Topic: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

Hello all! I just became the proud owner of an RME BabyFace Pro FS. I love the quality and build of the device, but as a somewhat inexperienced user I am having some technical challenges. I have tried reading around online and watching some videos, but have been unable to figure out what I need to do to get this figured out. My challenge is as such:

When I initially routed my Instr. 2 (on Reaper) In4 (on BabyFace) into Reaper everything was audible as it should be. I could add that audio to a track, and apply Helix Native to that track for guitar processing. The issue is that there is a bit of latency when playing the guitar and listening to it in Reaper in this fashion. In doing some digging, I read that this can happen due to the Direct Monitoring of Reaper, and so I disabled that in Reaper's options. However, what this has left me with now is a dry signal from my guitar.

Although I still have Helix Native selected on the track, I can no longer hear it in Real Time (live) as I play. If I record my dry guitar to the track and play it back I can hear the effects applied fine, however this is obviously not ideal for recording purposes. I suspect there is something I need to enable within TotalMixFX in order to be able to hear the Helix Native processed guitar live. However, I have been unable to make any changes that seem to do the trick. In case it is helpful this is my setup:


Computer: Mac M2 Max on Ventura 13.4
Interface: RME BabyFace Pro FS
Headphones: Audio Technica in the RME's 1/4 inch phones jack
DAW: Reaper 6.81
TotalMix version: 1.83
VST: Line6 Helix Native running via VST3


I would be eternally grateful for any assistance/perspective that can be offered from anyone. Thank you in advance!

2 (edited by waedi 2023-08-18 17:54:07)

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

You have disabled monitoring ? What is Direct monitoring in Reaper ? Can't find this.
Enable it back !
The I button next to the R button, switch ON record monitoring on that track.
You will still have a little latency, this is normal.
In Reaper preferences Buffer you can decrease the Media Buffer Size, this will shrink the latency but when too low the system starts with interrupts and glitches.
From 1200 go down 600, 200, etc
Try  1
I don't have Helix but with Guitar Rig6 it runs fine

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

Hello and thank you for your assistance! This helped me to a degree when I brought the buffer down to 128!

I realized part of my issue is that I concurrently still hear the dry signal from my guitar along with the effects in Helix Native. Do you know how to mute the dry signal sound from the BabyFace?

I've tried all the sliders in TotalMix and can't seem to alter it...

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

A screenshot from Totalmix and from the Helix plugin would help.
The dry/wet setting in Reaper seems to be not 100% wet ?

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

The FX slot of Reaper has a small knob top right for a general wet/dry setting for the whole FX slot,
and almost every FX plugin has its own wet/dry setting.
Make everything 100% wet.
https://i.ibb.co/3TvHtZz/dry.jpg

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

Hello! I really appreciate all of your assistance and apologies for the n00b moments.

I believe I figured out what I needed to do. I had assumed the 2nd row in TotalMix "Software Inputs" was merely to adjust their volume, however in this case the fader for that level seemed to control how much I could hear from Reaper vs Dry from the BabyFace. Hence turning it up 100% seemed to make it eliminate the dry sound...

Re: Direct Monitoring - Reaper w/ Helix Native - Unable to Hear Live

Aha then in the first row Hardware Inputs the guitar input fader was not fully down ?
It should be down for the active output.
A screenshot of Totalmix would have been helpful.

M1-Sequoia, Madiface Pro, Digiface USB, Babyface silver and blue