Problems recording with my computer

[Anderson]

Greetings, all. I could really use some help, and as you can see I'm new here.

I’m quite proficient with computers, but have just recently begun trying to record. As a 20 year old musician struggling with a lack of money (and more often than not, talent), the Audigy seemed like the way to go for me after reading all the information available—essentially I was (and still am) left with the impression that for the time being at least it would eliminate the need for my band to purchase studio time and still have quality recordings.

However, I’m having some trouble.

Here is the problem:

We’ve plugged in 2 guitars, a bass, and a mic into a mixer. One guitar goes through a Line 6 Pod, and the guitar and bass both go through distortion petals on the way to the mixer. The mixer then goes out in RCA and converts to 1/8 jack to use the line in on the Audigy. The problem is that I keep getting a lot of line noise, for apparently no reason. The wiring and drive are all new as of this week, and switching them around/plugging them in one at a time has yielded no reduction in the noise. Any suggestions?

Also, do you have any software suggestions for recording? Any help you can offer is tremendously appreciated, and thank you in advance.

Feel free to drop me a line on AOL, I'm on pretty much all the time because my job is so boring.

Regards,
Anderson

 

[RWhite]

For two channel recording on a very tight budget - i.e. free - I would download Goldwave.

http://www.goldwave.com/

As for the Audigy, I just two days ago replaced a SB Live with a Audigy and I've noticed I seem to be picking up a hum where none previously existed. Have not tracked it down yet.

First place I would check is your cable from mixer to sound card - swap it out with another if you have one. Also plug some headphones into the mixer and see if you can hear the noise there, or if it originates at the sound card.

 

[elevate]

I'm no expert on the subject, but I don't think most distortion pedals are intended for line use. Have you checked the output of the mixer with headphones to see if the noise is there, or at the computer? You may have an issue with balanced outputs running to unbalanced inputs.

As to software, since you're just recording one channel, any wave editor would do (Sound Forge, Wave Lab), or you could use something that will allow you to mix seperate tracks, like Vegas (my choice), Cubase, Logic, etc... That way you could record scratch tracks, and then record everything seperately later.

If it's not too late, I'd consider returning the Audigy in favor of an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 - much better for what you're trying to do.

 

[muenchman]

Have you considered using digital as apposed to analog to record? I am in the process of doing this myself. I currently use a Soundblaster Live and have been recording the same way you do until now. The bottom line is, no matter how good your external mixer is, as long as you are using an analog "Line In" plug to transfer the sound to your computer, even with a high-end sound card, some quality will be lost when the signal is transformed from digital to analog. It doesn't make sense to me to plug everything into a digital mixer only to switch it to analog before completing the project. I would suggest checking the back of your mixer for a digital out. It should have either an optical or a coaxle digital out. Optical would be preferable as it ofers premium digital sound. Then check your sound card to see what options you have there for digital in. There are fairly cheap options available to transfer digital sound from your mixer to your sound card. For example, if your sound card is like mine, you'll have an SPDIF coaxle digital input. If your mixer also has a coaxle connection then you're good to go, just get some digital cables. If your mixer is like mine (Boss BR-532), then you have an optical digital out and would need a CO2 optical to coaxle converter box (about $89.00). Hope this helps, I'm fairly new at this myself (started about a year & a half ago). I have been getting pretty frustrated recently with poor sound quality and I think you're finding yourself in the same situation. Good luck & keep at it.

 

[Anderson]

thanks for all the help, guys, i'll some of these tonight....I have an optical in, wonder if i have optical out on my mixer....hrmm.....

as for the sound card, after reading the forums i may have to check out that other card instead.

However, if I could get rid of the line noise I'd be satisfied with the recording quality for now....the band just got together a week ago, after all

any more suggestions are of course welcomed. thanks all!

-Anderson