simple 'improving my setup' question

[hujhaxx]

Hi all --
I've been puttering around with home recording for a year or two now, but I have a really newbie-ish question:

--
I have a Shure SM-57 mic, plugged into a Eurorack UB802 Mixer, and I have the 'tape out' output routed to the line-in of my SoundBlaster Live! card.

I've become dissatisfied with the results, finding my recordings (typically vocals, acoustic guitars) a bit noisy and a bit muddy.

I want to spend a few hundred dollars on cutting down the noise/mud, but I don't know where to spend it. New mic? New mixer? New sound card? Or something else I haven't thought of?
--

    ~ thanks, & sorry if I posted to the wrong forum ~
        =-p-=


ps Most of the stuff I've recorded (such as it is) is at
    http://home.austin.rr.com/hujhax/Music.html.

 

[ChristopherDawn]

Get rid of the soundblaster, man. If you've been reading this board that long and haven't picked up on that then you've been reading the wrong area!

Think about picking up an Audiophile 24/96 for $150.

Next I'd think about upgrading to a better pre. If you only do stereo acoustic guitar and vocals, two pres should be fine, so you could maybe pick up a RNP or something (around $500).

After that if (assuming you only do acoustic and vocals) you want a stereo sound from your acoustic maybe think about a LDC or a SDC or two to mic up the acoustic. Maybe a LDC would be better since you could work with the acoustic AND your vocals with it.

I dunno. I'm rampling.

Go for a new soundcard.

 

[Jeyan]

you dont need to change the mixer for now, but you definitely need a good soundcard, as Chris said, get a audiophile 2496, you could get it around 120 in ebay. Good Luck man!

 

[SPINSTERWUN]

I agree with CD and Jeyan. You need a new sound card. The 2496 that they suggested would be an excellent choice.

 

[SPINSTERWUN]

What type of monitors do you have?

 

[regebro]

Doesn't sound that bad...

The monitors are most important. Then the soundcard, then a nice condenser mic. That's probably the order I'd do it in.

 

[Gidge]

Audiophile $125
Delta DMP3 preamp $150
Marshall MXLv67 mic $99

 

[hujhaxx]

Wow -- thanks y'all, this is exactly what I needed to know.

Yeah, I'm currently mixing on headphones.

So I think my current plan is to (once I have the money) spend a few hundred dollars on a pair of low-end, powered studio monitors, and then buy an Audiophile 24/96, and then see how things sound.

    &nbsp=-p-=

 

[Drummer4Life05]

How would you connect the mixer into the Audiophile 2496? There are no 1/4" connectors...all I see is MIDI and RCA jacks...

 

[Bulls Hit]

Just get a couple of 1/4" to RCA cables

 

[stonepiano]

agree with the new soundcard advice. I personally like the Presonus Firebox, mostly because you can grow into it for a few years. The M-Audio FW solo looks good too.

 

[rayc]

Soundblaster Live is, essentially, a gamers card. It can't do what you'd like it to do no matter how hard you wish.
You'll get better results & more flexibility with a card made for recording.
I was a non believer until I upgraded slowly through eBay.
My latest card is a 8/8 with nice pres too. The net result is I can do more of the thtings I want to do & it's easier &&&&&&& the sound quality is better - no matter the monitor - bad sounds bad on good any time.