this allowed me to select the Aggregate Device as the Return Bus, sound comes out of headphones but no H9000 I/O. Or, is this setup impossible and I need to bring in an audio interface?  Thanks in advance!

[tbskoglund]

Hi there, have you seen the quick start section of the manual for this setup? That should get you in the right direction: https://cdn.eventideaudio.com/manuals/h9000/2.1.12/content/quickstart/USBaudiosetup.html#audio-interface

Connecting headphones directly to the H9000 will be tricky and is not recommended without a dedicated headphone amp or something like that. Connecting the analog outputs 1-2 to some studio monitors or something that can handle line level signals will work fine.

Once you have followed the quick start instructions, I would suggest loading up the oscillator algorithm (#13 or #14) in the FX Chains so you can verify which H9000 outputs are being sent to which tracks in your DAW.

The Aggregate device route could also work, once you have that setup you should see the 16 USB I/O of the H9000 available as your send/return channels, along with 2 more output channels from your computers headphone outputs.

Let me know how it goes.

[joecozzi]

Hello circlingkailas,

Ideally, you’ll want to pair the H9000 up with a standard interface as an aggregate device so that you have monitoring capabilities from the standard interface. The interface handles your headphone I/O as well as connecting standard studio monitors. From within Cubase, you can access the H9000 using 16 channels of USB audio. The outputs of the DAW, however, are routed through the standard interface. The H9000 by itself doesn’t provide dedicated studio monitor outputs with volume control, or as you pointed out, it does not have a dedicated headphone out.

[circlingkailas]

Thank you, this is very helpful.  To explain the situation, this is a H9000 I am using in a home environment, so studio monitors are out.  Actually, they are not out, I am just using this in an office in my home and not in the studio in the basement!  So, the “studio monitors” have to be my headphones, unless I trash the idea and put the H in the studio.  I will try the suggestions above, but it is sounding like I need to put a real audio interface in this setup to be able to work with headphones only.  Thanks!

[circlingkailas]

Also, I really want to take advantage of the H9000 USB Audio.  If I have to incorporate an audio interface between the H and the Mac Studio, do Eventide have any recommendations?  I am assuming it would have to be an interface that can have USB audio in, and also a USB audio out to hook into the Mac Studio?  Thanks

[joecozzi]

Yes, any USB interface compatible with your computer is optimal. I like brands like Universal Audio, Focusrite, Presonus, and MOTU. These days you can even get an SSL interface for a good price. I recommend something with a dedicated instrument in as well and at least 2 headphone outs, one for you and an artist. It helps if the interface has an equal number of ins and outs so things line up nicely when setting up an aggregate device, but it’s not a big deal. You can always just out the H9000 first so that it’s I/O lines up nicely for you inside the DAW.

[circlingkailas]

I tried creating an Aggregate Device comprised of the H9000 and my headphones.  The headphones work just fine in this setup, the H9000 is still silent.  I can see it is sending signal (I have the Oscillator algorithm set up and can see the audio signal in the mixer), but can’t hear it.  It looks like the Aggregate didn’t work, see attached, I don’t know what the red box means in Audio Midi Setup.  Thanks, I was really hoping not to have to incorporate an interface into this setup.

Attachments:

You must be logged in to view attached files.

[joecozzi]

Here’s a recommendation: when setting up the aggregate device, select the H9000 first so its 16 input channels line up with its 16 output channels. Then, select the headphones second. This way inside of your DAW, if you’re setting up sends or inserts, the I/O is not mismatched.

Can you describe how you’ve set up your session to send signal to the H9000 and back? When I use it in a Pro Tools session, for example, I have I/O USB 1-2 mapped to an Insert. I put that insert on an Aux track. When I send signal to that Aux track via a send, the audio gets routed into the aux track, out USB1-2 into the H9000 and back into the track from Input USB1-2 and that aux track is sent to the Master Audio channel, which should be directed to your monitors/headphones. I run my H9000 in Kill dry so that I’m only hearing the wet effects on the aux track and I mix to taste. How are you doing it?

[tbskoglund]

I think it’d be best if you email support@eventideaudio.com with some screenshots of all your settings where the audio is showing up on your meters/mixer and I can help you troubleshoot the setup further there.

[circlingkailas]

Thank you – For about 5 minutes, I thought I had it!  Signal was definitely going out to H9000 from Cubase and back.  I think the issue has something to do with the USB routing in H9000 and the audio connections in Cubase, I will send screen shot if I get it working again.  I’m not routing things correctly. Thanks

[joecozzi]

Definitely get in touch with support@eventideaudio.com.

While you wait, start simple. On the H9000 or using Emote, make sure Inputs USB 1-2 is connect to the inputs of the first FX Chain. Similarly, make sure the outputs of the first FX Chain are connected to Outputs USB 1-2 of the H9000. From within Cubase, set the output of a channel to USB 1-2 that corresponds to the input of the H9000 and the FX Chain. On a second channel, set its input to H9000 USB 1-2 output. The output of that track should be routed to the Master channel. You should hear audio.

[circlingkailas]

I have gotten the setup to a point that the H9000 is an external effect in Cubase, it is receiving signal from a synth VST loaded in cubase, it seems to be outputting audio according to the H9000 FX Chain mixer, but the sound is not getting back into Cubase or to my headphones.  So it seems to be a routing issue.  Switching the order of headphones and H9000 in Audio Midi Setup did not solve the problem.  Has it really come to me buying another audio interface?

[Author]

Posts