Sound cards

[Crackers]

So im new at recording and don’t have the greatest equipment though ive heard good results out of what im using.. Right now im using a Shure SM57 and powering that with a Tascam 8 track. Im using cakewalk Home studio and every time I record anything that has distortion it sounds awful When i record anything clean it sounds alright but Ive heard a lot better results from this eqiupment when my brother used in a couple years back. My sound card is a Sound blaster 4.1 its a cheapo sound card i got when i built this computer.. Could the sound card be blown? Or do i just need a better card?

Thx for the help

[James Argo]

Crackers, your soundcard *could* be the problem, however you didn't tell us how do you connect your mic into your card. It's advised to avoid using "Mic in", instead you better use "Line in" on your soundcard. Back then, I used SM57 alot with SB Live! card, the only difference with you is, I was using external pre-amp for the mic. So:

Mic --> Pre-amp -->Line in (SB Live!).

If you're realy serious about quality, then upgrading soundcard and investing on better pre-amp will help you alot obtaining the best sound you after.

If you don't think dedicated external pre-amp suits your pocket, then almost every mixer out there (even the cheap small 1002 Behringer) equiped with built in pre-amp which will work better than SBLive!'s.


Jaymz

[Porter]

Originally Posted by Crackers

every time I record anything that has distortion it sounds awful

If you are recording a guitar running through a distortion pedal, turn the distortion down.. you need no where near as much distortion when recording as when playing live.

Porter

[lascalaboy]

Originally Posted by Porter

If you are recording a guitar running through a distortion pedal, turn the distortion down.. you need no where near as much distortion when recording as when playing live.

Porter

Does that count for miking an amp with it's own distortion channel?

[Porter]

Originally Posted by lascalaboy

Does that count for miking an amp with it's own distortion channel?

Yup, sure does!

Porter

[minofifa]

If you are recording a guitar running through a distortion pedal, turn the distortion down.. you need no where near as much distortion when recording as when playing live.

that is awsome advice, just wish i would have known that a long time ago.

[James Argo]

Originally Posted by minofifa

that is awsome advice, just wish i would have known that a long time ago.

...hey, I thought the whole neighbourhood have tried to tell you to turn it down that night...

[minofifa]

...hey, I thought the whole neighbourhood have tried to tell you to turn it down that night...

oooohhh it makes sense now... i though they said turn down the suck not the volume.

[Crackers]

Awesome thx for the advice guys Im looking at new soundcard now and im prolly gonna order the rode nt1a though i dont know what pre amp to get yet.

Thx again.