playback and record

[fishman]

i am using a zoom mrs-4 track digital mixer and am using sooledit pro to mix. i would like to simplify and just record all the tracks directly in to cool edit through my basic computer sound card.

how do i set it up to listen to playback of the the other tracks while recording the new track? it seems i can either do one or the other, but not both at the same time.

fishman

[LemonTree]

you'll need to have your soundcard set to Full Duplex. That means it can send and reciece audio at the same time. However, if it's just a stock PC card not designed for recording don't expect great results or low latency.

The cheapest entry level card for recording worth buying is probably the M-Audio 24/96. Stay well clear of the Soundblaster cards, they DO NOT do exactly what they say on the tin.

Firstly you'll want to determine your budget, how many channels of audio you'll be recording at once, how many channels of audio you'll be playing back (2 for a stereo output if you're mixing everything on the computer), If your computer has the spec to handle your recording needs.

Use the search feature and see what you can come up with. Good luck getting started

[fishman]

thanks for the quick reply. i'll check for that "full duplex" feature on my sound card, but i doubt it - it's pretty cheap. but cince i haven't sunk alot into this computer maybe i'll treat myself to a better sound card. and hey, if it works, i can sell the zoom 4-track and go strictly PC.

thanks again!

fishman

[fishman]

i just found out that even if my sound card is full duplex, the editing software i'm using (cooledit pro) does not allow for 'pass through monitoring'. that means i can hear the other previously recorded tracks and record along side them, but not monitor the recorded track as it goes in.

oh, well.
fish

[Havoc]

That way of low-latency monitoring is more a feature of the soundcard.

[Strryder]

Originally Posted by fishman

i just found out that even if my sound card is full duplex, the editing software i'm using (cooledit pro) does not allow for 'pass through monitoring'. that means i can hear the other previously recorded tracks and record along side them, but not monitor the recorded track as it goes in.

oh, well.
fish

All is not lost..

You should be able to use the windows mixer or the mixer applet for your soundcard to set up a usable monitor mix while tracking.

If you're plugging into the line input on the soundcard, you'll want to open the windows mixer and balance the line input against the wave out to monitor.

The windows mixer has 2 main sections, one is the playback setup, the other is the recording setup.

To open the playback setup double click on the speaker icon next to the clock, and to get at the recording setup check the options menu on the mixer applet.