fuzz on computer

[hipknot01]

ok soo i have a berhinger mixer and im running it directly into my comp with an 1/8 to 1/4 cable. Ive tested everything and i think that the comp has just a natural fuzz on it from the soundcard. But is this even possible? the comp is a 98.

[Creamyapples1]

shave it!!!!!!!!!

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Make sure you are plugging into the Line In and not the Mic In on the soundcard.

G.

[hipknot01]

i know the mic is the red one and im not plugged into it. does anyone record like this mixer out-1/8line in

[studiomaster]

Which soundcard are you using anyways?

Since you are recording, always insert the outputs from your behringer mixer to the souncard's Line In(s) and not Mic In.

[studiomaster]

Originally Posted by hipknot01

i know the mic is the red one and im not plugged into it. does anyone record like this mixer out-1/8line in

Most of us do. Mine is pretty much same except i dont use and dont have 1/8's on my soundcard. I use an Audiophile 2496 so i have RCA inputs/outputs.

[hipknot01]

i know im hooked up right. but i dunno its the soundcard that came with the comp.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by hipknot01

i know the mic is the red one and im not plugged into it. does anyone record like this mixer out-1/8line in

Yeah, it is done all the time on the hobbiest level.

Frankly, your combination of Behringer into stock soundcard is one of the most troublesome combinations there is. Behringer mixers are not famous for being the quietest devices in the world, and neither are stock PC soundcards. The combination can often be pretty noisy. This is especially true if you're going into a laptop computer as their soundcards are on average the noisest of them all.

What I'd do is find a friend or family member with another computer or soundcard that you can test. If you're still just as noisy, then you might have a noise problem with your mixer. If it sounds noticably better, then you know your soundcard is at fault.

G.

[studiomaster]

Well, SS, i do own a behringer mixer(1204fx)...its not bad..really. lol..i probably sound like a retard now since most of the people in this board hate Behringers. but i use the onboard preamps..attached to a 2496. and the noise level is really low. im not even exaggerating. maybe its all about how u use the equipment not just their presence.

[hipknot01]

well i think its the comp because in the past ive done recordings with an mr8hd with the same mixer and it sounded fine. plus when i unplug all the equipment from the comp and just plug in my isolation headphones i still hear a distinct distortion.

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by studiomaster

Well, SS, i do own a behringer mixer(1204fx)...its not bad..really. lol..i probably sound like a retard now since most of the people in this board hate Behringers.

You'll notice that I gave an idea for a test that alowed hin to objectively find out wher ethe problem lay, I didn't just come out and blame the Behringer outright and offhand. But let's face itl I would have been neglectful to not metion the possibility.

Originally Posted by hipknot01

i think its the comp because in the past ive done recordings with an mr8hd with the same mixer and it sounded fine. plus when i unplug all the equipment from the comp and just plug in my isolation headphones i still hear a distinct distortion.

That would certainly seem to shift the suspicion to the sound card. If you have a desktop or a tower with a seperate buss sound card and not an integrated one, then try pulling the card out and re-seating it into the buss slot. I had an old PC a few years ago with a PCI sound card that got flakey in that way; I'd get almost nothing but fuzz and distortion until I re-seated the card and rebooted.

If your soundcard is integrated into the motherboard or is integrated into the laptop, then there is not much you can do but get a new soundcard or (better, if you can afford it) bypass a PC soundcard altogether and get an external interface box that connects to the PC via Firewire or USB.

G.

[mixaholic]

Southside Glen whats the difference in plugin the 1/8 jack into line other than mic? cause i connect my mixer with the red &white rca cabels in "REC OUT" on my mixer and connect the 1/8 jack into the mic? is this the wrong way to do it?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by mixaholic

Southside Glen whats the difference in plugin the 1/8 jack into line other than mic? cause i connect my mixer with the red &white rca cabels in "REC OUT" on my mixer and connect the 1/8 jack into the mic? is this the wrong way to do it?

The Mic In actually has a very cheap microphone preamp circuit behind it and is therefore designed for a lower signal than the line-level signals from mixer and other line-level devices. Plugging your line outs into the Mic In is similar in concept to plugging the output from a mixer into a seperate mic pre instead o the other way around as God intended it .

G.

[mixaholic]

thanks alot Glen. i will plug it into line in from now on . oh yea should i set the volume on my line in setting on my soundcard to 0?

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Originally Posted by mixaholic

thanks alot Glen. i will plug it into line in from now on . oh yea should i set the volume on my line in setting on my soundcard to 0?

I'm tired, my brain is foggy, and this is kind of a complicated question . I'm going to bed.

In the meantime check out this article on gain staging: http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct0.../soundcard.htm

G.