Can a Computer Recording Sound Professional?

  • Thread starter Thread starter TheloniusMonk
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How would I record in WAV format with Sony Soundforge like you are suggesting?

When I record with Sony Soundforge, I'm not sure if it records in any particular format, you just have the option to save the file as an MP3 or as a WAV, or whatever format you choose...

Are you just suggesting I save the file as a WAV file instead of an MP3, or do you mean change the recording options somewhere else in the program?

Also, what do you think of this USB audio interface:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8301884&type=product&id=1218012612189
 
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Soundforge records as a wav file. If you save it as an MP3, it is being converted down when you save it.

Save it as a wav and convert it after you have done all of your processing. That way, you still have a copy of the audio at full quality.
 
I'm just planning to record some digital piano tracks in the memory bank of my Yamaha p-80 into the Soundforge... I'm not sure what you mean by "processing"... I don't really plan to add effects or edit it or anything,...

Is there an advantage to saving it as a WAV first and then saving it as MP3 right after that?
 
TheloniusMonk said:
Is there an advantage to saving it as a WAV first and then saving it as MP3 right after that?
Click to expand...

"That way, you still have a copy of the audio at full quality."

That's your advantage there. You'll have the uncompressed full quality recording in wav format.
 
A lot of the $100 price range USB audio interfaces that are available are one channel only, meaning that I can't record in stereo...

Do you think that will be a detriment to my recording of the digital piano, or will it not matter since only recording one instrument?
 
Yhee, not having a pair at least for the other things you might want to do at some point? If bucks was the real big issue? Mono covers for a lot ground but even keys like to be stereo in some cases. (Are there mono ones options that are all that much less? (don't know..
 
Just to back up a bit,

"Most onboard and basic pci soundcards (the kind running 1/8" jacks) are not constructed to record well, just to play back well. "
Click to expand...
Since I don't know so I'll ask- is that the bottom line here? As in to the point of not being able to record at even a decent s/n ratio?

TheloniusMonk said:
..Running a cable from audio output into a 1/8 inch stereo cable input, it just doesn't seem all that stable to me...
... and simply pressing record on my Sony Soundforge causes irregular noise spikes and uneven channel decibel levels before Ive even plugged in a device...
Click to expand...

Yes but you've described what looks like poor loose connections. While 1/8" is a notoriously sloppy and fragile way to go, it can pass perfectly clean signal.

"...barely touching the cable causes all kinds of feedback"
Click to expand...
'Feedback is a completely different thing though, (a recirculating increasing loop). Do you mean just more noise, (whistling' input gain way way up and it's acting like an antena? -real long shot) not just cracking in and out from the loose connections?
Maybe we can eliminate this one.

Last, did you/have you determined that none of these noise issues are actually part of the sound coming from your keyboard as I asked before?
 
mixsit said:
Since I don't know so I'll ask- is that the bottom line here? As in to the point of not being able to record at even a decent s/n ratio?
Click to expand...
Most stock soundcards are complete crap and were never intended for serious recording. s/n is generally an issue, as is the quality of the electronics, converters and the manner in which the audio is treated. (goofy effects, resampling, etc...)

There is a big difference between a card designed for recording (even a cheap one) and one designed for using skype...
 
I got contradicting advice today about how these USB interfaces work...

The kid at Best Buy said I could use an RCA cable that splits into a single 1/4" stereo phone cable and put it into a channel of the USB audio interface, and it would record as stereo...

The kid at Guitar Center said I needed a RCA cable that splits into a dual 1/4" mono phone cable, and plug those into channel 1 and channel 2 of the USB audio interface...

Neither kid seemed like he knew what he was talking about, so I decided to ask here..

the Tascam US-122-L clearly has 2 left and right inputs, but the M Audio Pro has 2 channels, and the Alesis Mixer someone suggested has 8 channels...

I think I might be mis-interpreting what a CHANNEL is... and how it relates to stereo recording..
 
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mixsit said:
Just to back up a bit,


Since I don't know so I'll ask- is that the bottom line here? As in to the point of not being able to record at even a decent s/n ratio?



