Sound Blaster Live! Woes

N

Neonlite

New member
Hello. I'm new to home recording, but am looking forward to learning and getting equipped with some decent software and hardware. I currently use Cakewalk Guitar software (8-tracks) and my Sound Blaster Live! Value (Valueless?) that came with my Dell (not built in).

First, the version of my sound card has 5 connectors:
1) joystick/midi
2) front speakers/subwoofer
3) rear speakers
4) microphone
5) digital out

I cannot find any info on this on the internet. The digital out thing is always listed as "aux in" in the manuals. Dell didn't feel it was necessary to provide a manuel, so I am confused. The microphone stinks. I get horrible buzz and distortion and cannot hear the instrument while I play through the computer until after I am finished laying the track. This alone is very frustrating. I read on this site that the microphone is a no no for recording, but what are my alternatives? Digital out certainly does not work as a Line In. :(

If there is no solution, I would appreciate some advice on a decent sound card and some better software. I really need some good digital drumming because i am a guitar/bass player and although I have a Gretsch drum set, am not skilled enough on them to match my guitar playing. I record anything from slow accoustical folk to grinding hard-core metal and want some drum solution that can handle that. Suggestions? :) Thanks in advance!

-Scott
 
Actually I bet that the digital out does multifunction as a line in.... like the old SB PCI128 cards where the secondary speaker output doubled as line in. There was a switch in the SB software if I remember correctly.

Try finding a manual on the creative labs website!

Slackmaster 2000
 
Thanks Slackmaster 2000.

I read the PDF more closely and there is a blurb in one of the diagrams saying this: "With the AUDIO_ OUT connector on the Encord Dxr2 decoder card connected to the AUX_ IN connector on Sound Blaster Live! Value, you must enable the AUX input on the Mixer as shown below.

I can't wait to get home tonight and try it out!
 
:( It didn't work. I searched everywhere and tried every connector with every possible device turned on with no luck. :( I guess I need a new sound card. Any suggestions?
 
Yeah, I'd suggest the SB Live to start with :)

Wait a bit, somebody'll turn up & save you. Lots of people start out on a Live.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Neon, I have the exact card you are speaking off (and a bunch of others for that matter). Forget the digital out. That was only for use to connect with a set of powered speakers Creative was selling (and may still be selling). It has no practical use that I know of.
 
the blue jack on the card is stereo line in. If you open the windows mixer and selct option, recording, ok, then mute the mic input, the line in is active. At least on my card it works that way. I understand there`s more than 8 variations of the same card.
 
If not the blue connector, I suppose if you were desperate for a line in you could hook up a connector to the internal cd-in or aux in connector on the top of the card and solder a minijack to the other end of a wire from it.
 
Thanks everyone. I will try muting the mic and seeing if I can get Line In working. If all else fails, I will get a new sound card. I did get the microphone to at least play back while I'm recording, but as you all know, it is very bad quality. Thanks again for the help.
 
On the SB Live Value cards we have at work (bought about 60 quite awhile ago) the jacks follow this pattern, from the top of the card moving toward the joystick / MIDI jack -

Yellow - Digital line out (like i said useless)
Blue - Analog line in
Red - Analog Mic in
Green - Line / Speaker 1&2 out
Black - Line / Speaker 3&4 out

If the SB Live software is installed there are options in control panel to select what type of speaker setup you have, and if enabled the black jack will feed a second set of rear speakers.
 
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