Focusrite Solo to Guitar Amp? Do I need a mixer?

[ProtoMustBeFollowed]

Hey guys,

Following some ideas I saw Lorn use by routing VST/digital audio through an analog tube amp and mic'ing the output, I wanted to give this a shot, but my current setup is:

PC -> Focusrite Solo 2i2 -> Monitors

If I wanted to use this setup with FL Studio, would I want to add a mixing board?

Would the setup then be: PC -> Mixer -> Focusrite? PC -> Focusrite -> Mixer -> Monitors?

Also, could I run out of the mixer, into a guitar pedal, and back into the mixer?

Given that my speaker cabinet impedence is probably way off from whatever digital audio inputs are used to accepting, I can't imagine I can just plug that into audio-input, so I would need to mic the amp output, right?

Lastly, if I'm using a pedal loop in and out of the same mixer, would I then run the pedal loop out into the amp, or would I put the pedal in-line with the amp in a single output?

Im having trouble understanding the exact setup, and if the mixer would be providing my new audio driver, instead of rendering via focusrite? If that's even happening?

Sorry for the absolute beginner questions, but having trouble getting info via blogs and google, so I thought an old fashion brain dump could help.

Thanks!

[BertKoor]

So there is a track already recorded in your DAW and you want to record that again through a tube amp, perhaps with effects pedal as well.

I think the main obstacle here is your Focusrite interface has only one stereo output. Why is that a problem? Suppose one track carries the mono track going through the amp, you have only one other to connect to a monitor - assuming your DAW can assign different buses to different output channels. Otherwise there is no way to hear (monitor) what you're doing. Adding a mixer does not solve that core problem.

You're right, what comes out of a power amp can not be recorded because of the voltage being too high, and tube amps need their power to be consumed. Either you use a speaker cabinet and a mike, or a device like a loadbox or powersoak that takes that power, converts the majority into heat, with a mic or line level output.

With a somewhat larger audio interface you don't need a mixer. While I won't sell mine ever, I'd not advice anyone buying one. But there are mixers that double as a multi-channel audio interface!