Yes but you've described what looks like poor loose connections. While 1/8" is a notoriously sloppy and fragile way to go, it can pass perfectly clean signal.

'Feedback is a completely different thing though, (a recirculating increasing loop). Do you mean just more noise, (whistling' input gain way way up and it's acting like an antena? -real long shot) not just cracking in and out from the loose connections?
Maybe we can eliminate this one.

Last, did you/have you determined that none of these noise issues are actually part of the sound coming from your keyboard as I asked before?
Click to expand...

My goal is to have a clean sound so you just hear the digital piano and no background hiss... Its not really feedback or distortion that I'm describing, just a low level of background hiss that gets in the way of hearing a clean sound...

I have no way of determining what part of the noise is specifically coming from the keyboard. I dont have any other musical instrument devices to test it with...

I have noticed that when I go into Soundforge, and get ready to record, the left and right channels are uneven, the Left is at a higher DB level already then the Right Channel... I have to set the Recording Volume of the LINE IN very low in order to eliminate some of the hiss, but most of it is still there... Turning up the Recording Volume of LINE IN to maximum and turning down the Yamaha P-80 volume creates a massive amount of background noise...

So I'm hoping the USB Audio Interface fixes all these issues, as some have suggested...
 
TheloniusMonk said:
The kid at Guitar Center said I needed a RCA cable that splits into a dual 1/4" mono phone cable, and plug those into channel 1 and channel 2 of the USB audio interface...
Click to expand...

The kid at Guitar Centre is right. Your keyboard has a stereo output; left and right RCA connectors, so you can get an RCAto 1/4" stereo caple and plug those into Channels 1 & 2 of the interface.

But . . . here's a link to the manual. It shows the P-80 as also having 1/4" outputs, so just grab yourself a couple of guitar leads and go from those straight into the interface.

http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/emi/english/synth/P80E.pdf

TheloniusMonk said:
The Alesis MultiMix 4 USB is an analog mixer, but the Yamaha p-80 is a digital piano... doesn't that make them incompatible?
Click to expand...

The p-80 is a digital piano. The 'digital' describes the method that is used to generate the sounds. But it produces an analog audio output. So it doesn't make it incompatible with the Alesis.

TheloniusMonk said:
the Tascam US-122-L clearly has 2 left and right inputs, but the M Audio Pro has 2 channels, and the Alesis Mixer someone suggested has 8 channels...

I think I might be mis-interpreting what a CHANNEL is... and how it relates to stereo recording..
Click to expand...

If you sit at an acoustic piano and play, the left hand stuff you hear predominantly on the left, and partly on the right, and vice versa for your right hand. The digital piano recreates this sense of piano 'width', and feeds it to the stereo outputs, i.e. left channel out contains a signal predominantly from the left half of the key board, but a bit of the right, and vice versa.

Feeding this into the computer via interface through the two channels allows you to recreate this width in a recording. The left channel, and left side of a stereo track is roughly what your left ear hears (and again, vice versa).

You will also notice that one of the 1/4" heyboard outputs is marked "L+R (mono)" (or similar). If you plug a single lead into here, then into channel 1 of the interface, the left and right channels are mixed together and you get a mono signal combining the two recorded onto a single mono track. You get the full range of the keyboard, but you don't get the sense of width.
 
Thanks dude, I guess that answers all my questions!

Lets hope this works,... I want to make 1,000 copies of this CD evenutally...
 
TheloniusMonk said:
The Alesis MultiMix 4 USB is an analog mixer, but the Yamaha p-80 is a digital piano... doesn't that make them incompatible?
Click to expand...
No. You would plug the keyboard into the line inputs of two channels of the mixer. The mixer is also a computer interface and routes the signal into the computer.
 
Why is the Alesis 8 channel so much cheaper then other USB interfaces? On the surface, it seems more sophisticated...

Anyhow, I've found a Tascam US-144 available for $120 on amazon, that seems like a good deal and it has gotten good reviews, so I might go with that one...
 
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