Routing to external effects with Peak Pro 6 using Jack OS X

Peak Pro 6 features a new "Real Time Bounce" command which allows external effects hardware to be used as if they were effects plug-ins in your computer. Setting up Peak to do this is fairly simple, though before you do it you will need to install Jack OS X v.1.6.0, which is included in the Peak Pro Production Pack, included with new retail copies of Peak Pro and Peak Pro XT 6, and in certain upgrade packages. The version of Jack OS X used in this tutorial is newer than the one included in the Peak Pro Production Pack and the labels are slightly different.

The techniques described in this tutorial require using an audio I/O interface with at least 4 input and output channels.

How it Works

Assuming that Peak Pro 6 and Jack OS X have been installed, setting up your computer, audio I/O interface, software, and external effects takes just a few minutes.

How to set up your equipment:

  1. Connect outputs 3 & 4 (for left & right channels) on your audio I/O device to the inputs of your external hardware, such as an EQ or compressor.
  2. Connect the outputs of your external hardware to inputs 3 & 4 on your audio I/O device.
  3. This tutorial uses an Edirol FA-101 audio I/O interface, and connects to the external effects hardware using balanced 1/4" TRS cables. Depending on the equipment you use, you may need different cables and see a different device name in JackPilot's Connections Manager.

  4. Launch the JackPilot application.
  5. When the JackPilot interface appears, click the "Start" button.
  6. Once the Jack server has started, launch Peak Pro 6, and open the audio document you wish to process with external effects hardware.
  7. From Peak's Plug-ins menu, choose "Insert 1>Audio Unit>jackosx.com>Jack-insert" - the Jack plug-in appears, and should show "Online" status.
  8. Bring JackPilot to the foreground, and click its "Routing" button.
  9. You may need to click the disclosure triangles to reveal the audio I/O device's ports, and Peak's Audio Unit sends.

  10. Select "AUsend1" in the Send Ports column, and then double-click "playback_3" in the Receive Ports column - it will turn red to indicate the connection.
  11. Select "AUsend2" in the Send Ports column, and then double-click "playback_4" in the Receive Ports column - it will turn red to indicate the connection.
  12. Select "AUreturn1" in the Receive Ports column, and then double-click "capture_3" in the Send Ports column - it will turn red to indicate the connection.
  13. Select "AUreturn2" in the Receive Ports column, and then double-click "capture_4" in the Send Ports column - it will turn red to indicate the connection.
  14. Configure the external effects hardware as desired, and choose "Real Time Bounce" from Peak's Plug-Ins menu - Peak bounces the file in real-time, and applies the external hardware effects.

Note that you can modify parameters on the external effects hardware during a real-time bounce, and those changes are rendered in the bounced file.

That's all you need to do to use external effects hardware with digital audio files in Peak Pro 6

To see a video of this process,click here:

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