Using Low Cut Filter in PC Mode

[Lijphart22]

Greetings all,

I recently bought the Model 12 as a multi-purpose tool for live performing and as an audio interface. I'm really happy with it, except for one thing:

My workflow involves having individual tracks from Ableton or my MPC Live routed to discrete channels on the Model 12 (e.g., Kick drum on Channel 1, bassline on Channel 2, etc.). Whether using Ableton or my MPC, I need to set the channels to "PC" to take advantage of all the channels on the Model 12. But when I do that, it seems to disable the Low Cut filter toggle and Gain knobs, which I was really hoping to use for live performance scenarios (the low cut, in particular).

In researching, it seems this is just how the Model 12's signal path is designed, but I'm hoping to confirm that with this community and see if there are any reasonable workarounds.

Many thanks in advance

 

[Max Relic]

Welcome to the forum @Lijphart22. Gain and insert are available only for analog inputs; low cut is digital but being placed before the USB return point it doesn't affect audio coming from Ableton. A look at the block diagram can shed some light.

 

[Lijphart22]

Thanks, @Max Relic. Unfortunately for me, that makes sense now that I understand the signal paths more. I appreciate your response and the block diagram reference.

 

[Max Relic]

Low cut (low shelf) filter can be applied per-channel in Ableton, as well as any other plugin you would add to each track before they land on the Model 12 USB input.
If you want to play a bit with the hardware resources of the Model 12 try feeding a channel output into a free input: unassign from MAIN the channel coming from Ableton and assign it to SUB (or AUX1 if you like), connect the AUX1 / SUB output to a free input with a short TRS cable, assign this channel to MAIN and unassign from SUB (or set AUX1 Send full anti-clockwise). Adjust source/destination faders for optimal gain and mix level.
Note that due to the double D-A + A-D conversion in the process, there may be a slight latency. Usually it is negligible and can be perceived only when the fold-back signal is mixed with the source.

 

[Lijphart22]

Thanks again. I realize Low cuts (HPFs) can be applied in Ableton before they land on the Model 12. But in this use case, I'm trying to perform a live set using the Model 12 as the centerpiece without needing to touch other hardware or software aside from switching projects or sequences occasionally to load up new tracks. I wouldn't want to apply the HPF in Ableton (or the MPC) since I want the pure sound to come through, allowing me to strip the low frequencies out of a kick drum or bassline and then drop them back in on the fly with the push of a button.

I appreciate the creative ideas with routing/busing things; however, I don't have any channels to spare. I got the 12 (rather than the 16) mainly because it is the perfect amount of channels for my workflow without taking up more desk space than necessary.

I was thinking I could use the Inserts on Channels 1 and 2 to run a filter pedal through (I really only need to be able to apply a Low Cut on two of the channels), but now I realize that that won't work because the Inserts are also analog so wouldn't be usable either (Duh..).

So, the only solution I can think of is buying a separate interface that I would connect to my laptop or MPC via USB and then using the analog outputs to route to the analog inputs of the Model 12. That's not an expense I'm looking forward to incurring, but the Model 12 seems otherwise perfect for my needs, so it's probably a reasonable investment, especially if I can get a cheaper one like the Behringer U-Phoria UMC1820.