n-Track 3.2 & Delta 1010LT Issues

[Skibble]

Hello all!

I just joined this BBS and I should have a long time ago! Great information and a great bunch of people from what I can see so far!

I just picked up a Delta 1010LT card and am running it with n-Track 3.2 (24-bit version).
Through a regular card, I have never had any issues with n-Track and am quite proficient with it (I've used it for years to record 2 tracks at a time).
I am running a Dell P-III 800mhz with Windows 2000 professional.

But the Delta 1010LT card is confusing me. Let me start with a basic question that may be the issue.
I want to mic a drum set...so I took my XLR cables and convereted the ends to RCA males so that the Delta card can accept the inputs. I know nothing about blaanced and unbalanced cables, so I proceeded to wire them as follows:

-RED to center pin on the RCA jack
-GROUND and OTHER to ground on the RCA jack.

This (I believe) is an UNBALANCED cable...right?
I know the book tells me that this is not recomended, but should it work?
Should I wire the XLR to RCA cables in a different fashion?

My signals are all registering through the n-Track mixer...but when I record, I get the following:

-The signal is really distorted.
-The signal seems to be recording at a weird sample rate (and plays back slower tempo-wise).
-The PEAK file does not play in sync with the audio that is playing back.

I have tried to tinker with the bit rate (16, 24, 24 justified, etc.) but no sucess. Sometimes it even crashes the system.
I have played with the mixer levels, but it doesn't help. The signal is lower, but it still distorts. I've tried the -10db setting, consmer, etc. but the same thing happens.
Sometimes, the PEAK file in n-Track shows a cleaner signal (not peaking like crazy) but when I launch the track externally in Cool Edit, the WAV peeks (fills the screen to max db) and sounds like white noise.

I am using my generic system sound card (Dell onboard) for playback. Is this wrong?

In essence, I want to use microphones through this card...no LINE INPUT equipment at all. Please help if you can. I don't know what to do.


Any help wouuld be more than appreciated! Thanks again.

 

[gordone]

Hello - I have the Delta 44, so it might be slightly different on the 1010lt.
1)You don't need your Dell soundcard anymore. Play back through the Delta. You'll be much happier.
2)Your drum mics need a pre-amp. The inputs on the 1010lt are LINE inputs (I think there might be 2 pre-amped/mic inputs though) Since you're trying to mic drums, I'd look into an inexpensive mixer to get a bunch of preamps. Mackie and Yamaha are two good brands to look into. You'll want to plug the mic into the XLR input on the mixer, and then tap the insert from the mixer to get that channel into the input on your soundcard (this keeps the signal from going through the EQ/Fader/other circuitry on the mixer, it basically goes directly from the pre circuit out to the soundcard)
3)Not sure what's going on with the sample rate.

Good luck!