Stuck. I don't know how to record...

[Dr. Varney]

Alright! I've managed to make a recording. Nothing to get excited about though.

By using one of the presets in DSP Patchmix and fiddling about with the options in Wavelab Lite, I managed to throw a few guitar chords down the wire...

What came back sounds like it is arriving through a sewer pipe from twenty miles away and I'm listening to this, with my head immersed in a bucket of water.

To say it's horrible is an understatement but all tastes accounted for, I don't think even Frank Zappa would be particularly over the moon with it, either.

So... Where do I go from here?

 

[Chili]

Alright! I've managed to make a recording. Nothing to get excited about though.

By using one of the presets in DSP Patchmix and fiddling about with the options in Wavelab Lite, I managed to throw a few guitar chords down the wire...

What came back sounds like it is arriving through a sewer pipe from twenty miles away and I'm listening to this, with my head immersed in a bucket of water.

To say it's horrible is an understatement but all tastes accounted for, I don't think even Frank Zappa would be particularly over the moon with it, either.

So... Where do I go from here?

Go back to Cubase. Wavelab can record, but it's really meant as an editor and not a mulitrack DAW.

Post a screenshot of your Patchmix settings. Let's see what you have.

Then post a screenshot of Cubase> Devices> Device Setup>VST AudioBay

 

[Chili]

What version of Cubase do you have? I have SE3 which is kind of old. Graphics will look different, but content and function should be the same.

 

[Dr. Varney]

I'm startng to think there is something wrong with the way the mixer is set up.... The physical mixer.

I can only get sound into DSP Patchmix when the FX are on and the signal wetted. The wet part of the signal seems to double up and sounds like there is some kind of huge echo going on. When recording started in Wavelab, there was an almighty *CRACK* but the sound of the guitar was distant and full of echo.

 

[Dr. Varney]

I don't see what you're seeing. As you say, different version, different graphics. Am I close to what you're looking for?

 

[kcearl]

isnt there an EMU Asio driver in that drop down list?

 

[Chili]

I'm startng to think there is something wrong with the way the mixer is set up.... The physical mixer.

I can only get sound into DSP Patchmix when the FX are on and the signal wetted. The wet part of the signal seems to double up and sounds like there is some kind of huge echo going on. When recording started in Wavelab, there was an almighty *CRACK* but the sound of the guitar was distant and full of echo.

Well, you need to get your mixer set up straightened out. Be sure to read teh manual. Your description sounds like you got it going through an effects loop or onboard processor. Turn all your Aux and Efx knobs down so you're not using the onboard effects unit.

For people who want to run a mixer into an interface, I always recommend using the Tape In and Tape Out. Be sure to read the manual for your mixer, it will tell you how to hook it up to a 2 channel tape machine. Just substitute the EMU card for a tape machine. Tape Out from the mixer to the PCI L and R inputs on the EMU. Then PCI L/R Outs from the EMU to the Tape In on the mixer. Other people might suggest using the main outs from the mixer. You can if you want.

 

[Chili]

I don't see what you're seeing. As you say, different version, different graphics. Am I close to what you're looking for?

Don't use the ASIO Multimedia driver. Find the ASIO selection for the EMU. The multimedia driver is a windows interface and adds an extra layer to the processing. Plus, it won't be able to automatically calculate latency and buffer settings.

When Cubase finds the right ASIO driver for your interface, it will run an automatic test, or it will ask you if it can run the test. Allow that to happen, it is calculating those important parameters.

Yes, you are close to what you should be seeing.

 

[Dr. Varney]

D'you know, looking back to how I had the laptop with standard IO connected, I'm rememebering using the tape -->OUT to route the signal -->IN.

It was only after reading TweakHeadz guide, that I started using my alt 3/4 bus in this manner.

Yes, it sounds like an effect is being recorded... But the not the effected signal I am hearing through my monitors. Rather, just the wet portion of the signal, without any dry substance attached. Dialing a number 15 in on the FX processor gets me ambience (in other words - echo). It's almost as if I am getting the tail of the echo, without the actual substance of the sound. I hope that makes sense.

If I choose not to have FX, the only method available to me for zeroing is to set the initial FX aux knob to 'dry' (you can't select a zero FX - they start at 01). It seems that without the effect there is no signal. Dry=silence on that alt 3/4 bus. I would, however, like very much to add FX to the signal at some point before I send it to the computer.

