Audio Input: Distortion and Compression -ACID Product Family

Subject:Audio Input: Distortion and Compression Posted by: sonamusicdotcom Date:3/13/2002 1:29:02 PM I am experiencing a similar problem to that described by "JazonNorth" in his posts on 03/06/02. I had been using Acid 2.0 on an old e-machines P2 366 win98SE (standard hardware -- crystal sound on motherboard). The recorded audio signal is an electric guitar processed through Line 6 Flextone (great for direct recording). Everything worked fine, and I was happy w/ the flawless recording. The world was a beautiful place. I have since bought an HP Pavilion 7845 P3 866 winME w/ crystal built-in sound card, and the thing won't record properly w/ Acid 2.0 or 3.0. I get distortion in my audio signal. I got the same "distortion" when i open the Microsoft Sound Recorder during trouble shooting experiments. In an attempt to resolve this problem, I bought a Creative SOund Blaster PCI card, and I am able to record w/ out the distortion, BUT, I am not able to get above -14db roughly on the Acid meter. the recorded signal is quite compressed, showing nearly no peaks or valleys in the wave. I've tweaked everything that I can think of. If anyone out there has a suggestion, please email jeff@sonamusic.com Thanks! --Jeff
Subject:RE: Audio Input: Distortion and Compression Reply by: Iacobus Date:3/13/2002 2:28:36 PM Can you give details on how exactly you've got the signal going from your guitar into the computer? Try also plugging all your gear into the same outlet if you can. Not sure about the -14 dB thing. That's quite low. I take it you've tried cranking the recording properties of whatever input you're using (line in?). Take also into account the quality of the components in the chain. Soundblaster cards...how do I put this lightly...aren't that great? (I don't mean to insult your choice.) I wish you would have come here sooner looking for purchasing decisions. You'd be much better off with pro-quality soundcards like those from M-Audio, Terratec or Echo. They're a little more pricey compared to the Soundblaster PCI (at about $159 to $200 street), but they're absolutely great cards, plus you'd get 24-bit recording capability (you'd have to upgrade to ACID Pro if you wanted to record at 24-bit) and better connections. (The Echo Mia, for example, has 1/4" TRS inputs and outputs.) (Great music, BTW.) Iacobus
Subject:RE: Audio Input: Distortion and Compression Reply by: sonamusicdotcom Date:3/14/2002 1:31:25 PM I have the guitar signal coming directly out of my Line 6 headphone jack. I am using a 1/4"- 1/8" adaptor to put the cable directly into the line-in input on my soundcard. I have also tried using the mic input. I used this same method with the onboard card on my old e-machines and it worked perfectly. I was able to get my signal to a perfect level-- just below clipping w/ out distortion and my recorded waves were perfect. I have not had any similar success w/ the new system. I understand that these sound cards are not the best to use for pro-audio applications, but hey, i'm on a budget, and I got good results in the past from similar gear. I have tried tweaking the input level on both mic an line-in. all it does is adjust the -/+ dB peak, but the wave is still very compressed w/ few peaks and valleys. My new system came installed w/ winME. My old, operative system used win98SE. I talked to a knowledgable friend who told me to try installing win98SE on my new system. I haven't tried that yet. I can't help but be convinced that it's a software/ hardware mis-configuaration. Do you have any suggestions on how all of my settings should look? Maybe there's some simple thing that i'm overlooking. Thanks --Jeff jeff@sonamusic.com

Subject:Audio Input: Distortion and Compression

Date:3/13/2002 1:29:02 PM

I am experiencing a similar problem to that described by "JazonNorth" in his posts on 03/06/02.

I had been using Acid 2.0 on an old e-machines P2 366 win98SE (standard hardware -- crystal sound on motherboard). The recorded audio signal is an electric guitar processed through Line 6 Flextone (great for direct recording). Everything worked fine, and I was happy w/ the flawless recording. The world was a beautiful place.

I have since bought an HP Pavilion 7845 P3 866 winME w/ crystal built-in sound card, and the thing won't record properly w/ Acid 2.0 or 3.0. I get distortion in my audio signal. I got the same "distortion" when i open the Microsoft Sound Recorder during trouble shooting experiments. In an attempt to resolve this problem, I bought a Creative SOund Blaster PCI card, and I am able to record w/ out the distortion, BUT, I am not able to get above -14db roughly on the Acid meter. the recorded signal is quite compressed, showing nearly no peaks or valleys in the wave. I've tweaked everything that I can think of.

If anyone out there has a suggestion, please email jeff@sonamusic.com

Thanks!
--Jeff

Subject:RE: Audio Input: Distortion and Compression

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/13/2002 2:28:36 PM

Can you give details on how exactly you've got the signal going from your guitar into the computer?

Try also plugging all your gear into the same outlet if you can.

Not sure about the -14 dB thing. That's quite low. I take it you've tried cranking the recording properties of whatever input you're using (line in?).

Take also into account the quality of the components in the chain. Soundblaster cards...how do I put this lightly...aren't that great? (I don't mean to insult your choice.) I wish you would have come here sooner looking for purchasing decisions.

You'd be much better off with pro-quality soundcards like those from M-Audio, Terratec or Echo. They're a little more pricey compared to the Soundblaster PCI (at about $159 to $200 street), but they're absolutely great cards, plus you'd get 24-bit recording capability (you'd have to upgrade to ACID Pro if you wanted to record at 24-bit) and better connections. (The Echo Mia, for example, has 1/4" TRS inputs and outputs.)

(Great music, BTW.)

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Audio Input: Distortion and Compression

Reply by: sonamusicdotcom

Date:3/14/2002 1:31:25 PM

I have the guitar signal coming directly out of my Line 6 headphone jack. I am using a 1/4"- 1/8" adaptor to put the cable directly into the line-in input on my soundcard. I have also tried using the mic input. I used this same method with the onboard card on my old e-machines and it worked perfectly. I was able to get my signal to a perfect level-- just below clipping w/ out distortion and my recorded waves were perfect. I have not had any similar success w/ the new system. I understand that these sound cards are not the best to use for pro-audio applications, but hey, i'm on a budget, and I got good results in the past from similar gear.

I have tried tweaking the input level on both mic an line-in. all it does is adjust the -/+ dB peak, but the wave is still very compressed w/ few peaks and valleys.

My new system came installed w/ winME. My old, operative system used win98SE. I talked to a knowledgable friend who told me to try installing win98SE on my new system. I haven't tried that yet. I can't help but be convinced that it's a software/ hardware mis-configuaration. Do you have any suggestions on how all of my settings should look? Maybe there's some simple thing that i'm overlooking.

Thanks
--Jeff
jeff@sonamusic.com