Recording Quality w/ SB PCI64 Card...

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zip

zip

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I've heard quite a bit about sound cards and final recording quality but for someone who is not trying to record "professionally" will the PCI64 work or am I wasting time?? Basically all I want to do is put down a drum machine track, MIDI keys, audio bass / guitar / vocals.

This leads me to my other question. The PCI 64 has a 15 pin port and I have heard with the purchase of a MIDI in/out adapter from Creative you are ready to record MIDI - is this true or is there anything else I need??

Can anyone help??

Thanks,

zip
 
Sure that should work well enough. A few things you may want in addition:

- A mic preamp. Device for getting your microphone level up to line level for output to your soundcard. ART MP is a popular one, $99.

- A way of connecting the output of the preamp to the input of your soundcard. You could get a Y cable that splits from 1/8" stereo male, into 2 1/4" mono female. This would allow you to plug 1 or 2 mic's into your sound card and record either mono, or a stereo source.

The 15 pin port/Game Port can also accept MIDI-IN and OUT. Don't have to buy it from creative, it's a relatively common cable at any decent music store.
 
Emeric,

Thanks for the reply! I'm very glad a friend of mine turned me on to this site...hopefully in a few years I'll know enough to help others.

I love the idea about the 1/8 to 2 - 1/4" females - especially since I'll be doing projects with another vocalist...cool!

A question about the mic preamp. Will this just improve quality vs just using the Windows mixer? I don't have a very good vocal mic (which sux because I am primarily a vocalist...) - It's a Sure Unidyne B I purchased when I was young. Can the same preamp be used for guitar applications? I'll be micing a Carvin stack or using my Tom Shultz Rockman.

I already bought the adapter from Creative but it was only $25 - maybe pricy but oh well.

I hope other newbies read this thread. I went to Mars music here in Cincy and the told me I could do NO real recording with a SB card - they tried to sell me a $400 ProTools card which would most likely yielded better results but doesn't sound like it is REALLY needed. WATCH OUT FOR THOSE SALESMEN>>>

Thanks again! I appreciate the help!!

zip
 
A mic preamp will improve the quality considerably. If you were to use the mic-in on your sound card, you'd have to go unbalanced for your mic cable. The already weakened signal will then have to go into the sub-par preamp of the 'mic-in' on your soundcard. You can crank the gain in windows mixer but it is not going to give you a very usable signal.

So with a preamp, you can remain balanced using XLR cable from your Shure mic to the preamp, and then use normal 1/4" to 1/4" unbalanced patch cable to take the line-level output of the preamp, into the 1/4" Y input and then to the line-in on your soundcard (not mic-in).

If you want stereo, you would need 2 preamps. You can use a preamp for direct guitar/drums/miced carvin stacks etc.

I don't know if you've considered the software aspect, but you will need this for multitrack recording. n-track is a popular one. http://www.fasoft.com
 
Emeric,

You lost me on the XLR balanced cable bit. I had a plug which used to be on the mic which looks like a female 3 prong (used to go into the soundboard we used). I replaced it with a 1/4" so I could plug it into a monitor I am borrowing...

Will the 1/4" phono go into the preamp or do I need to go back to the old plug??

Other than understanding the part about balanced vs unbalanced cable I should be good to go.

As far as software I am running Cakewalk Proaudio 8...or at least will be once I figure out the hardware part!

Sorry for being so dense here....I guess that's why I'm a newbie...LOL

zip
 
Does your microphone disconnect from the cable, or is it all one unit? If the mic has a 3 prong connector, than use a 3 conductor XLR cable from the mic to the preamp, rather than 1/4". This way your taking advantage of the balanced circuitry of the preamp and your mic.
 
The original mic used to be all one unit...permanently attached at the mic and supplied with a 1/4" phono. When I sang in a band the sound board required the XLR so it was modified. Now it has a 2 pin detachable "plug" at the mic and used to have the XLR which I recently replaced with the phono.

If I am understanding all this, I would assume the mic does not have balanced circuitry and in the past was just fitted with the XLR to fit the sound board...correct??

This is scarry if I understand this...:) It also sounds like I need to invest in a good mic.

Thanks! zip
 
Yes, it sounds like a cheapo mic. It depends what you need, but a Shure SM57 or 58 and an XLR mic cable would be step up from your current mic, and not cost a whole lot.
 
Thanks Emeric!

Been looking and I think Santa will bring me the ART MPstudio version...it's only $30 more and has a output meter etc...hey it's Xmas what the heck!

Next purchase a good studio mic...maybe a tax return gift...hmmmmm.

Thanks again for all the help...I can't wait to get my new toys....:)

zip
 
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