Soundblaster help

  • Thread starter Thread starter jjrockjaw
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jjrockjaw

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first of all, u have a slow computer. if u want to do audio apps, u need a hi speed machine. regarding cubase, the reason they dont mention soundblaster is because its a piece of crap. if i were u id sell ur machine and start anew. go talk to a dealer and see what ur options are. cards like soundblaster work on consumer wave programs fine, but if u want to run some of the more sophisticated programs u need a card that will cost a minimum of 350$ ...cya
 
As an introduction, I've never done digital hard disk recording before. However, a friend just gave me his old computer.
Processor: Pentium 166MHz
Memory: 64 MB RAM
Storage: 1 SCSI 2GB Hard Drive
1 SCSI 1GB Hard Drive
CD-ROM: 1 SCSI 8X CD-ROM
Sound: Sound Blaster 32AWE
Fax\Modem: 28.8Kbps

I've loaded some audio recording shareware and demo software to help me make a decision about what to buy. When I record using stereo recording software like GoldWave it records and plays beautifully.

However, when I record using multitrack software such as n-track or Cubase, it sounds good when I record, but when I play back my recording it sounds extremely noisey.

n-track said that when using Soundblaster I should close the VU meter. This helped, but it's still noisy. In addition, after recording, it plays back very fast. The pitch is not raised, it's just too fast. When I first started out, it wasn't doing that. Now it is.

Cubase doesn't say anything about Soundblaster.

I'm using a Shure mic through an Alesis mixer and going from the line out of the mixer to the line in of the sound card. I'm thinking, since it records fine in one kind of software but not in another, it must be in the software and not in the way I've connected the equipment.

Frankly, I have no clue as to what I should do in the Control Panels settings. I'm just kind of flying by the seat of my pants.

May the heavens bless he who can help me. Thank you!
 
You don't neccessarily need to scrap your entire machine. I'd get a bigger hard drive (preferably bigger than 10 gigs), and a better soundcard (just hunt around). A P166, although not the fastest computer in the world, can work for recording. People are probably getting sick of me continually saying this, but my system is almost identical to yours, except I'm using an 5400 rpm ide hard drive, and I can get 32 24-bit tracks out of it, if I really push. A faster cpu will definately help if your using directX effects, but if your only starting out, it's not a huge deal... you should be able to apply effects offline if it's really neccessary.

Hope this is useful

William Underwood
 
It just seems to me that if the equipment is fast enough and big enough to handle recording 2 stereo tracks, it otta be able to handle recording one multitrack at a time.

You see, all I'm doing is recording one track in the multitrack software but it's all noisy and gross. Yet when I record two stereo tracks on stereo recording software, voila, sounds great. Don't you think there must be some adjustment I need to make in Cubase or n-track and then it will work?

[This message has been edited by wturner (edited 02-18-2000).]
 
Does the audio sound like it's skipping or something? It doesn't sound like the sound card is at fault.

This seems to be the thing to check these days: go into the start menu, settings, control panel, system, devices, disk drives, and right click on your harddrive. choose properties, then go to settings, and see if DMA is turned on. If it isn't, turn it on. This may or may not help with your problem, but it'll help things further down the road.

Hope this is useful
William Underwood

[This message has been edited by cwillu (edited 02-18-2000).]
 
Since my last message, I downloaded PowerTracks demo. The problem has reversed itself. Now, when I play back my recording it sounds great, but while I am recording, my previous audio tracks sound noisy (static like crackling). This is acceptable. I can deal with it.

I will check out the DMA checkbox. Thanks for your help. If you can think of anything else, let me know.
 
That's because the soundblaster 16, Awe32 and I believe Awe64 are not truely full duplex. They will record or playback at 16bit while recording or playing back 8bit. You can't record AND playback at 16bit.

Not a big deal if you're recording at 16bit and playing back at 8bit...sounds like crap while you're doing it...but sounds fine when you play the whole thing back.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Good info, Slackmaster. Can you tell me why the Cubase demo did the opposite as the PowerTracks, i.e. it sounded good while I recorded but sounded like poo poo when I played it back. And can you tell me how to get Cubase to do like PowerTracks, i.e. sound like poo poo when I record but sound good when I play back?

The point of this: I'd rather buy and use Cubase than PowerTracks if I can get it to do as I wish. Thanks, Slackmaster!!!

The Slackmaster is obviously no slacker.
 
Umm...I dunno honestly. My old soundblaster16 worked just fine right from the start on my old system...aside from the piss poor playback during recording.

Things you might look into:

1) Look at your recording properties in the multimedia control are set at the highest quality by default.

2) In cubase, you should be able to setup which device you want to record from and which you want to playback from. You have to set this up even if you're using one card with a single stereo channel. I don't use cubase though. In n-Track, I used to set my record properties to SB16 Record and my playback to SB16 Playback. They would default to Windows Wave Device or some shit.

3) Make sure you have the latest drivers. http://www.creativelabs.com I used to have problems with my SB16 in NT until I downloaded the latest drivers (playback crackling...intermittent, not severe).

4) Force yourself to spend $20 to $30 dollars on either a Soundblaster PCI128 or a Creative/Ensoniq AudioPCI. Both are really fairly decent for a beginner setup. What's your current noise floor (noise level when nothing is going on...e.g. what does your record VU meter in cubase tell you when you're idle)? With my SB16 it was at around -45db and is now at -70db with a PCI128. MUCH better...lots more room to work in. I also had the AudioPCI for a short time and got similar results. They are also true full duplex and should solve your current problem unless I am misinterpreting it.

5) Save your money for a REAL soundcard. I'm currently stuck on this step myself :)

Slackmaster 2000
 
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