Recording Problem

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rayvier
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Rayvier

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Hello everyone, it's me again.

Audio Interface: Zoom G9.2tt
Softwares: Audacity and Cubase LE4

So, I've been messing around with recording - ever since I realized how stupid I was for buying a MIDI interface but enough of that. I always noticed this distortion happening whenever I recorded through Cubase LE4 and I never really noticed why until I used Audacity instead of Cubase. As you can see in the attached image, the maximum amplitude of the sound wave is flattened and I have so little knowledge in acoustics that I don't know how to fix it... I have a feeling it's an issue with my G9.2tt but I also feel like that the maximum amplitude should be higher than that... I don't know I'm very confused.

Image: i57.photobucket.com/albums/g216/ebpt/Audacity.png

I need to record this one song that I've been writing and editing for the past 3 months.

A little explanation and solution is highly appreciated ^^

Thanks,

Rayvier
 
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I don't really understand Audacity's scale, which appears to say that you have heaps of headroom, but the wave been sawn off like that is an indication that somewhere in your signal chain, you're maxing something out.

What does it actually sound like? And I presume you're using USB to get from Zoom to PC? Not sending audio in via the mic-in or anything like that?
 
^ Thanks for the reply, yes that's what I assumed to and kept readjusting my Zoom's EQ and levels to to see if that helps but it just reduces the volume which is really annoying because it's not what I want. I also use Cubase LE4 which has the same issue. The link below is the actual track I recorded as seen on the image above. Fair warning though, it will make your ears bleed XD

Oh and yea, I have my Zoom connected to my PC directly via USB.

link:myspace.com/564313049/music/songs/Brightly-Colored-Glasses-40-Guide-Track-41--80520871
 
Yea problem was I couldn't do that until I had 5 posts minimum which I didn't until now :P

Thanks for the welcome

Apparently I maxed out on the level my Zoom feeds to my computer and the reason for the really small max amplitude was because I reduced the input my computer allows to receive from my Zoom so I inverted that and reduced the level my Zoom feeds and increased the level my computer allows to receive... I guess that's the only real way to fix this.

Thanks for your help!
 
What type of guitar do you have plugged into your Zoom and what does the output sound like when just taken from the Zoom to headphones or amp?

Don't discount the possiblity that you're just overloading the Zoom's guitar preamp and that there's nothing wrong with the recording itself. Does it sound crystal clear through an amp or is there still distortion?

BTW, your low E string is flat....
 
Rayvier said:
Apparently I maxed out on the level my Zoom feeds to my computer and the reason for the really small max amplitude was because I reduced the input my computer allows to receive from my Zoom so I inverted that and reduced the level my Zoom feeds and increased the level my computer allows to receive... I guess that's the only real way to fix this.
Click to expand...

You have just learned an extremely valuable lesson in sound engineering: Turning down a clipped signal just gives you a clipped signal at a lower level.

Leave all software gain controls in the record path at unity. Use your preamp or some other analog gain stage to set the level going to the converters.
 
Armistice said:
What type of guitar do you have plugged into your Zoom and what does the output sound like when just taken from the Zoom to headphones or amp?

Don't discount the possiblity that you're just overloading the Zoom's guitar preamp and that there's nothing wrong with the recording itself. Does it sound crystal clear through an amp or is there still distortion?

BTW, your low E string is flat....
Click to expand...

I've got an Ibanez GRG-270 when I play I don't usually have my volume put on max because I live in an apartment and my neighbors probably won't appreciate it lol so I can't really hear much distortion. Which is in fact why I led to the conclusion of just turning down my Zoom's levels instead of my computers'.

Yea I fail at recognizing flats and sharps - well I really can't tell tones apart... I'm partially tone deaf I think XD or seriously tone deaf O.o But anyway I realized it was off by some degree today but didn't bother with it yet since I'm just messing around for now. It's annoying since the GRG-270 has a Lo-Pro Edge and every time I bend a string or two, the lower E gets shifted... I don't know, it just happens O.o

bouldersoundguy said:
You have just learned an extremely valuable lesson in sound engineering: Turning down a clipped signal just gives you a clipped signal at a lower level.

Leave all software gain controls in the record path at unity. Use your preamp or some other analog gain stage to set the level going to the converters.
Click to expand...

Thank you :D
 
Bump - board's being spammed, so just bumping this thread back above the spam until teh mods kill it...
 
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