Benefits of a decent soundcard?

[threeornothing]

Heh...it arrived just the other day.

A bit confusing at first....the routing takes a bit of getting used to, but I've got it cracked now. Sweet for getting 10 outputs, I think I could fudge an extra 2 channels aswell if I get a blank audio CD to set my CDRW machine into rec ready mode and use it's spdif converters. Then obviously I can get 12 inputs at once aswell.

The sound is good aswell (not used to an S/N ratio this good!)..although I am having slight problems with a jittery clock on my ADAT I think...just don't have the time to sit down and read manuals these days

[Dazza1040]

when you say 10 inputs how is this achieved. I can only see 2 on that card unless you include midi and other inputs on the card. But i think you still need other equipment to record these in real time live all at once onto there own tracks.

[threeornothing]

Theres 8 channels of ADAT IO, so using my ADAT machine as a converters, I can "lightpipe" in 8 channels on a single fibre cable. There is also an SPDIF in (stereo) which can provide a further 2 channels when I get some converters sorted, will look for a cheap DAT machine and try and clock it all together somehow at 48khz (my adat sounds shit at 44.1 and you have to pitch down the speed to -147 to change bit rate, its not that advanced!) So yeah...once you have all the converters in place its 12in and 12out...pretty flexible!!! Its great being able to use Cubase a tape machine and mix on a real mixer!!!

Second hand ADAT machines go for quite cheap on eBay...the benefit being, you can pick up one thats dead (head wise) for very cheap as you just need the converter capability (although its great having one that works so you can track 8 tracks remotely (studio or whatevr) without needing to look at a PC (which is always great!!) then digitally transfer it all across later back home)

[Hog]

Has anyone told you that you should start a recording studio Keilan?

[Hog]

Hog what spec is your pc?

Have you looked at the lineport ux2.

For recording guitar this is knees bees.

Of course it depends if you want to record more than one istrument at a time.

I have 3 soundcards' date=' built in one on motherboard, c-media and lineport.

I use them all at the same time using Sonar giving me 6 mono line ins or 3 stereo.

Any keyboards can be done using midi.

Live recording set up.

Track 1 Keyboard midi

Track 2 drums 1st soundcard left

Track 3 drums 1st soundcard right

Track 4 guitar 1, 2nd soundcard left

Track 5 guitar 2, 2nd soundcard right

Track 6 vocals lineport soundcard left

Track 7 bass lineport soundcard right

This all depends on what line up you have and can be overdubbed such as backing vocals.

Hope this helps.[/quote']

Cool man.

Well, Im using my laptop at the moment and using Adobe Audition. Its a pretty decent computer with a 40gig hd and 512 ram. Just using the internal soundcard and a shure SM57 which has a special lead to change from xlr to headphone socket size. Miked the guitars up to a Mesa Boogie and I liked the sound. Although, our next bunch of tunes will be recorded in my cupboard (for sound isolation). Mesa's rock but recording in an open practice room at Toms when band next door is not the ideal option. Actually, can anyone tell me about room acoustics, are they important for miking up an amp for a decent sound? For my latest endevours, you can hear the tune on the feedback forum.

Dont need to record more that one input as Im not doing any multi stuff i.e. record one thing at a time (apart from drums n bass at Toms)

When I get time I will set up my Presonus firewire.

Cubase.... well just played with some Vst's and its awesome, downloading some VST's that have a 1-2 week trial before you buy. I really should get down to learning how to use it properly.

Audition is a doddle but I know that Cubase would benefit me more. Just tempted to use a DX wrapper for VST's on Audition but that;s the easy way out.

Cheers

Hog:up:

[threeornothing]

Has anyone told you that you should start a recording studio Keilan?

If I was loaded I'd rent a nice house out the road and record bands for free....

As it is, I struggle to pay rent for a shitty council flat

[threeornothing]

Miked the guitars up to a Mesa Boogie and I liked the sound. Although' date=' our next bunch of tunes will be recorded in my cupboard (for sound isolation). Mesa's rock but recording in an open practice room at Toms when band next door is not the ideal option. Actually, can anyone tell me about room acoustics, are they important for miking up an amp for a decent sound? :[/quote']

If you're sticking it in a cupboard, I would fill the cupboard full of sound absorbing foam in order to avoid the sound reflecting off the walls and coming back into the mic, this will create all sort of problems, and if the reflected sound coming back is as poweful as the amp the two signals could fight with each other, result in the mic picking up a very thin sound.

Heres an idea

Note the top speakers are being mic'd to avoid picking up rumbling reflections off the floor.

I'd also recommend getting started with your presonus box cos a decent mic pre amp is required for getting a good sound, something laptops aren't very good at providing!!

[Hog]

Can I use ordinary foam or do I have to use special sound proofing foam?

I spotted a bottle of wine in that pic and what make of mike is that?

Hog:up:

[threeornothing]

Stuff like duvet covers can work as a start...the cheapest foam tiles I can find cost about £10 each for a 1/2m sqaured....take a few of that to fill up a room which would soon mount up to ££££'s!!

The mic looks like a Rode NT1000, the mic stand looks like a stag, the cab I'm sure you can guess, as for the wine?! I never spotted it until you mentioned it! Typical...hehe

Pic lifted direct from Soundonsound.com btw...

[Hog]

Duvet it is for now then hehe.