Newby but Oldby/ advice on PC recording voice/guitar with reverb Zoom Palmtop?

[pperry]

Hi, this is my first post. I've been songwriting for years, recording on a Tascam 4 track but now I want to record on PC. I've used Anvil Studio sharware a bit but want to record directly to MP3. I have the Super MP3 Pro shareware but it has no multi-track nor ability to add reverb. I have an old Alesis Microverb but it adds too much noise or at least in the way I'm using it. I couldn't get my Shure Mic to give sound after plugging it in directly to an inexpensive soundcard in my newer PC so I plugged it into my Tascam #244 Portastudio & used the out for the headset to plug into the soundcard. Also I can get a second Mic that way for guitar. I can but the Microverb in between tho again its noisy tho sometimes better than others.
Is there software I can get that would let me still do Multi-track & add reverb both during (live) & after in case I want to take it off? I've heard of Cakewalk & see there's a forum here but wonder if that's best for just recording guitar voice & a few other instruments. I've seen The Zoom Palmtop 4 track digital studio advertised & maybe that would be best to get as portability would be nice tho not essential. If there's some shareware available I could add reverb to the Super MP3 Pro MP3 tracks I've already recorded that would be good.
All advice welcome.

 

[NYMorningstar]

Welcome to the BBS pperry. You need a preamp for the mic to bring it up to line level for recording on your soundcard. Using the Tascam's headset out to your soundcard is a bad idea. Check out the User forums by brand here to see the different features of the different softwares. Most of the softwares will let you have a free trial period to try them out. I don't think you will find a multitracker that records direct to mp3. You just have to convert the wav files after recording is all. G/L

 

[pperry]

Thanks

Thanks for the advice...yes I see I need an amp. I'll check out the other boards.

 

[pperry]

Why not use the headset out?

Can using the headset out from my Tascam to lead it into the PC soundard damage my Tascam. Now for some reason I can't get a lot of volume from the Mic when I lead it through the Tascam. My Tascam 244 has been glitchy in the past tho so maybe its just acting up again...or mabe I plugged it in that way before...

Or is there another reason you think its a bad idea to plug in that way. I could lead the sound out from the back of the Portastudio, its line out ports but these are L & R & then I need to Y jack them into the type of Pin plug but I I can't find that part in my parts box.

Would I be better off just getting a PC microphone & then I wouldn't need an amp or would the sound quality be lost?

 

[Rokket]

Can using the headset out from my Tascam to lead it into the PC soundard damage my Tascam. Now for some reason I can't get a lot of volume from the Mic when I lead it through the Tascam. My Tascam 244 has been glitchy in the past tho so maybe its just acting up again...or mabe I plugged it in that way before...

Or is there another reason you think its a bad idea to plug in that way. I could lead the sound out from the back of the Portastudio, its line out ports but these are L & R & then I need to Y jack them into the type of Pin plug but I I can't find that part in my parts box.

Would I be better off just getting a PC microphone & then I wouldn't need an amp or would the sound quality be lost?

It wouldn't sound great at all. Do you have stereo outs on the tascam? These are normally where you would connect a cassette deck or something to mix down to. I've run to my sound card with an RCA to 1/8" cable doing that. It works fine, but you are sending a stereo mix to the pc, not the individual tracks.

 

[pperry]

Reply re. stereo mix

Oh AOK I get you..guess I'm really showing me Newbyness here. Yes I can see now you mention it that the headset port sends out a Mix. I had thought it was still sending out the left & right channels separately & these later mixed to stereo in the headset but now I see your point & it is a mix already.

Yes I do have stereo out ports on the back of my Tascam marked Left & Right. But they use a pin connector which I don't have but can easily get from Radioshack. I'll try that out

Thank Rocket

Phil