playback clicking/pops

[cflorez]

Hey everybody,

I am using a soundblaster live card. If I am recording from a mic, I have no problem with playback.

If I try to record direct from my digital effects box (for guitar), everything sounds fine going in, but on playbakc, I have a small clicking sound about every 3-4 seconds. It is almost a pattern.

Any ideas? Is it just too hot of a signal going in? If so, what do you suggest? Do I need a mixer? If so, I am on a limited budget and need a cheaper one.

Is my problem going from quarter inch to 1/8 inch?

Hope this rambling makes sense.

thanks for your help. I really appreciate it.

Chris

 

[geekgurl]

Hmm. Are you going digital out on the effects to digital in on the SB card? Are you using MIDI as sync?

I ask because I was using an external A/D converter, routing it via SPDIF to my audio card. I was getting these clicks until I realized that it was a conflict of the clocks in the units; both wanted their internal clock to be the master. I was able to choose "master" or "slave" on both units, so I kept the converter as master and made the software/drive a slave (by changing its clock from "internal" to "SPDIF"). If you're using MIDI to sync audio rather than digital signal, you can still get clicks (I had that happen too, had to make sure one device was master, the other slave, just as with SPDIF signal).

If you're not syncing in some way, I really don't know what it could be. You could record a bit of guitar while running thru the effects' signal out to a simple cassette player's audio in just to make sure it's not something going on with the unit that you're not hearing while playing for some reason. But I'm not thinking that's the problem.

Tell us what software you're tracking into and your specific input and output configurations, including connectors (RCA, XLR/mic, 1/4, etc). Maybe that'll shed light.

 

[cflorez]

Thanks....

I am trying to go from the 1/4 inch out of the effects box into the 1/8 inch line in of the line input of the sound card.

I have tried recording into sound forge and samplitude. I get the same results.

I also tried going straight from an acoustic guitar 1/4 out to 1/8 inch in on the soundcard.

I am not using any syncing clock or midi device.

Thanks for your fast response and help.

chris

I am assuming it must be something wrong with how I am trying to get the signal in, but I don't know what is wrong.

I can play along with CDs or DVDs (using internal CPU drives) fine using this configuration. It is only a problem when I try to record.