Recording acoustic guitar to hard drive - HELLLLLP!

[Quizas]

I'm so frustrated I could cry. I hope someone out there can help me. I'm trying to record my Takamine acoustic into my computer- based multitracker through a Soundblaster Live Drive. I know this isn't the most complex setup in the world, but it's all I have, and I'm trying to make the best of it.

No matter what I do, the guitars come out sounding thin and really really tinny. The whole fullness and bass is gone. And they're either recorded pin-drop quiet, or they distort like mad. Here's what I've tried doing so far:

Guitar pickup direct into LiveDrive (terrible)

Condenser mic right in front of my soundhole into LiveDrive (the best I have so far but still far from acceptable)

Guitar pickups into my Roland amp, then the amp's line out into LiveDrive

Condenser mic in front of my Roland amp, into the LiveDrive.

NOTHING comes out sounding anything like a real natural acoustic guitar.

Is it so much to ask for?

Any help would be MUCH appreciated.

 

[LocusLarsen]

Try the condensor about 3 feet away. Have some one else just strum open if they can't play, then you can move the mic aound and adjust how much gain for the input you need.

Thats about all I can think of without new equipment.

 

[simpleblue]

Are you sure its not just the speakers you're playing back on?

 

[Track Rat]

Could be so many things wrong. The recording software might be set to a low bit depth/sample rate. Saving it as something other than a .wav (maybe a low res MP3?)? Are you patching into the line input on the sound card from the mic preamp or the mic in? Should be the line input. What kind of mic and preamp are you using? Could be gain staging problem. Is that Takimine a Dreadnaught sized guitar? If so, they're kind of boomy and it's easy to "woof out" a mic. You'll want to stay away from the soundhole with the mic and use a bass roll off if it has one. If had the best luck with Dreadnaughts with the mic near the 12th fret. A little more info and I bet we can dial you in.

 

[Quizas]

Thanks alot for all of your replys. What I'm gleaning from all of your feedback is that I'm trying to do too much without the appropriate equipment.

Firstly, I know the problem is not my speakers, because when I record my keyboard into my LiveDrive, the sound quality is wonderful and the playback sounds just as I'd like. Ditto with the LiveDrive Line In input. I do _not_ try to input the mic into the 1/4" input. I didn't even think of trying that. Ditto with the sampling bitrate. As far as recording my keyboard, I love my LiveDrive. It does a great job seemlessly.

I'm using some Sony mic that I was told is a condenser. It's certainly no professional mic. That I'm sure of. I don't use a preamp and it doesn't have XLR output - just a 1/2" line output. So I guess I look like a total idiot becuase I'm using some cheap-o mic and expecting quality sound from it.

Hope that answers all of your questions. Thanks again for your involvement!

 

[Track Rat]

Yup.