A question about setting up my recording gear

[Luca Brasi]

Hello all,

My name is Steve and I'm new here, and I have a question concerning setting up my recording gear.

I'm new to home recording and am using Kristal Audio Engine on my computer. I have been running my guitar through a Digitech GNX3 and straight into my computer to record the rhythm, bass, and lead parts. I like this setup much better than running the GNX3 into my amp and micing it; the GNX3 gives me a much cleaner sound that suits my needs just fine.

I also have a 12 channel mixer (4 stereo) that I'm currently using just for vocals and acoustic guitar. So...what I'm doing now is laying down the GNX3 tracks directly into KAE and then adding any vocal or acoustic tracks that I need using the mixer directly into KAE.

I am wondering the best way to set all this up as I complete construction on my recording desk/table this week. I could use some advice on this from those who have the experience that I don't. I'm wondering...:

A) is it best to run my all my guitars into the mixer, using aux in and out to the GNX3 to get the sound I want, and then sending that into KAE? Or

B) should I run my guitars into the mixer (for EQ and gain) and then into the GNX3 and then directly into KAE? Will there be a stereo vs. mono problem here? The GNX3 only has a mono input for guitar but it does have a stereo CD input that I suppose could be utilized although I haven't tried that yet. Or

C) should I keep doing what I've been doing?

Thanks in advance for any help you can send this newbie's way.

Steve

 

[Seidy]

i would say if you have good interface then skip the mixer (could be adding noise to the signal) and do all the adjustments in KAE.
do you use built in sound card or have you bought extra inferface for recording?

 

[Luca Brasi]

do you use built in sound card or have you bought extra inferface for recording?

I'm using the sound card in the computer. Good idea, keep it as it is to avoid the chance of extra noise.

Thanks.

Steve

 

[kcearl]

I'm using the sound card in the computer. Good idea, keep it as it is to avoid the chance of extra noise.

Thanks.

Steve

nope dont use the soundcard...chances are all it can handle is youtube and bleeps...


wiat untill you start trying to mix more than a few tracks...your soundcard will grind to a halt

Use the mixer if you want to have a few things plugged in at all times otherwise put it aside and just use an audio interface from the start...more chance of noise coming from a lower end mixer than any interface for sure...

 

[Luca Brasi]

wiat untill you start trying to mix more than a few tracks...your soundcard will grind to a halt

I guess the good thing is that I'm recording only one track at a time, I'm playing all parts except vocals which will be recorded after the music tracks are established.

Thanks.

Steve

 

[kcearl]

I guess the good thing is that I'm recording only one track at a time, I'm playing all parts except vocals which will be recorded after the music tracks are established.

Thanks.

Steve

does that mean you are not going to mix them using this soundcard?

also what quality can your soundcard handle?

id say you dont really want to record under 24 bit 44000 Hz...and more is desirable...

 

[Luca Brasi]

I see, sounds like a new sound card is in my near future.

Thanks.

Steve

 

[kcearl]

I see, sounds like a new sound card is in my near future.

Thanks.

Steve

audio interface Steve...and there's plenty of usable ones under, or around, the $100 so it needn't cost you an arm and a leg...especially as your only needing to record one track at a time....

 

[bouldersoundguy]

wiat untill you start trying to mix more than a few tracks...your soundcard will grind to a halt

The sound card doesn't care how many tracks you're mixing or what effects processing you're using. Those are limited by the software, CPU and drive. The card/interface determines the input and output audio quality and connectivity.

 

[kcearl]

The sound card doesn't care how many tracks you're mixing or what effects processing you're using. Those are limited by the software, CPU and drive. The card/interface determines the input and output audio quality and connectivity.

i stand corrected.....

 

[kcearl]

the soundcard will still not give you the audio quality when recording.....and some of my software certainly doesnt run on generic soundcards with causing extreme latency or pops and crackles...

 

[bouldersoundguy]

the soundcard will still not give you the audio quality when recording.....and some of my software certainly doesnt run on generic soundcards with causing extreme latency or pops and crackles...

Perhaps the card just doesn't deal with more professional digital formats like 24 bit or higher sample rates. That alone would be reason enough to get a better interface. Connectivity is another good reason. It sucks to run everything through a tiny unreliable 1/8" connector.

 

[Luca Brasi]

Thanks, you've given me a lot to mull over here. Like I said I'm new to this and my sound card is working okay for me right now, so I need to see what an audio interface will do for my work.

Thanks all!

Steve

 

[kcearl]

Perhaps the card just doesn't deal with more professional digital formats like 24 bit or higher sample rates. That alone would be reason enough to get a better interface. Connectivity is another good reason. It sucks to run everything through a tiny unreliable 1/8" connector.

yup..totly

Thanks, you've given me a lot to mull over here. Like I said I'm new to this and my sound card is working okay for me right now, so I need to see what an audio interface will do for my work.

Thanks all!

Steve

welcome aboard anyway Steve

 

[Luca Brasi]

Thanks for the welcome kcearl!

I've been looking at audio interfaces and sound cards and reading what I can find about the usage of each one.

I am not having any latency problems (that I can tell) although I have noticed some pops and crackles, but only when I run the gain so high as to be overpowering and clipping occurs (much higher than normal loud listening levels). If I lower the gain everything is fine, and I still have a good output level. Would an audio interface cure the pops and crackles (even though I would not set the gain level that high when mixing)?

I've got some new monitor speakers coming in this week and I'll experiment with the system when they come in and go from there I guess.

Thanks again for your input and steering me in the right direction.

Steve