Question re: hooking a Zoom 505 into Cakewalk

  • Thread starter Thread starter jumpingpound
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jumpingpound

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Here's a question from a cherry that will hopefully help some of you out there with the same problem...

I'm hooking a Zoom 505 effects pedal into Home Studio - ie. the setup is from my guitar to the 505 to the computer. (I know, the 505 isn't exactly the pinnacle of effects pedals, but it's effective and light on the wallet.) The problem is that there is a real broad band of audible static that I am unable to get rid of. Here are some of the causes that I've eliminated

1. It's not due to the effect level (1-30) because I have adjusted this all the way down to zero with no effect on the static. Ie. with the pedal technically not doing anything at a zero level, there is still static.

2. It's not due to electric distortion from my computer because I play with both the guitar and pedal well away from it. Believe me, if you want an interesting effect, run a phaser with your pickups right next to a computer, or better yet a halogen light!

Also, when I hook my guitar directly to the computer or through my amp, the sound is very much clearer, so I know the pedal is causing the problem. However, when I play with just the pedal and my headphones, it is fine. So the problem definitely has to do with the 505/Cakewalk combination.

Any thoughts?

P.S. Thanks to Paul for helping me solve my drum problem earlier. I finally got it to work by routing through the DXI.
 
I suspect you are using the Mic In rather than the Line In. You might even have just a Mic Input. Do you know what soundcard you have there on your computer?
 
The Sound Card is a Master Riptide PCI Audio Device (or so it says in the diagnostic). I don't know, it's not really my computer.

I'm just about to try the line-in instead of the mic-in, so I'll let you know how it goes.
 
OK, so I've tried using the line-in instead of the mic-in. Everything is great until I try to record (I can hear the guitar with the 505 effects through the head phones... but). When I record, there is very little sound, like -50 on the decibel meter. I know how to record in Cakewalk, because I've been doing it through the mic jack for some time. But, I just can seem to get anywhere near the red zone using the line-in. I can record, but the signal is so weak that it barely shows up... very strange since I can hear it through the headphones plugged into the computer just fine.
 
Hey Jumpingpound

I am new to this, but sounds like you need what they call a direct box to interface with the line-level input on the sound card. Go to a music store and check one out.
 
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