M-Audio Delta Control Settings: I Need a Jump Start

[Seazea]

Man, I'm glad there is a newb section. I've played music a long time but have very little know-how when it comes to computer recording. Here's the deal:
I am not well versed in the language of software in general so I don't understand the settings for my M-Audio Audiophile 2496 soundcard software. I was hoping someone could simply give me some basic set-up parameters for each of the software pages in the control panel. Here is the home system I am trying to record music with. I'll be recording vocals and acoustic guitar (to begin with) into a microhone plugged into a mixer and then to my soundcard.

1. Microphone is connected to the mic input 1 on my Berhinger UB1202FX mixer.
2. The cd/tape out on the mixer is cabled to the "line in" on the Audiophile 2496 soundcard.
3. The cd/tape in on the mixer is cabled to the "line out" on the Audiophile 2496 soundcard.
4. Headphones are connected to the mixer phone jack (I'm not using external speakers).
5. My recording software is "Mixcraft 3" by Acoustica.
6. Computer is a desktop with Windows XP Home Edition SP2. I have high speed and plenty of ram. I did disable the on-board sound card.

I'm not sure I am connected all right but I can hear myself through the headphones when I speak into the mic.

I know that the M-Audio software settings can be adjusted to suit but I would appreciate a suggested starting point. Basically, what should my settings be on the monitor mixer page, the patchbay/router page, the hardware settings page, and the S/PDIF page so that I can record onto my Mixcraft software and play it back so I can hear it. Any help out here?

 

[travelin travis]

man i hated the delta control panel when i got my m-audio card. all you need to know about the monitor mixer and patchbay / router pages is that you can listen to the inputs directly or thru your recording software. in the patchbay / router page under h/w out 1/2 you only need to be concerned with wavout 1/2 and monitor mixer. if you want to listen to the inputs thru your software, check wavout 1/2. if you want to listen to the direct signal, check monitor mixer. if monitor mixer is checked, you can use the monitor mixer page to adjust the monitoring levels and pan of each input. this doesn't affect the incoming signal levels, only the listening levels. if you have wavout 1/2 checked in the patchbay / router page, the monitor mixer doesn't exist (it does but it doesn't do anything).

 

[travelin travis]

i'm sure you already know about latency. it takes a small amount of time for incoming signals to be converted to digital, processed thru your recording software with any active effects, and converted back to analog. the amount of latency is determined by the dma buffer size on the hardware settings page. the bigger the buffer, the more time it takes for audio to be passed thru the buffer. some times you might want to monitor the signal with no latency. i can't stand to do vocals with latency so i monitor the input directly via the monitor mixer. keep in mind that you can monitor directly and thru your recording software at the same time. the result will sound like a short delay or flange effect because you'll be hearing the signal twice, with the latent signal slightly behind. if you monitor directly, turn off monitoring in your software to avoid this delay or flangy sound.

 

[Seazea]

Thanks man, I appreciate the help a lot. The audiophile 2496 gets rave reviews all over the net but its like trying to operate a chinese rubic's cube.

I 've been thinking that I might not have the mixer to the soundcard connected right. I've read "somewhere" that cabling from the mixer main outs to the sound card might be the thing to do. At any rate, I just ordered some "RCA-to-1/4" cables to try that out. Once I get this all straightened out I'm going to write a detailed explanation of how I set this equipment up and then post it. It seems like nothing out here exists - its all trial and error -and there is sure to be another sorry s.o.b. like me out there with a room full of guitars, drums and other gear and no understanding of how to record with it.

By the way, thanks also for the latency info. I haven't gotten to the point of actually hearing anything I've tried to record yet so that's another hemorrhoid waiting to show up.

 

[travelin travis]

you'll get it all figured out after you spend some time playing around with it. with that mixer, i think i'd use the main outs to send the mic signals to the computer and use the tape ins for bringing it back to the mixer. you have to be careful though or you'll get a feedback loop. don't send the tape to main (there's a button). send the tape to control room (button) and connect your monitor speakers to the control room outs. either that or just connect your monitors directly to audiophile's outs.

also, keep your levels low until you get it all figured out. feedback can damage your speakers, headphones, etc. it's not a good idea to monitor thru speakers that are in the same room as your mikes. that's an instant feedback loop. the mikes will be picking up your source (guitar, vocals, etc.) plus whatever is coming out of the speakers.