Okay sorry to ramble on...

Time to swap the tape -->OUT and line level inputs...

Switching my cables over to achieve this is straightforward. Once I've done that, I'll make the appropriate selection in Cubase options and get back to you. Just laying FX aside for now and concentrating on getting a basic signal recorded.

V

 

[Dr. Varney]

OKAY!

So I got something into Cubase! A simple guitar riff.

On playback, it's very quiet and it's only coming out of one speaker. There is a crackling sound accompanying each strum of the guitar. It sounds pretty awful - but it's a recording, nonetheless.

Progress? Only just.

V

 

[Dr. Varney]

GOT IT!!!

As you'll imagine, it was something quite silly...

The guitar needed pre-amping.

I did this by hooking up my guitar amp to the mixer and running the intrument signal through. My amp doesn't have an output socket, so I used the headphone socket.

I am surprised though. When I was recording on my old laptop, the mixer provided enough pre-amplification. For some reason, it doesn't work like that, with the E=MU 0404 card.

Anyway - many thanks to all of you who stuck by me. No doubt I'll have many more questions as I get further into this. At least now I can make a start.

Kind regards

Dr. V

 

[kcearl]

Hallelujah...its all up hill from here mate


give it a week and you'll be asking about transposing, track envelopes, and summing

 

[I Got Riffs]

GOT IT!!!

As you'll imagine, it was something quite silly...

The guitar needed pre-amping.

I did this by hooking up my guitar amp to the mixer and running the intrument signal through. My amp doesn't have an output socket, so I used the headphone socket.

I am surprised though. When I was recording on my old laptop, the mixer provided enough pre-amplification. For some reason, it doesn't work like that, with the E=MU 0404 card.

Anyway - many thanks to all of you who stuck by me. No doubt I'll have many more questions as I get further into this. At least now I can make a start.

Kind regards

Dr. V

I'm glad you got something to work, but it seems odd to me that you'd need a preamp(which is why you didn't think of it sooner?). Every form of recording I've ever done(into tape recorders, into the line input into Windows XP, or into my Line 6 UX2) has always provided plenty of volume stright from the guitar or bass. In fact, sending an amplified(even if ever-so slightly) signal into an expensive soundcard doesn't sound like something I'd want to do. But that's just me and I'm no pro.

 

[gecko zzed]

The guitar needed pre-amping.

I did this by hooking up my guitar amp to the mixer and running the intrument signal through. My amp doesn't have an output socket, so I used the headphone socket.

I am surprised though. When I was recording on my old laptop, the mixer provided enough pre-amplification. For some reason, it doesn't work like that, with the E=MU 0404 card.

Well done! But . . . you may have got it going . . . but I don't like what you had to do to get there.

I'm with I Got Riffs on this one, see following:

I'm glad you got something to work, but it seems odd to me that you'd need a preamp(which is why you didn't think of it sooner?). Every form of recording I've ever done(into tape recorders, into the line input into Windows XP, or into my Line 6 UX2) has always provided plenty of volume stright from the guitar or bass. In fact, sending an amplified(even if ever-so slightly) signal into an expensive soundcard doesn't sound like something I'd want to do. But that's just me and I'm no pro.

However, looking at the EMU on the web, I notice it has two 1/4 inputs, which I guess, are designed for line-level outputs (hence a low signla from your guitar).


So, yes . . . you do need to pre-amp the guitar to get a line level signal by the looks of it. This is the role that your mixer in the past would have performed.

 

[Dr. Varney]

I'm glad you got something to work, but it seems odd to me that you'd need a preamp(which is why you didn't think of it sooner?). Every form of recording I've ever done(into tape recorders, into the line input into Windows XP, or into my Line 6 UX2) has always provided plenty of volume stright from the guitar or bass. In fact, sending an amplified(even if ever-so slightly) signal into an expensive soundcard doesn't sound like something I'd want to do. But that's just me and I'm no pro.

It just doesn't work any other way.

Like I said, the reason I didn't think of pre-amping sooner is because it worked with the laptop and it's cheapo card, straight from the mixer.

Dr. V

 

[Dr. Varney]

However, looking at the EMU on the web, I notice it has two 1/4 inputs, which I guess, are designed for line-level outputs (hence a low signla from your guitar).

