How Do I Find the True Recording Sample Rate of a Sound Card?

[Confusitron]

In the upcoming days, I intend to do some rough live recordings with a laptop (via line-in) of "my" band Lemon Test. I intend to do these recordings at 48 kHz, so that they may be matched up with camcorder audio (possibly). I have heard that most sound cards do not actually record above 44.1 kHz - that they resample 44.1 kHz to higher sample rates if that was the option you chose to record at. If the laptop I record with cannot record above 44.1 kHz in actuality, then I will record in 44.1 kHz rather than 48 kHz and resample the audio, if I do incorporate it into video. However, I would like to find out if it actually can record above 44.1 kHz. Does anyone know of any programs or places I can go in my laptop to find what the true maximum sample rate it can record at is?

 

[tourettes5139]

Just get a real audio interface, dude. That is the way to go.

 

[Confusitron]

Just get a real audio interface, dude. That is the way to go.

Well, see, I have a PreSonus Firepod. The only thing about all of this is transport. I'd rather just take a laptop along (which most likely is just being borrowed). Taking care of the other stuff and having to set it up quickly is a bit of a complication sometimes.

What interfaces do you suggest? I know the Firebox is small, but I only have like three days.

 

[dgatwood]

In the upcoming days, I intend to do some rough live recordings with a laptop (via line-in) of "my" band Lemon Test. I intend to do these recordings at 48 kHz, so that they may be matched up with camcorder audio (possibly). I have heard that most sound cards do not actually record above 44.1 kHz - that they resample 44.1 kHz to higher sample rates if that was the option you chose to record at. If the laptop I record with cannot record above 44.1 kHz in actuality, then I will record in 44.1 kHz rather than 48 kHz and resample the audio, if I do incorporate it into video. However, I would like to find out if it actually can record above 44.1 kHz. Does anyone know of any programs or places I can go in my laptop to find what the true maximum sample rate it can record at is?

Record it at whatever rate you want. It really doesn't matter. Sync problems are just as likely at the same sampling rate as with a different rate. Clock crystals aren't going to be precisely the same. Even slight variations in temperature can slightly skew the clocks on one device relative to another.

When you get done, go back and run them side-by-side. You might find yourself needing to drop or add a frame or two of audio and cross-fade between tracks to make it stay lined up perfectly across an one or two hour show, but that's probably at the extreme end of what is likely. I doubt you'll end up doing any correction at all. It's not like you're going to try to be sample accurate and mix between the camcorder audio and the computer audio (I hope).

 

[TimOBrien]

Here's a trick for you:

Did you ever see those old old Hollywood movies where the director yells "ACTION" and a kid pops out in front of the camera and clacks a marker board (a chalkboard with a hinged bar at the top)???

The sharp sound of the board being clacked was to SYNCHRONIZE THE SOUND WITH THE VIDEO, providing a reference frame with a sharp sound so the two could be married in editing.

Still works today....

 

[Confusitron]

Just get a real audio interface, dude. That is the way to go.

It does appear there quite a few inexpensive USB audio interfaces I might look into... I'd probably go for something made by Creative. There tons of them on eBay, but they're just the tiny pen-drive-esque things made in some Asian country, and I assume most of their specifications are either made up or taken from some other product. I might buy one of these interfaces soon.

Record it at whatever rate you want. It really doesn't matter. Sync problems are just as likely at the same sampling rate as with a different rate. Clock crystals aren't going to be precisely the same. Even slight variations in temperature can slightly skew the clocks on one device relative to another.

When you get done, go back and run them side-by-side. You might find yourself needing to drop or add a frame or two of audio and cross-fade between tracks to make it stay lined up perfectly across an one or two hour show, but that's probably at the extreme end of what is likely. I doubt you'll end up doing any correction at all. It's not like you're going to try to be sample accurate and mix between the camcorder audio and the computer audio (I hope).

Hm... I'll have to mess around with this stuff when I finally go abot doing it. Supposedly Sony camcorders (the one that I have) may actually record at a sample rate of 48.005 kHz. It's just slightly off, but so are all the other camcorders. And, yes, I might try to mix between the camcorder and computer audio...

Here's a trick for you:

Did you ever see those old old Hollywood movies where the director yells "ACTION" and a kid pops out in front of the camera and clacks a marker board (a chalkboard with a hinged bar at the top)???

The sharp sound of the board being clacked was to SYNCHRONIZE THE SOUND WITH THE VIDEO, providing a reference frame with a sharp sound so the two could be married in editing.

Still works today....

There'll probably be quite a few marking as far as matching up go coming from the drums... Maybe some rimshots would do.

Thanks, ya'll.

 

[noisewreck]

I'd probably go for something made by Creative.

Please don't. They wouldn't be much of an improvement over the internal one in the laptop.

 

[Jim Y]

A lot of consumer cards and the built in soundchips actually only work at 48Khz. For MME and Directsound recording and playback at other than 48Khz, they rely on Windows own built in sample rate converter (software) which is part of the WDM audio system.

As your project is 48Khz anyway, you should be ok.

 

[altiris]

3 days is not much time. you said firpod then you said firebox. wich is it. not that it matters cause they are both firewire. I take it that the laptop does not have firewire. but you can buy a firewire pcmia card and hook it up there. I know this will sound ronchy but you can buy a firewire card at say best buy use it and return it with in the 30 day money back. they will charge 15% for restoking fee. just take it as if you rented it. dont fee too bad about it cause they charge you 15% and resell it at a 10% discount. so they actually frofite off of the return.

 

[Farview]

I'd probably go for something made by Creative. .

Creative makes consumer gaming garbage. They are the grand-daddy of making single sample rate cards that lie to you. They also got in the habit of putting 24 bit all over the box when they only record at 16 bit. Don't fall for it.

 

[Confusitron]

Please don't. They wouldn't be much of an improvement over the internal one in the laptop.

Creative makes consumer gaming garbage. They are the grand-daddy of making single sample rate cards that lie to you. They also got in the habit of putting 24 bit all over the box when they only record at 16 bit. Don't fall for it.

Maybe I shouldn't go with Creative then... I'd heard that many of their products do have false specifications, but I figured I might be able to trust them.

A lot of consumer cards and the built in soundchips actually only work at 48Khz. For MME and Directsound recording and playback at other than 48Khz, they rely on Windows own built in sample rate converter (software) which is part of the WDM audio system.

As your project is 48Khz anyway, you should be ok.

Well then, that is good news, for now anyway. These are some of my first live recordings, so it isn't very defined at the moment. I'll most likely be using a friend's more recent laptop, so, things should work out in the 48 kHz realm.

3 days is not much time. you said firpod then you said firebox. wich is it. not that it matters cause they are both firewire. I take it that the laptop does not have firewire. but you can buy a firewire pcmia card and hook it up there. I know this will sound ronchy but you can buy a firewire card at say best buy use it and return it with in the 30 day money back. they will charge 15% for restoking fee. just take it as if you rented it. dont fee too bad about it cause they charge you 15% and resell it at a 10% discount. so they actually frofite off of the return.

Well, tonight and tomorrow night are the recordings times, so it's too late to purchase those things. I will probably buy them eventually, though!

So, I guess from what has been said, the Firebox would probably a good external sound device to use... Any other suggestions?