Recording Guitar

  • Thread starter Thread starter Supergoat
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Supergoat

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ok...... ive been trying to record guitar demos into my computer through cakewalk by pluging my guitar straight into the line in jack on my computer but it come out so faint you can barely hear it. so then i tryed to boost the volume by using a PA mixer(its a crappy rouge one) pluging the guitar in to the PA input and using the rec output to go to the line input but this didnt help much, barely at all. I then tryed using the PA speaker output to go to thew computer but all i got was some very loud crackling. im not sure what i can do to record and its getting pretty frusturating so im turning to you guys....... if i used this would it work
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/ex/s...3283?pid=189100
if i got a cheap mixerwould that boost the volume and make it sound ok?? im not sure what to do but if someone could please point me in the right direction i would be soooo soooo grateful.
thanks
-Will
 
Don't know what you're pointing at with that link, it gives me an Error 404...

... but your line level input needs line level signals. The output of the PA -- that's a pretty strong signal, it's what makes speakers vibrate with enough energy to be audible. You might have toasted your sound card.

You say you tried the Rec output of the mixer and it wasn't much better. I suspect your input levels on the sound card might have been too low. Try it again (that is, if your card wasn't destroyed) and use the Windows mixer utility to set the levels. Here's some instructions:

http://www.cakewalk.com/Support/Lessons/WindowsMixer.htm
 
recording with cakewalk on a budget

its very easy to use cakewalk to make great multitrack recordings, first thing you need is a cheap mixing board that has rca jacks on it, ya take the stereo out of the board, and plug it in either ya mic or line unput on your computer sound card...ex...a rca to a 1/8th" stereo input. Aftr hooking it up, youll neet to hit the icon on the right of your taskbar that pops up your sound configuration....or the speaker icon at the bottom...make sure the selected input on the recording profile is not muted, and set the level accordingly, for instance, play your guitar, and set the recording level, so its at 0....or right before it clips to red, this is done in the studio panel of the program, as well as the computers sound level....both need to be set, or you either will have it too loud or too quiet...also another neat trick cakewalk has is the normalize option, it brings up the recording level to its highest point befopre peaking, but if you had a noisy recording, this will only amplify the noise.....any tips needed, feel free to contact me at cpankuch@hotmail.com, be glad to assist ya, been a cakewalk user for a long time, and have recorded a few albums that blow the local bands "i paid a lot for studio time" away....it tajkes time
read the damn manual, it helps a lot, i know its a bible, but its very helpful....after 3 years of use, i still have mine under my coonsul....:)
 
Recording guitar

Hi

I had the same trouble until I realised that the Tascam 4 track Portastudio (gathering dust under the table) could be used to record directly into the sound card - you have a lot of control, etc. Maybe you could pick one up second hand really cheap.
 
My solution on the cheap was to buy a Behringer MX 602A or better mixer. I've heard a lot of folks here bad mouth Behringer, but the price was right ($99.00) and for a Homerecer of my diminuitive stature, it's good enough for me. I don't think I could tell the difference between work done through that and any other "cheap" mixer.

A mixer keeps your options open. You can run mics for acoustic instruments and vocals, and you can do funky stuff like two inputs for one instrument for stereo(?) effect.
 
don't listen to these bastards. i'm drunk right now and you can suck it. quit using cakewalk. i used to think it was cool. you should be using logic or cubase. if you don't believe me...at least try them out.. peace yo.
 
I hear ya

I'm having similar problems recording guitar through Cakewalk as you are. Although I did manage to tinker with audio volume recording levels through Windows, I'm still getting major distortion. It sounds like pure crap. My soundcard is only 16bit and I'm wondering if that is the problem. I'm also not completely sure of what type of cables need to come out of the guitar and into the mixer and then from the mixer to the soundcard. My little Peavey mixer came with the Cakewalk software and so the only outputs it has are RCA type. As you know, guitar cords are 1/4" jack, so I'm wondering if that too is causing a conflict problem. What I tried was a 1/4" mono phone plug cable from the guitar to an RCA plug that I fed through the mixer. Still sounds like crap. What type of cords are you using from your guitar into your mixer? Maybe that's causing a conflict?

Then, I went out and bought a mic pre-amp and had to buy a few more cables to match the outputs of the pre-amp to the inputs of the mixer board, but that doesn't seem to help at all. Still got crappy sound.

Maybe I just haven't figured out what I'm doing wrong yet. My advice is: try all the recording level info the guys have suggested here, before buying anything. I'm going to go through all of the checks they recommended and see if I get any better sound recording after that. I'll let you know if I figure it out. Hang in there and know that you are not alone. I'm trying hard not to fry my soundcard too. Hope you haven't either! Good luck to ya!
 
i had the same problem with my fostex FD-4. i just made my first cd with it and it is terribly quiet. i even went into the windows mixer option and changed the line in balance to its highest. any tips would be good. :)

-David
 
Recording guitar

Hi. There seems to be difficulty in recording guitar onto the computer except via microphone or other devices. Before I thought of using my old Tascam Portastudio I was getting the volume I required through pedal effects - especially the Zoom 505. If you have effects pedals, play around and this may help.

Nod
 
c'mon guys (duh)

Now i don't know your definition of way to low, although i used to go direct with my strat and got damn quiet recordings until, oh wait, you double click the audio track into that purple and violet looking sound file (on cakewalk pro audio 9) and 3db louder it!!!! OMIGOSH!!!! sorrie sir, but that's not to hard, a distortionless boost? who'd a thunk it!
 
a line-in on a sound card has no pre-amp. that's why it 's way too silent... but more than that, it 's an impedance thing, too. you need an extra pre-amp to record guitars! I use the one on my boss GT3, it gives a great sound. POD or DG-stomp serve this purpose even better !

if you want to do it low-cost, try the headphone out or DI of your amp. it worked for me before I had my current set-up.
 
SG,

IF you plug the guitar into the mixer and listen to the mixer output does the guitar sound good? Can you jack up the input signal enough to get decent levels? If so, then your rec output should work fine. I don't think a mixer is a good way to amp a guitar. But it might be a cheap solution.

When you have a problem like this you need to break it down and check the individual stages. First check that the guitar and mixer work good together. Then check that the mixer and sound card work okay together. Then put the whole thing together.

Good luck.

Nemal
 
Here's my sugestion. I dont know if you use any preamps, but if you dont, you should do that for better recording session. For brand new cheap, using one that comes along with your mixer would be great enough. I use Phonics MM1202. I just buy it for only US$150 in my country. Then -for simple- plug your axe to one of the channel, direct the balanced main output to the line in of your sound card, make a necesary adjustment on the mixer, you should use see the level signal by looking on the mixer's led level display. Once you get average level, start record to Cakewalk. It work's good on me. Other way, plug your guitar to PA, put some proper mic on it's speaker, adjust the position & distance, hook the mic to mixer, adjust the mixer setting, direct the main output to Sound card's Line in (REMEMBER NEVER USE THE MIC IN !!! YOU JUST DONT WANT THE RESULT) Record it.
Try over & over until you get the raw guitar character you want to get. Remeber, you always can modify the level signal later, but the most important, is to get your character. Then you may also use external .wav editor (eg. Cooledit, SoundForge, etc. ) to manipulate the level & noise.

BTW, it would be better for us to know what guitar you use, type & brand, what's the pick up, your PC spec, your goal, describe the sound you wanna get, etc. More detail you explain, more better we can help...
 
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