SB Live Line-in recording

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gumboots

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I'm going from the headphone jack on my yamaha MD4s into the line-in port on my brand new SB Live Digital Sound Card using a brand new stereo cable. Everything sounds good, and the mix stays consistant when I listen to the MP3s I'm making, but there is a slight audio distortion, especially on the vocals, that has been getting progressively worse as the days go on. I can't describe it any other way than to say that sometimes the vocals sound like they're under water. The sound and pitch wavers ever so slightly, especially on sung syllables that begin with the letter 'S'. At first it was very slight, and I would probably be the only one to tell, but recently it's been getting worse, and I can't explain it. I thought it was the cord I'm using, but I just got a new one and the results are the same, if not worse.
I can only compare it to the sound of a really bad mp3 downloaded from Napster, where the audio is completely distorted by this 'watery' 'wavey' effect...I don't know if anyone has ever had this experience with Mp3s, and I've heard worse cases off the net than what I'm experiencing with my material, but I've worked too hard on this stuff to succumb to distortion, especially when ALL the mediums I'm using are digital.
The software I'm using to make the mp3s is MusicMatch Jukebox...I don't know if that has anything to do with it, but if anyone knows what I'm talking about, or has any tips, or suggestions I havn't tried, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks!

-gumboots
 
I made sure to use the highest quality, 160 kbps. Are there any other standard settings I should be aware of that may determine the quality besides bitrate?

Thanks for the encoder's info, I'll check it out.
 
Would anyone know if a different encoder would solve the problem? I've never had any quams with Music Match on other computers, but this is the first time I'm using it on my machine. Are certain encoders better than others? I know nothing about the field...any info is appreciated! Thanks!
 
Why are you going through the headphone port? You should be using the line out (on the back of the machine). I used to go from my MD4S into my soundcard's line in. You need a cable that has stereo RCA on one end, and a 1/8" on the other end. The headphone jack is slightly amplified, so this might explain the distortion, whereas the line out (or master out, I don't remember off hand what its called) level should match your soundcards' line in...
Good luck!
-Evan

gumboots said:

I'm going from the headphone jack on my yamaha MD4s into the line-in port on my brand new SB Live Digital Sound Card using a brand new stereo cable. <<snipped>>

-gumboots
Click to expand...
 
I've been monitoring all the recording through the headphones, and I find that outputting from the headphones gives me a mix truer to what I've been hearing all along than from the master out. Plus, I've been using the headphones as an out on numerous other occasions, on other computers and never had a problem...the distortion is not clipping, so I don' t think it has much to do with amplification, or volume of the out. The sound just wavers, or 'warbles' from time to time, but the balance is great. I just don't get it.
 
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