Cakewalk Home Studio 2002: Recording Issue

[get2sammyb]

Cakewalk Home Studio 2002
Avance A97 Soundcard
1.5ghz Celeron
128mb
Windows XP

I am having a recording problem. I have recorded like three songs no problem up to now, but when I went to do a second take on one of the songs audio I noticed a clicking noise in the background.

I thought nothing of it and plugged the guitar in to record the next song, same problem.

What was also strange was that I was stopping the recording of the track and the time indicator was further accross than the recording wave form (does that make sense).

If you need more information ask. But can you help?

[dachay2tnr]

Not quite sure what the problem is, but you have a really poor sound card, and you are really light on memory. I suspect either, or both could be causing the problem.

[get2sammyb]

Yeah I suspected someone would say that. But how come I have done countless re recordings on guitar, bass and vocals for three songs with no problems.

[brzilian]

Originally posted by get2sammyb
Yeah I suspected someone would say that. But how come I have done countless re recordings on guitar, bass and vocals for three songs with no problems.

It could be many things - fragmented HD, not enough memory, bad drivers...

Upgrading your RAM and soundcard will most likely help. 128Mb isn't even enough memory for XP alone.

[get2sammyb]

I think its 256mb actually... And it is nothing to do with my PC, cos everything is fine if I use Audacity, and the previous three songs I have done.

In fact... It has worked PERFECTLY for ages... Is there anything I can try?

[get2sammyb]

The point is it worked fine for 6months but now I am getting this clicking noise in the background.

What can I try to get things working again?

[get2sammyb]

I am guessing from no replies that there is not a lot I CAN do. I will install all my music software onto my sisters PC then. Its more powerful, and is to be honest more suitable for the job, if not less convenient.

If anyone does have anything I can try... feel free to post. If not, I will work with my sisters PC.

[bsr2002]

Upgrade your RAM and Soundcard and invest in a external Hard Drive (at least 80GB) and use that drive for your music and nothing else.




http://hire_on_the_fly.tripod.com

[papatomany]

Originally posted by bsr2002
Upgrade your RAM and Soundcard and invest in a external Hard Drive (at least 80GB) and use that drive for your music and nothing else.




http://hire_on_the_fly.tripod.com

I've heard this before, so I'd like to jump in for clarification.
Why external (i.e. why not add a second internal drive)?
Also, what if you use a USB sound card, will the sound card and a USB drive defeat the purpose?

[brzilian]

Originally posted by papatomany
I've heard this before, so I'd like to jump in for clarification.
Why external (i.e. why not add a second internal drive)?
Also, what if you use a USB sound card, will the sound card and a USB drive defeat the purpose?

Yes and Yes. I don't understand why bsr2002 said that. An internal IDE drive will be faster and cheaper and not take away from USB bandwidth if you were using a USB interface.

[get2sammyb]

I dont think its a case of my PC not being powerful enough. Because this has only JUST started happening.

[brzilian]

Originally posted by get2sammyb
I dont think its a case of my PC not being powerful enough. Because this has only JUST started happening.

Maybe, but what everybody is telling you here is that you will definetly not have problems if you looked into buying a better soundcard. Your current soundcard as never intended for DAW work - only games and Windows sounds. Any card specifically desgined for DAW work WILL have better written WDM drivers.

[get2sammyb]

I am aware that its not ideal. Can I not turn off dropouts though?

Someone mentioned over MSN about my soundcard being overloaded. Its got to be possible to unload it right?

[brzilian]

Originally posted by get2sammyb
I am aware that its not ideal. Can I not turn off dropouts though?

Someone mentioned over MSN about my soundcard being overloaded. Its got to be possible to unload it right?

No you can't turn off dropouts and you cannot unload your soundcard. Dropouts happen because your hardware can't keep with the data flowing through it.

This is very simple - well written WDM drivers are needed for the task you are performing in Home Studio. Go out, spend $50 on a SB Live or Audigy, download the KX-Project drivers and be done with it!

This comes from someone who tried to save money when starting off and enced up speding more money going through 3 soundcards before buying a SB Live and then Audiophile 2496.

[dachay2tnr]

Originally posted by brzilian
This is very simple - well written WDM drivers are needed for the task you are performing in Home Studio. Go out, spend $50 on a SB Live or Audigy, download the KX-Project drivers and be done with it!

Wow. Never thought I would ever see well written WDM drivers and SB Live together in the same sentence.

[brzilian]

Originally posted by dachay2tnr
Wow. Never thought I would ever see well written WDM drivers and SB Live together in the same sentence.

Read carefully - KX Project drivers.

There are well written WDM drivers for Creative cards - it just that Creative did not write them.

[Bulls Hit]

Originally posted by get2sammyb
I dont think its a case of my PC not being powerful enough. Because this has only JUST started happening.

A few things you can try:

Defrag your drive;
Get rid of all the bullshit that that get's kicked off on startup - Kazaa, Gator, Norton, Realjukebox - the usual junk;
Log off the internet while recording;
Return to a previous restore point that you took when it used to work

[Porter]

get2sammyb,

You aren't by any chance using two sound cards? In you first post you mention the "Avance A97 Soundcard", then in a later post you mention an "Audacity", I'm guessing Sound Blaster... if so was it installed between you making a good recording and the current issue?

What I would check is to make sure you are only using ONE sound card in HS2002, if you are recording on one and monitoring though another you might get the clicking sound, or if you are recording on one card and have the master recording set to another.

Make sure you are using only one sound card and let us know how you go?

Porter

[get2sammyb]

Audacity is a freeware recording program.

My soundcard is actually an Avance AC97 (sorry about that).

I will do the steps Bulls Hit mentioned (thank you).

Other ideas are welcome.

Brzillian - 1. I am English. 2. I cant afford a new soundcard.

If it was NECESSARY for the recording I would shell out... but I know it cant be because it worked before.

[get2sammyb]

It seems that the louder the noise you make while recording the louder the clicking gets. Also another observation I have noticed is that when I stop the recording, there is a distance between the line thing (the one that moves as you play tracks) and the area showing the track.