Interface problems

[Jared3000]

Hello dudes,

To start off I want to say I am very new at recording. I have been using Magix Music Maker 11 deluxe edition. I have been micing my Laney GH50L with a sm57, running that mic to an Acoustic b200h (to use as a preamp) and running the direct out straight into my pc's soundcard using a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter. Suprisingly my results have been good. I recently bought a Lexicon Alpha interface and I am bummed to find out the 1/4" input only provides a left side signal and the xlr input only provides a right side signal. I downloaded all the current drivers from Lexicon and I guess this interface is supposed to work that way. Is this how interfaces work???? Shouldnt I be able to record with both a left and right side signal?? I am taking this interface back to guitar center but I am unsure what interface to buy to get a stereo signal...... bummed out.....

Jared3000

 

[dastrick]

The Lexicon records 2 channels at a time. One will be left. One will be right. If you're recording from one mic it will be a mono track. It doesn't really matter if it's left or right. You can pan it during mixdown.

There are two 1/4" inputs. You should be able to record both at one time.

 

[Jared3000]

Thanks for the reply. I think my lack of experience in my biggest problem. When I use my computers soundcard and the adapters (1/4" to 1/8") I get both a left side and right side signal. I was under the impression that my interface would do the same thing. I tried to pan the recording to the right and when I do so it disappears. There are left and right 1/4" jacks on the back of the interface I guess I need to get a Y cord or something to get the guitars to record with both left and right side signal.... maybe???

 

[mattr]

No, no adaptors or anything.

You just need to set up your DAW software to record as a mono track.

You are recording a mono signal from a single mic, through a mono input... there is no "left and right side signal" with what you're doing.

At the moment your software is recording a stereo track with one channel coming from one input, and the second channel from the other, hence why when you record it "only records on one side".

 

[dastrick]

And just so you know, you can plug the microphone directly into the interface instead of going through the other preamp.

But, record mono signals in mono. Once you get all of your tracks recorded you can pan each mono or stereo signal in your software.

 

[Jared3000]

wow,

You guys are great! I feel very stupid! That did the trick. Now I have a new problem. After I record the track I listen and it sounds great. Then I want to record a lead over that track and when I hit record the playback of the track is crazy distorted! Only during the record process does this happen. Regular playback is fine!! hmmmmmmm?????

 

[Re-tox_stl]

Try turning the gain down so that your input signal is around -9 db or so. The distortion might come from the signal clipping. Just a thought though

 

[mattr]

Could be something clipping like Re-tox said, or...

Is it like pops / crackles / squeals? Only occurs when you try to record and play back at the same time?

Could be a buffer underrun issue... are you using the latest drivers for the Lexicon? ASIO? What are your buffers currently set to?

If set they're low, try knocking them right up to something like 1024 samples and seeing if the distortion still happens with them set high. If that solves it, experiment a bit and find the lowest down you can pull the buffers without the distortion problem reoccurring.

 

[Jared3000]

Hey once again thanks guys for all the help. My noise problem was a buffering issue. I have all the lastest drivers from lexicon and I seem to have a happy medium between playback quality and latency. Thanks a lot.