How do I .......

[ido1957]

Set up Cakewalk 9.0 so I can hear my guitar in the headphones while I'm recording....
Set up =
Track 1 = imported wave file. Source = none. Port = Soundcard. I can hear this fine while either playing or recording additional track
Track 2 = guitar I'm recording as additional track. Source = Left Side USB input. Port = Soundcard.

On console view I can see the Track 2 guitar signal fine in the meter on the left side (in record mode).

The guitar records on Track 2 fine and plays back fine in the headphones. I just can't hear track 2 while I'm recording, only track 1.

There's another set of stereo tracks to the right which I can see the Track 1 wave stereo meters moving but nothing is registering in the stereo meters for track 2. I'll add a screen print of the console I'm talking about but this is without the USB plugged in so the guitar part is not really visible.

So does anyone know what I have to do to hear the guitar in the headphones while I'm recording? Or is it even possible with my soundcard? I have a sigma tel c-major sound card which has mic in and headphone out. I'm thinking if I can hear this on palyback I should hear it when recording.

Another thing I just thought of .... I can't hear anything through the headphones when I'm mixing down from my board through USB into Sound Forge either - I use my monitors connected to the board to mix.

Maybe I just have to play really loud so I can hear my guitar while listening to the wave file over the headphones

 

[rayc]

Hi Gerry,
Cakewalk 9. (you can get the free upgrades to 9.3) is good stuff - not cutting edge but plenty good.
Are you monitoring from the USB input/output or the soundcard? If it's the usb (I use a little behri usb thingo for my laptiop occasionally) & headphones from that - or what ever FROM the USB you'll need to make sure that it is selected for out put on the track NOT the inbuilt soundcard.
REgarding the soundcard
You'll need to do a couple of things.
1. Open up your project.
Click OPTIONS
Select Audio & at the bottom of that dialogue box select waveprofiler. This will suss out your card & set it up as best can be done.
THEN
Select Options & Ausio again then advanced then click a tick into simultaneous Record/Play.
THEN
Go to te track you want to record guitar to & in the port section select the stereo for you sound card - essentially it should be the same port as the imported track in that they both should go to your sound card's stereo out.
THEN
Double click the speaker icon at the bottom right of the screen.
Make sure the line in isn't muted.
Select options, properties & under play back ensure that wave/mp3, play control, CD, Midid synth, mic, line in etc are selected as approp to your gear & click REcord & ensure mic, line, wave/mp3 & midi synth or those you want anyway, are selected then click OK.
You may then want to crank up the line in slider on both the playback & record panels (jsut select options, properties record& slide the things to where you may want them & ditto for playback). you'll also need to select line in with a tick for record in that panel.
All of the above can be done for an external sound processor like a usb mixer or little behri thingos as well i believe.
Then try to see if things work for you this time.
Bon Chance.

 

[ido1957]

I'm still at work but I did run the Wave Profiler and checked my settings.

I also found a setting on the Volume Control - Recording Levels - that was low - the Stereo Mix setting. I turned that all the way up. There's no Line In setting and the only other setting was for Microphone. I guess I'll find out whether that impacts the issue when I try it tonight.

Thanks Ray!

 

[ido1957]

Ray - I went through all the steps in your post again when I was hooked up to the USB port tonight. Still have no guitar coming through Track 2. When I press Record I get some extra drum beats - like midi notes and completely out of time with Track #1 - in the headphones. It's got to be related somehow to Track#2 settings. I would guess there's some midi setting I have to turn off to get rid of that sound. Midi seems to be a large part of Cakewalk.

On a postive note, I can hear enough of the initial track in the headphones and the guitar amp outside of the headphones to record. I have a couple of takes done over the M8. One is okay but I think I can do better . I'm going to try an get a few decent takes so they can be comped or just pick the preferred one.

Anyone who knows how to fix this - feel free to post your advice! Thanks!

 

[Freudian Slip]

I just monitor via the board. I run my soundcard out to the board for the already recorded tracks and I monitor my input as it passes through the board. I turn off my monitors when tracking and all is good.

I have never tried it any other way.......

This likely does not help, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

Good Luck

F.S.

 

[ido1957]

I ordered a UCA202 from eBay and got it in less than a week This cool little interface was recommended by RayC who has one. I was pleasantly surprised that it worked just as I had hoped/needed. I can hear the .wav file I loaded into Cakewalk and I can hear my guitar while it is being recorded.

Guitar->amp->mic->mixer->UCA202->USB port-Cakewalk.

You have to watch the level coming from the mixer into the UCA202 interface otherwise you get crackling. I'm assuming that is digital overload. The resulting recorded signal seems a bit low - maybe -18 to -8 in range but that's lots of headroom and I can increase that in Sound Forge.

The .wav file originally in Cakewalk needs to be fairly loud to hear it on the headphones, so -4 or so seems to blend okay with the guitar level.

So for $25 it suits my needs ok - I didn't want to spend too much in case the thing didn't work....I may upgrade later but for now it does the trick....

I posted this here and in the Recording forum in case you're following either thread...