best way to record SBLive midi to audio tracks (one for you gidge)

MASTON

New member
one for you gidge, seeing you've git an SBLive and an audiophile just like me.

I've been recording the SBLive midi tracks with the SBLive, but for better quality shouldn't I be recording it with the audiophile which means I'd have to run a cable either from the audio or the digital outs of the SBLive into the audio or digital of the audiophile (digital would be better as then you don't have to pull out all your other leads, though you would have to record at 48Khz wouldn't you).
Is it necessary to do this (I mean would the quality be any better than recording with the Live), and if so, is it safe, don't want to damage the audiophile.
how do you record your midi?

cheers
Maston
 
I dont have the SB Live, but one very similar....

I think its best to record the Midi tracks with your SBLive because it eliminates a DA conversion and a AD conversion youd have to make if you go out of the SB and into the Audiophile...if you have the SB with the digital outs, you could go from those to the Audiophiles digital in for a straight digital recording with no conversions, but I dont think the quality would be any better.....it would be safe to do it either way.....

I dont do a whole lot with Midi but when I do, I dont use the Audiophile.....i just record the midi parts to audio using the Midi card, and then import the wav files into N-Track.......I have played with playing back the midi parts using a softsynth so I can record the parts with the Audiophile internally, but that wouldnt work for you because you are using Sound Fonts.......
 
I concur with Gidge. The quality you'll get recording the MIDI to audio via the SB Live is fine; besides, the MIDI sounds are only 16-bit audio, so you won't be able to get them to sound any better using the Audiophile's higher resolution anyway, either through the analog i/o or the S/PDIF. I record 'em to audio using the SB and then use the Delta for playback. Works just fine.
 
I don't understand the reasoning. Bit depth or sample rate isn't the issue because the SB will put out 16/44. The quality of the D/A, A/D converters is the issue. No D/A, A/D are eliminated by using the Soundblaster.

If you are going to record MIDI as audio using a SB Live you will have to play the MIDI files out through the SB audio out (D/A conversion) and then record the audio through the SB audio in (A/D conversion). This is two conversions using the SB converters. The Audiophile converters are of much higher quality regardless of the bit depth or sample rate, and the card is much quieter also. I can definitely hear a difference between my DMAN 2044 converters and my SB converters. Why would you not want to use the audiophile?

I'm not picking a fight here, just honestly confused about the advice you've given.
 
I may be the one who is confused.....The soundfonts he creates with the SBlive are digital and are recorded internally and kept digital, therefore never reaching the analog stage and bypassing the converters.......???????
 
There is no need to use your output at all. You can keep everything internal. Whatever software you are using, temporarily assign your SB live as preferred recording device, then assign the wave/synth input in the Windows recording mixer to the Sblive. Don’t forget to record your track at 48KHz because the SBLive is not stable at 44.1KHz. After recording your sound font track don’t save your project but directly convert and export your track to 44.1KHz, then put your sample rate back to 44.1KHz and import the saved synth track. It will be stable.

It is bit a hassle, but the only way to record decently at 44.1KHz with the SBLive.

The alternative would be to record your entire project at 48KHz and convert to 44.1KHz at the end, which is a shame If you’ve got a card that is capable of recording at 44.1KHz. You would lose much more converting all your tracks then just your synth track.

It’s a shame that there are no soundfont compatible cards capable of recording 44.1KHz.
 
I think Jan and Gidge are right. Using the SoundBlaster to record from its own MIDI synth, the routing is all internal -- it does not need to get sent out the analog audio outputs and back into the audio analog inputs. So the converters are not involved in the process at all, and their quality is irrelevant to the process.
 
Thanks guys,

so I guess it's just stick to what I was doing in the first place. Thanks for the tip on doing it at 48khz first Jan, I didn't think of that, though to tell u the truth I haven't had any stability problems yet at 44KHz.
cheers

Maston
 
Right-on Gidge, AlChuck, Jan, and MASTON!

I learned something new today. I feel like the lead character in "Quest for Fire" who just saw humans magically make fire from two sticks for the first time.

Enlightenment.:eek:
 
Back
Top