Analog-->computer w/out DIGITAL DIST!!!

C

cracklin'

New member
Hi. I just recorded some stuff on my Tascam 388. Unfortunately I need to put it onto my computer so I can have the songs in itunes.
I LOVE the analog warmth (and bits of dist.) the recordings have as of now. When I tried to put the songs into garageband (through my MOTU828) the songs lose loads of warmth and worse of all there is DIGITAL DISTORTION ruining all the peaks.
I bounced the audio into garageband again at really low volume, but there is still digital distortion on the loud parts...

Is there a program or method so that I can put these songs into my computer and have them sound clean (at least w/out the digital distortion).
any help would be greatly appreciated....

btw: after hearing what digital dist. did to my music I will be an analog kid forever
 
I use a mobile pre usb for my mixdown, and I had the same problem at first...you just have to make sure your levels are set right...I just open up Garageband, make a new basic track, make sure my input is in stereo and set my levels. Make sure there is no clipping from your mixer to your interface....it could be happening before the signal gets to the computer. In garageband my signal never peeks above 50% of the track volume meter...when I mixdown to itunes it is plenty loud, and you could adjust the volume by selecting the song and holding down "command" and "i". Yeah you are going to be slightlty dissapointed with the sound of the .wav file as opposed to the mix straight off your deck, but I've found that its still heads and shoulders above anything I've ever recorded in digital in the past 8 years. Also take the mix and play it on something besides computer speakers...I know that the built-ins on my imac pretty much made my song sound less and less warm...
 
cool...
but does that mean I cant have they stereo master tracks on my 388 clip at all? some of the individual tracks are clipping, but I can definately mix it so the stereo mix (outs) are not clipping.
I'll try that and see what happens.
 
I would think as long as the stereo buss is not clipping into your motu you will be fine....i know a song just recorded had lots of tape overload...but it translated as nicely as possible into digital....
 
Is there anyway to monitor the record level on your computer? You'll want to make sure it doesn't clip. In fact, you'll want to make sure it doesn't even peak, because unlike analog, there's a really thin line between peaking and distorting on a computer.

-MD
 
Line level (0dbVU) is about -15dbfs (maybe -18, it depends on the interface)on the computer. This gives you 18db of headroom for transients. If you are pushing the mix beyond 0dbVU, you will overload the converters, the circuitry leading to the converters, or both. You will need to back the level down until it doesn't happen. There are many ways to get the level up to normal CD listening level once it is safely inside the computer.
 
thanks for all the help. you guys rock. I sent the audio in as low as I could and it came out clean. bye bye digital distortion...forever...
 
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