NOOB - Laptop Home Recording

EdJames

New member
Excuse me if this comes across as particularly stupid, but I am at somewhat of a a loss as to how to record high quality audio via my laptop.

Previously I used my PC, which has since collapsed under numerous viruses and generally being quite old now.

I was previously running:-

AUDIO TECHNICA AT4040 > ART PRO CHANNEL > DELTA 44 > PC

I have decided that I now want to use my existing laptop to record since it's got a great processor and memory (2.4ghz dual core, 4gb RAM). Obviously this now means that I can't use the Delta 44, so my new series goes:-

AUDIO TECHNICA AT4040 > ART PRO CHANNEL > LAPTOP MIC IN JACK (3.5mm)

When I record this though, the sound quality is horrendous. My next question is, what am I doing wrong and/or what can I improve?

I've heard mention of USB / Firewire interfaces, but presumably your recording can only be as good as the soundcard (which is a generic 'High Definition' card according to my system settings).

How can I maximise the input signal?
 
The only thing you are doing wrong is using the on board sound card on the laptop. They are OK for play back but horrible on the recording side. Note I said OK on playback and not good , great, etc.

If you want to use your laptop you will need an interface. Depending on the computer, either a fire wire or USB connection can be used.
 
Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and tested suggestions: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm

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My obligatory standard reply-for-newbies that I keep in Wordpad so this is just a paste (I don't want to re-type this all the time):

First off, immediately get a good beginner recording book (spend $20 before spending hundred$/thousand$) that shows you what you need to get started and how to hook everything up in your studio:
Home Recording for Musicians by Jeff Strong - $15
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/04...mp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0470385421
(Wish I'd had that when I started; would have saved me lots of money and time and grief)
You can also pick up this book in most any Borders or Barnes&Noble in the Music Books section!

Another good one is: Recording Guitar and Bass by Huw Price
http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Gui...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215734124&sr=1-1
(I got my copy at a place called Half-Price Books for $6!!)

And you can get a FREE subscription to TapeOp magazine at www.tapeop.com

Barnes&Noble or Borders are great places to start --- they have recording books and you can go get a snack or coffee and read them for FREE! Don't pass by a good recording book --- this is a VERY technical hobby and you REALLY want to start a reference library!!!

Good Newbie guides that also explains all the basics and have good tips:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm
http://www.computermusic.co.uk/page/computermusic?entry=free_beginner_pdfs
http://www.harmony-central.com/articles/
http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-techniques/168409-tips-techniques.html

21 Ways To Assemble a Recording Rig: http://www.tweakheadz.com/rigs.htm

Also Good Info: http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com/directory.htm

Other recording books: http://musicbooksplus.com/home-recording-c-31.html

Still using a built-in soundcard?? Unfortunately, those are made with less than $1 worth of chips for beeps, boops and light gaming (not to mention cheapness for the manufacturer) and NOT quality music production.
#1 Rule of Recording: You MUST replace the built-in soundcard.
Here's a good guide and tested suggestions: http://www.tweakheadz.com/soundcards_for_the_home_studio.htm


Plenty of software around to record for FREE to start out on:

Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net (multi-track with VST support)
Wavosaur: http://www.wavosaur.com/ (a stereo audio file editor with VST support)\
Kristal: http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/
Other freebies and shareware: www.hitsquad.com/smm

Another great option is REAPER at http://www.cockos.com/reaper/ (It's $50 but runs for free until you get guilty enough to pay for it...)
I use Reaper and highly reccomend it...

Music Notation and MIDI recording: Melody Assistant ($25) and Harmony Assistant ($80) have the power of $600 notation packages - http://myriad-online.com
Demo you can try on the website.

And you can go out to any Barnes&Noble or Borders and pick up "Computer Music" magazine - they have a full FREE studio suite in every issue's DVD, including sequencers, plugins and tons of audio samples. (November 2006 they gave away a full copy of SamplitudeV8SE worth $150, November 2007-on the racks Dec in the US- they gave away SamplitudeV9SE and July 2009 issue they put out Samplitude10SE. FREE. It pays to watch 'em for giveaways...)
 
Onboard soundcards are hideous. Especially those that come in laptops. The most notable thing is the high noise floor on those cards. And easy distortion. I run mine at about 85% volume, any more and it distorts. Any less and its below human hearing. And multitracking, forget about it.

I use a mobile pre (USB soundcard) for recording on the laptop. But it kind of sucks compared to my Delta 44. But not too bad, and way better than the laptops card. Great for transcribing tapes and demos, although I doubt I'd do anything commercial on it. It has several ins and outs, which makes it mildly more useful than the Delta. But I think that the Deltas converters are better.

Basically lots of external options, even the cheapest of which will smoke your onboard soundcard.
 
Second Question...

So from what you are saying, whilst I can record on my laptop, the sound quality will always be pretty limited regardless of the interface I buy?

Would I therefore be better buying a brand new base unit for my PC and reverting back to my AT4040 > ART Pro Channel > Delta 44 > PC route?

Basically, if I go the USB/Firewire route, will I ever be able to get the studio quality sound that I can get from a PC or will it always be somewhat lacklustre?
 
So from what you are saying, whilst I can record on my laptop, the sound quality will always be pretty limited regardless of the interface I buy?

Would I therefore be better buying a brand new base unit for my PC and reverting back to my AT4040 > ART Pro Channel > Delta 44 > PC route?

Basically, if I go the USB/Firewire route, will I ever be able to get the studio quality sound that I can get from a PC or will it always be somewhat lacklustre?

No, it will work fine with a dedicated interface. The on board sound card is crap and will sound as such. The two are exclusive of each other.
 
You should be able to meet or beat the Delta with an external interface. Whether that costs the same or less I guess depends on how you do the math. Since my Delta 44 didn't come with any microphone preamps or headphone preamps. I spent more on cables and adapters when I got my Delta than I spent on the Delta. And twice as much on the most basic of preamps to be able to use my Delta with the same functionality of a traditional soundcard.

Just be aware of certain limits. PCI has more bandwidth than Firewire. Firewire has more bandwidth than USB (at least until USB3 comes out). And anything PC + interface will likely have some latency involved, which could be problematic for live use or when multitracking.

All you're basically looking for is a quality converter, since you have most of the rest. Which your 3.5mm jack on your laptop will NOT give you. At least not on your typical laptop.
 
Yo EdJames. Welcome to the board! I don't think the other posters are making it clear. When you go into your laptop by USB or firewire (if you are lucky enough to have a firewire enabled laptop), it *bypasses* the sound card completely. The USB/Firewire interface *becomes* the sound card. Your sound will be as good as the interface is, however that may be. Just bypass the sound card.-Richie
 
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