This!
My volume drop is primarily when using the Heat as a soundcard into ableton. I want to use it as a primary soundcard because it is so convenient actually to have an effect as a soundcard too when I just want to get things recorded.
As a soundcard, 2 channels are dry signal and 2 are wet signal.
However, the wet input sounds quiet and terrible via the soundcard, while the dry signal inputs are good, normal, and fine. The wet signal sounds fine when out the outputs normally, a little low, but barely audible.
Has anybody had issues with the Analog Heat soundcard?
I learned a lot in this thread. Especially the tip about A/B-ing the active button and adjusting the wet level until the effect is close to the non-active audio. That made for easier usage of the heat when trying different things out. Thanks all, for the great tips!
2 Likes
Especially when you A-D in 24bits.
2 Likes
i got heat mainly as a effect and soundcard for my new win10 laptop. now overbridge crashes ableton right away, and as a usb soundcard the wet signal is super super low. on my desktop studio pc i use it with overbridge and everything works fine.
so⌠itâs ok in the studio, but with my laptop (one of the reasons i got heat) itâs really not working as it should. 
@djx I noticed exactly the same : if you have one cable that goes directly from A4 to the mixer, and the other goes to inactive AH that goes to mixer, I hear a huge volume drop. Like AH would not be true bypass, when I would expect the contrary.
I (think I) understand what has been said above about gain staging, but IMO an inactive AH should not make the sound drop so much.
What do you think of this ?
Do you observe the same thing or is it an improper cabling of mine ?
Is this also true with mk2 ?
1 Like
I think what you describe is the same for me. (I cant comment on the mkII). In my setup where I use the heat on an aux send it is not really an issue, since I always have the full wet signal being returned. But in any case, the thing with the heat is that you need to ride the drive, wet level and dry/wet pots all the time anyway if you want to keep a similar output level when you switch between the various configurations.
1 Like
I too, wonder if the AH has true bypass because of the level differences, but I havenât looked into the manual about that spec yet.
I personally donât have too many issues with levels, because I often like to leave enough headroom after I print and mix in the box. If you slam your source through the AH too hott itâll be harder to mix with other tracks, unless youâre using the AH on a bus or to master.
I know mastering engineers need that headroom to work if youâre eventually sending your tracks down the road too. 
I have a MOTU 16A, which does not have input adjustment. just 16 ins and outs at line level, which is suitable for all my other outboard effects used as inserts. If i run a drum machine directly into the 16A, it can achieve any level from 0 to clipping. when i run my drum machine into the HEAT then into the 16A, will all levels up, it struggles to get to -24db. the only way I can achieve the -12db levels you are explaining above is if i introduce a pair of preamps after the HEAT which then can boost the level up to the -12db zone. this works fine, but is not ideal as it will invariably introduce the colour and circuitry of the preamp into the signal. in overbridge this level doesnt matter, but when mixing or processing in pro tools, the level boost preamps are necessary to achieve levels I can work with. I can imagine the same problems would arise in a live situation, where something in the signal must give a boost. perhaps it;s time to just get a OTO Boum.
I just had a thought regarding this. The Heat has balanced inputs & outputs. Most MOTUâs also have balanced inputs. If youâre using TS (mono) cables somewhere in the chain, I wonder if youâre just experiencing some phase cancellation that is bringing the level way down. If you have some TRS (balanced / stereo) cables, try those between Heat and the MOTU. Other than that, I donât know what else could be up with your box.
Are you refering to -24 db Peak or RMS? And what about the input sensitivity setting on your Heat? I dont have any problems getting a loud enough signal into my Fireface 800.
What happens if you physically patch the cables going to the heat, into the Motu card direct? Is it louder or quieter than through the heat?
Iâve got all patching done with balanced TRS.
-24 db peak. input is at a healthy 80% without clipping. makes no difference when I patch directly into MOTU, all signals are still quieter, hence i must preamp the return signal⌠if I use through overbridge in LIVE, it is fine and dandy. but i do a fair bit of mixing and processing in Pro Tools and the Heat just ends up not getting used. shame. in theory, i love it. in practice, it lets down.
Not shure if i described it correctly, but i wanted to know what happened if you use the same cables going into the Heat, direct into the Motu instead. So physically bypassing the Heat. I have no problem getting a louder signal out of my Heat than into my Heat.
I have my Heat connected to the master out of my mixer. I think i set the sensitivity to medium. If i didnt i had to push the mixer far above 0db to get a decent signal level. The Low sensitivity setting on the Heat is more for using stuff like a modular directly in to the Heat.
1 Like
âŚall safety headrooms from sweden are for ur own goodâŚear safe firstâŚ
and of all elektron gear, the heat can kill ur ears the most, fastest and easiestâŚ
thank god this thing doesânt offer a delay alsoâŚ
âŚand hey, weâre in 24 bit ageâŚno real need to complain bout levelsâŚ
Yeah, or the unit is faulty.
Well, I think i have to take back everything i wrote about levels on the Heat. Iâve used it in different ways since i got it. First i used it as an external effect with my Fireface 400 soundcard. Then i got a mixer and used it on the master out. Then i connected it on a bus on my mixer instead so i could send the whole mix through, or just a drum bus deciding on what i wanted.
But now i got a Warm Audio Bus Comp, and wanted to utilize my patchbay so i could patch in the Heat before my Bus Comp. And then the levels issue is pretty apparent in my setup as well. I do want to send a signal that is dancing around 0dB on my VU meters to my compressor. Without the heat patched in the compressor gets a proper signal. I can turn the threshold down sligthly and i see it is starting to compress.
But if i patch in the Heat the signal drops about 10 db if i have input sensitivity to medium. If i set it to high it is about 3 db lower. But then i get peaking if the signal goes just slightly higher. There is no headroom left.
I have no problem âboostingâ the signal level in the Heat and get a higher signal into the compressor. But then i cant bypass both compressor and Heat at the same time to compare to the original signal.
The inputs on my mixer are adjusted to give me an RMS of -18 db when meters on my mixer are at 0db, so i cant just boost the inputs on my soundcard either.
Not a big issue, as i can work around it. But i now see why people can have issue with the leves of this unit.
TLDR: I didnt think this was an issue, but it kind of is when you use it in series with other gear thats calibrated for +4dbu levels.
3 Likes
Yeah same here. In certain studio applications itâs not as apparent, buy especially for live it is an issue.
When performing live I have a hard time matching the output volume when using heat on the master out with DJs that are programmed around me. (Who are slamming their records into the reds on pioneer mixers as well of course. Yes, itâs still a thing.)
Gain on the pioneer at maximum isnât even enough (and not good for sound quality either) So unless thereâs someone that can crank up the volume after the mixer stage I have to take the heat out of the chain. Very unfortunate.
Going to have a look at a stereo signal booster to compensate but itâs not very ideal. But I really love the sound ik getting from adding the heat so what are ya going to do 
1 Like
Are you talking about when using the Heat with Ableton?
Nope. Just on the master out of my setup. (No laptop involved)
That sounds strange. So, when you are playing live is there a way you can jack directly to the main mixer (just bring a couple long 1/4 inch cables to gigs)? I have used mine on our system a few times, but havenât gone through a DJ mixer. Anyways, I wonder if there is a setting in your Heat that is wrong, because my AHmk1 adds volume to my mixâŚunless I am running it through OB.
Input sensitivity is one setting⌠I think there is another that will help with gain structure. Iâm sure youâve checked these settings, but itâs worth a try. Hope you can figure it out.