Cool Edit Pro on a laptop...

[spunktubber]

I have cep installed on a laptop with the usual crappy onboard sound. Into the mic socket, i have the output from my Korg guitar affects pedal. I use Reason to generate a few drum loops and bass lines and export them to CEP. Then I record the first backing track from the guitar/korg setup to CEP. So far so good...

When I go to record the second track from the korg, i can hear everything that has been recorded already but I can't hear the output of the guitar/korg through the headphones as I play it. Crap soundcard, I assumed so I sent an email to Creative to ask whether buying an external USB driven soundcard would solve the problems but I don't think the guy knew what I was talking about. He suggested an internal one. Then I saw somewhere that a firewire soundcard is as good as a pci one but i dunno whether I want/need to outlay that kinda cash when an al cheapo usb soundblaster will do the trick....

Any advice for a confused noob?

[randyfromde]

want/need to outlay that kinda cash when an al cheapo usb soundblaster will do the trick....

Any advice for a confused noob?

Money on soundcards is well spent. A "cheapo" soundblaster will produce sound, but if you are in any way serious about recording, buy a decent soundcard.

[spunktubber]

thanks for that. i guess what i want to know is will a decent external card solve my problem? i don't mind spending the cash on a good one but if it makes more sense to ditch the laptop and buy a desktop so i can install a pci soundcard, maybe thats what i should do...

i was looking at getting a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 NX for the laptop. does lots of good stuff but the guy from creative reckons it may not solve the problem:

"Another issue for USB soundcard is you can only record the incoming
SPDIF signal, however you cannot hear/playback the incoming SPIDIF
signal at the same time."

So then I was looking at getting a http://www.sub.co.uk/index.php?sec=p...ode=AUDIOPHILE cos it used firewire but then I was thinking of getting a http://www.sub.co.uk/index.php?sec=p...code=MOBILEPRE cos it was cheaper....

My head hurts

[BlackoutSP]

first ofall, i have never heard of an external soundcard, every external sound device i have ever heard of is definately an audio interface (technically so is a soundcard, but a soundcardis not meant for real audio recording, it is meant to play video game sounds, and mp3's) if you only need two tracks recording at a time (all others can be overdubs), buy a digidesign mBox, these are beutiful, connect by only a single USB cable (even power goes through the USB), and can run any almost any mic in the workd, certainly any that you would care about) they sound great, and come with ProTools LE software-32 tracks post. if you need more tracks, look for a used digidesign 001, or 002 Rack (the mBox is about 300 used, 450 new, the 001 is 500 used, they don't come new anymore because they were replaced by the 002R; about 1000 used, 1200 new) there are other interfaces out there, but these are wonderful (beatiful, even) both the 001 and 002R's are 8 channel analog in interfaces (simultaneously) and you could spend 1000 or so dollars and get another pre-amp strip that converts to ADAT lite-pipe (like the focusright octopre) and make it 16 channels of I/O

oh scratch the 001 idea, that is a PCI based interface, but the 002R (and full 002 with a built-in very nice control surface for a grand-total $2200 price tag) are firewire based.

The 002 (and 002R, the interface is identical) is fantastic, although im guessing you may only require the mBox

-Keith

[the edzell]

I got a Echo Indigo for under $180.00. I strongly suggest you look into one.