Perplexing distortion... Help!

A

AlexHerd

New member
Hi. So I'm doing some recording and I'm getting some distortion that I have NO idea where its coming from. I'm recording on Sonar 4 at 24/44.1. My soundcard is a Hercules Firewire 16/12. I've recorded a bunch of times with this setup, but never had this problem. I know that my gain structure is good from mic > pre > soundcard. I've tried different mics, cables, pres, and I've tried using a preamp with built in A/D into the spdif in on the 16/12 where I still get the distortion, so it can not be the A/D on the 16/12's 1/4 inputs either. I have switched the soundcard between ASIO and WDM as well. I don't believe its monitor problems either because I've tried headphones out of the 16/12 and I hear the same distortion. So I guess that this leaves me with it being some kind of internal problem.

The distortion is on sustained louder parts. For example, drum hits aren't suffering from the distortion, but for example you start to hear it on prolonged louder guitar parts (even though the levels are peaking around -6 on the DAW. Its not even a real saturated distortion, just a subtle top end thing. I think that It has to be internal as I've changed every variable, including source, leading up to the 16/12. Can anyone help me? I'm supposed to record a band tomorrow, so I'd really like to figure out the problem... Thanks!
 
Q's

You said you are going to record a band tomorrow. What is it you are experimenting with presently, that you have noticed this issue?

Are you playing your own guitar into a mixer board going into your sound card?

Are you using keyboards with MIDI that are triggering different samples?

Or is it a CD you are playing into your recording?

Are you using a PC or MAC, and which OS?

Thus far, it sounds like a build-up of feedback, looping and gaining momentum, somehow. You said the distortion does not seem to appear on drum hits (short bursts), but in sustaining sounds it does.

Also, since this problem is new, there is probably some simple thing being overlooked that is causing it.

If you are using XP, go into the control panel, double-check the sound card parameters. Make sure you don't have any other mic turned on by accident (as in a webcam with built-in mic, for example).

You might want to run the Sonar diagnostic again (the one which sets buffers and stuff for your sound card).

I'm not familiar with the Hercules card, but does it have its own mixer control interface? Double-check those parameters, and again, make sure the control sound settings for Windows are not interfering with it. (if you are using Windows).

Hope we can get you fixed by tomorrow.
 
Try comparing imorting vs recording (A/D) a known good (dynamic?) 'cd track?
 
Last edited:
Toddskins said:
You said you are going to record a band tomorrow. What is it you are experimenting with presently, that you have noticed this issue?

Are you playing your own guitar into a mixer board going into your sound card?

Are you using keyboards with MIDI that are triggering different samples?

Or is it a CD you are playing into your recording?

Are you using a PC or MAC, and which OS?

Thus far, it sounds like a build-up of feedback, looping and gaining momentum, somehow. You said the distortion does not seem to appear on drum hits (short bursts), but in sustaining sounds it does.

Also, since this problem is new, there is probably some simple thing being overlooked that is causing it.

If you are using XP, go into the control panel, double-check the sound card parameters. Make sure you don't have any other mic turned on by accident (as in a webcam with built-in mic, for example).

You might want to run the Sonar diagnostic again (the one which sets buffers and stuff for your sound card).

I'm not familiar with the Hercules card, but does it have its own mixer control interface? Double-check those parameters, and again, make sure the control sound settings for Windows are not interfering with it. (if you are using Windows).

Hope we can get you fixed by tomorrow.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. I'm running a PC w/ Windows XP, have done all the stuff on the musicxp site ect... What have I been recording? Its the same band thats coming in tomorrow again, and I had to tell them the other day that I was just completely stumped. I didn't know what else to do... Couldn't be something like an extra mic turned on, its coming up on different channels. Like I said, I've changed every variable before Sonar including mics, cables, pres, A/Ds, inputs on the soundcard ect... I've also run the card as ASIO & WDM and changed the buffer size to pretty far extremes and in between and I'm still having the same problem... I just don't know what else to try, I'm out of ideas,
 
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