sound problems when using PC line out to record drums on digitial multitrac
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Posted on Feb 15, 2006 09:40 am
Vaughan
Member Since: Feb 15, 2006
I have drum samples on my P.C., which I play using some software called Battery2. I want to record these drums on my Akai DPS16 digital 16-track. I have connected a lead from the line out socket on my sound card, to an input on my 16-track. When I play the drums into the DPS16 and monitor them through it, they sound peculiar, particuarly the snare sounds. It's sounds a bit like reverb, and a lot of it, but there are definitely no effects being applied to the sounds coming into the DPS16. I usually have the line-out connected to my stereo, and the drums sound fine when played into it, so I concluded that the problem is not the line-out, or the lead. This leaves only the DPS16, however, I don't experience this problem when recording onto it from any other source, than from my computer. Is there some weird issue associated with recording from P.C.s onto digital multitracks? I have tried altering the output levels from the line-out and also the input levels on the DPS16, but this does not help. I have no idea what's going on. Please help!
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Kaos62Kaos is only a form of insanityMember
Since: Feb 03, 2005
Feb 15, 2006 10:09 am First of all not knowing the DSP16 i can only put a couple of suggestions/ideas forward
Does the DSP have any effects on the monitoring bus or even on the input buss?
Does your PC have realtek effects running in the background?
if your Stereo has aux in/out have you tried recording through that? or putting a mixer in line? I know this may sound strange but just trying to eliminate
Oh and welcom to HRC
Feb 15, 2006 10:29 am Thanks! It is possible to apply effects to both the input and monitoring bus, but I have not done so here. I have checked that this problem is specific to audio coming from the soundcard, by inputing from a variety of other sources (guitar, microphone etc) and this 'effect' is only heard on the drums coming from the soundcard. If I plug a pair of headphones into the soundcard line-out, and listen to them, the drums sound fine. Likewise, if I connect the line-out to my stereo aux-in, the drums sound fine through my stereo. I have now resorted to outputing the drums from my soundcard line-out, to my stereo, and then outputing from my stereo headphone socket, to the DPS16. This works fine, but it is a little inconvenient. It is odd that connecting the soundcard directly to the DPS16 causes problems, but when it is connected via the stereo, there isn't a problem. Is it possible that the stereo is somehow filtering out something that causes this problem?
Kaos62Kaos is only a form of insanityMember
Since: Feb 03, 2005
Feb 15, 2006 10:46 am Pass next question which is a starter for 10.
It certainly sounds very strange I canno think of any real reason for it working in that manner. but hey if it works it works. Perhaps someone will chip in with a real explanation.
Feb 15, 2006 01:26 pm strange indeed....i've noticed that sometimes, when playing back a sample at say 44.1, then reconverting it with another converter back to 44.1 the sound can be a bit strange (digital is the only way i can describe the sound)....i guess this is due to the time it takes in the analog world to reach the converters....is there any way you can hook up the two digitally? my soundblaster has an 1/8" S/PDIF jack on it that i use to go to my Aardvark.
Feb 16, 2006 07:32 am I'm not sure I understand too well. Are you saying that the computer may be outputing the audio in a certain format, which may then be re-converted to this format on the DPS16, creating a different kind of sound? Unfortunatately, I don't think it is possible to connect the two devices digitally. Is there some way I can change the way my P.C. outputs audio that might not be problematic for the DPS16?
Feb 16, 2006 10:23 am geez man....i donno. can you change your sample rate in the DPS16? like say to 48k? immagine your audio commin' out of the computer. it was chopped up 44,100 times per second, then reconstructed (via D/A conversion) then you're reconverting back to digital at the same sample rate (44.1) but at a slightly delayed time. so now the "audio slices" don't match up just right" which adds artifacts (kinda like the sound of that scene in the matrix when he first goes into the matrix)....it's a very distinctive 'digital' sound. try a longer cable from your PC to the DPS 16.
btw this is all wyd's 'theory' and i really don't have accual knowledge on this topic. so take it for what it's worth. all i can say, is my keyboards audio outputs sometimes don't 'sync' with my interface's inputs, and i can usually fix it with a reboot of both.
sticadokid*sticado: short and LOUD!*Member
Since: Feb 25, 2005
Feb 16, 2006 02:26 pm i think u need some sort of amplification for the dps16 to pick up the sound. ur stereo is taking a line volume sound and amplifying it to the dps16. the dps16 (i guess) doesnt have a preamp in it so ur stereo is acting as one.