Please can you give me that sentence in English? For a start - 1/4 input? Is that 1 & 4 or one quarter input? Sorry, I'm not even up to newbie standard here - more like: 'total nobody'.

Look, is there any way I can dump this DSP Patchmix with this card? I don't like it and I don't understand it. Or would I need sell the 0404 and get a different soundcard?

Dr. V

 

[kcearl]

Please can you give me that sentence in English? For a start - 1/4 input? Is that 1 & 4 or one quarter input? Sorry, I'm not even up to newbie standard here - more like: 'total nobody'.

Look, is there any way I can dump this DSP Patchmix with this card? I don't like it and I don't understand it. Or would I need sell the 0404 and get a different soundcard?

Dr. V

its quarter inch..its the diameter of the plug at the end of you guitars patch cord

 

[mattr]

I've just skimmed through this thread quickly and have just one strange observation - you seem to have a need to know what acronyms stand for which, just from reading this thread from an outsiders point of view, appears to be causing you some amount worry at times and possibly getting in the way of you actually learning what they mean in real terms. Strange observation, I know!

If you put me on the spot and asked me what ASIO or S/PDIF stood for I wouldn't know (though I could tell you that ASIO and VST are registered trademarks of Steinberg, as I've been warned so many times in EULAs!), but I would still be able to set up your soundcard in a matter of minutes without knowing what they stood for.


ASIO is a low-latency driver model - it does a job, it works very well, and that's all you need to know about it!

I've never used Patchmix before, but it just looks like a slightly more complicated way of performing what is usually a simple task. Once you have it set up in the way you want, you should just be able to leave it and forget that it even exists.

With most soundcards, the inputs that are visible to the DAW software relate directly to the physical inputs of the soundcard. So if you want to assign a track to record from input 7 on your soundcard/interface, the input in the software named something like 'analog input 7' is more than likely going to correspond to it.

All patchmix does is present you with the physical I/O of your soundcard and the virtual I/O of your software (through the ASIO drivers), and let you chose your own routing between them.

Soundcard input -> Patchmix -> Software input

And I'm guessing it works the other way around...
Software output -> Patchmix -> Soundcard Output


I assume it serves some kind of purpose by allowing you to do more creative routing, make monitor/headphone mixes from physical inputs and software outputs then route them to their own outputs (like a more complicated version of Motu Cuemix), etc, but I wouldn't worry about that.

So for most purposes, all you'll want to do is assign your physical input 1 to the ASIO input 1, input 2 to input 2, etc. So then when you assign a track in Cubase or Sonar to record from what is presented to them by the drivers as input one, the routing in Patchmix means that the software receives the signal from input 1 on the soundcard.

You may have to do the same thing for outputs... i.e. in Patchmix, assign ASIO outputs 1+2 to the soundcard outputs L+R/1+2. In the DAW, set the master bus to output to ASIO outputs 1+2, and hey presto, the signal is routed to your main soundcard outputs!


1/4 refers to a quarter-inch jack.

 

[chicopunk13]

you're problem sounds like an impedance matching problem. well, what's impedance?!!! i'll explain...

impedance matching is like drinking water. you won't try to fill a cup with a fire hose because you'll probably destroy something and/or injure yourself. meanwhile, the reverse is true... if you have a 20 gallon jug you won't try to fill it with the kitchen sink. it'll take forever!

the same principle is true for audio. if you're sending out a lot of signal (i.e. almost all electric guitars), this is high-impedance output (hi-Z for short)... the firehose. hi-Z output demands hi-Z input (a pool for your firehose). now, if you fail to match impedances, you will have serious audio problems like poor resolution or extreme clipping (the gross sounding brand of distortion you're probably hearing right now)

using a direct box (a.k.a. DI box) for your guitar is a real common way to match impedances and is relatively inexpensive. read up on your gear and figure out what kind of inputs you're using... whether they're hi-Z or not. if they're low-Z's buy one of these, they're pretty cheap:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/signal-processors/direct-boxes

plug your guitar in, set levels and do your thing.

 

[checkersspeech]

Where is the "output dropdown menu"?

Christ, I have NEVER come across software where the help is THIS hard to follow. Tells me to do things, but doesn't tell me where they are or how to find them!

Yeah, no frigging joke, it's driving me nuts!!! That's why I had to join this forum - this is my first post, btw! W00t!