falling at the first hurdle: error in inputs sourcing

[Christian]

hey n-track users

I need serious help: got my hopes up about using my comp. as a studio, installed n-track, imported a fruity loops drum wav file into n-track successfully, plugged my guitar into the computer using my Yamaha MT4x 4-track as a mixer and got it working through the computer speakers....

....but then i couldn't get any recognition of the input from n-track: the mixer bar has not been moving and when I click on the red recording button for the "blank track" the recording sources to select from all say "error" (which i guess has something to do with the problem...).

Plugging in a microphone instead of my guitar does not change anything. And I've made sure that my windows volume control has "line in" selected on both the recording and playback modes.

Please help me - i feel like i've fallen down a ditch and am currently bogged down in the analog quagmire of mediocrity!

Thanks :-)

Christian

[getuhgrip]

What soundcard are you using?
In Ntrack preferences, did you list your card as recording device?

[Christian]

thanks for the prompt reply getuhgrip

no - I didn't have anything selected as a wave input device - so thank you - but now I've got my sound card as both the wav input and output device and it performs the duplex test...but STILL no recognition given as an input

(I'm using a ES1938 (Solo-1) PCI Sound Card - whatever the heck that is)

please continue to counsel me :-)

[Christian]

Here's a breakthrough I just made: somehow I managed to open a window which has the "recording VU meters" (like the playback VU meters windown that appears by default) ...and when I select "monitor" then it actually recognises the sound coming from my guitar!!

However, the same problem of nothing happening in the mixer box and nothing happening when I press record, still remains.

[getuhgrip]

What happens when you press record, let it run for a few seconds and then hit stop? Do you not see a small slider with info for track 1?
I believe there is a mixer button in the tool bar just as there is one for monitor and playback. Have you tried this yet.
When you say it acknowledges your guitar, you mean you see your signal increase and decrease on the VU meters, right?
If that's the case, you should be good to go. Hit record and you should see the time counting off. If at that time you see life on the VU meters, you're recording!

Lemme know.

[Slackmaster2K]

You setup your recording via the Recording VU meter. You have to click "monitor" on the input your guitar is coming in on, which you've already discovered. You also have to assign that channel to "record to a new track". Try the button right next to the "monitor" button on the recording VU meter.

BTW, prepare to not be happy with that ESS soundcard. Just a warning.

Slackmaster 2000

[Christian]

Thanks Slack and getuhgrip....though I still haven't got anywhere

The recording VU meter hears the guitar when I start the recording and the clock, but nothing happens on the n-track mixer meter or on any of the tracks.

When I have no tracks to start off with and I set the "rec" menu in the recording VU meter to New Track, nothing happens...like not even a track window containing a straight wav file appears: the screen just remains blank.
And nor does creating a blank track and setting "rec" to track 1 do anything. - so no mixer meter response, no wav file creation, and no response on the playback VU meter - even though there IS a response on the recording VU meter (and the guitar comes through the computer speakers fine). The only time I have actually created a working track is when I imported the drum .wav file from fruity loops.

please keep the ideas coming

(and thanks for the warning about the soundcard Slack - so far I've spent $0 on extra equipment for my computer so i'm prepared to have to upgrade things)

[Slackmaster2K]

You do know which button is the record button right? I know that sounds stupid but...it's the button with the red circle

You mentioned everything but actually hitting record, which is why I asked.

Here is the process:

- You have to set the proper recording VU meter input to record to a new track, or to an existing track. Nothing will happen at this point at all on screen.

- An alternative is to click the "R" button in a pre-existing track to record over it. When you press "R" nothing will happen on the screen, except the "R" button will light up.

- Once you're set, you hit the RECORD button up top with the rest of the transport controls (e.g. play, rewind, cue, pause). Now you should be recording, but STILL nothing will appear in the track window. However, in the time window, assuming you aren't hiding it, you'll notice the time flying buy, blinking in red (e.g. you're recording). If you are on your first track and nothing else is playing back, you won't see the playback meters move either.

- When you hit stop, THEN a new track will be added to the track window.


If you were indeed hitting the right button, then try doing a full duplex test via the Wave Devices setup.

Slackmaster 2000

[Christian]

yep SlackM - I've been pressing the red round button
:-) ...everything happens like you said, expept when I press STOP there's still no tracks on the screen. When I quit the program it doesn't even offer to save my session because it thinks that I've done nothing.

I did the Duplex test in Preferences/ Wave devices - it was successful.

Could it be to do with the "settings" on the recording VU meter? (currently channel: stereo, bits:16, live input processing enabled). Or could it be to do with my lack of an external wave file editor selected in preferences/paths?

This is probably irrelevant, but my guitar records fine on the basic Windows "Sound Recorder" (....but we all know how bad that piece of software is!).

How frustrating! I feel like downloading and installing the program again, but i can't see that doing anything.

Thanks for the patient and very prompt replies though

[daweswathis]

have you enabled audio recording on the toolbar icon which toggles between audio/midi/audio&midi? It's also under "record mode" on the "action" menu. If its set to midi I don't think you are able to record audio???!!! good luck!

[Christian]

daweswathis: YOU'VE DONE IT - IT WORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I clicked the picture of a piano to make it change into a picture of a microphone and now it records fine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you! Thank you! - thanks everyone who posted replies.....
- sorry it was a pretty stupid reason in the end...

I'm sure I'll get back to soon with another problem, but at least I can now DO stuff with n-track! :-)

[Slackmaster2K]

heh, funny...knew it had to be simple glad you're in business!

Slackmaster 2000