Help with Delta 44/Sound Blaster and Cakewalk
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Posted on Jan 16, 2006 04:31 pm
ZFRNZ
Member Since: Jan 16, 2006
This is an issue I've had for some time now and have been too lazy to try and figure out so hopefully and I get some help. I bought the Delta 44 a couple of years ago and I don't think I've ever had it hooked up correctly. I also have a SB Live that I used to use for Midi. My current setup is as follows:
Korg iS50 with r/l jacks going into the breakout box. I then have a Behringer guitar preamp plugged into the breakout box as well. I don't have any monitors hooked up so I connected the WAV out on the Delta 44 breakout box to the line-in on the SB. Basically if I just want to hear the keyboard or guitar everything is fine. However trying to use Cakewalk Pro 9 to record gets me loud pops and squeals and sometimes no sound at all. When arming the tracks in Cakewalk I choose what ever input the source is on the breakout box, ie. if I want to record the keyboard tracks I'll select Delta stereo 1/2. Nothing! Tried the Mon. Mixer.....Nothing! If I look at the mixer while I play I can see the volume indicators respond however none of this goes into Cakewalk. Is this because of the SB? How else would I be able to hear what I'm playing? Do I even need to hook the Delta to the SB via the line in or is there another way for me to use my computer speakers as the monitors? Any help would be appreciated.
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Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jan 16, 2006 09:59 pm Well for starters that is a very bad thing to do. Running both the sound cards at once is what is giving you the pops and clicks and such.
I would indeed try hooking your PC speakers into the Delta outputs. That should solve the noise problems for you.
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 17, 2006 11:50 am So it's not possible to use one set of PC speakers for both sound cards? I assume I would have to get an adapter to fit into the 1/4" jacks on the breakout box. Does this diminish sound quality? I'd like to keep the SB for gaming and effects but use the Delta for recording. However I want to hear what I'm recording and also play back. Is there a way to have all computer software use the Delta soundcard for things such as MP3 playback etc?
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Jan 17, 2006 11:58 am Quote:
Is there a way to have all computer software use the Delta soundcard for things such as MP3 playback etc?
Yes, to use your Delta for Windows sounds, go to control panel > Sounds and Audio devices, click on the "Audio" tab and select the Delta as your default device for Sound playback.
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 17, 2006 01:18 pm Is the Delta a better all around sound card than the SB Live Audigy? IYO
Jan 17, 2006 01:19 pm For recording, yes, WAY better.
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 17, 2006 01:52 pm I'll give it a shot then. Is it best to hook up the front and rear speakers to one output on the Delta or use two. Or should I not even use the rears but just the two stereo fronts? When I arm the tracks in Cakewalk, I'm assuming then that I'll use the Delta Mon. Mixer as the source. It also lists Delta 1/2 Left & Right, Delta 3/4 Left & Right, Delta 1/2 Stereo, Delta 3/4 Stereo or Delta Mon. Mixer Stereo. Thanks for everyone's help. It's much appreciated and extremely helpfull.
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Jan 17, 2006 01:54 pm Quote:
Is the Delta a better all around sound card than the SB Live Audigy? IYO
For recording, like dB says, yes it is way better. For playback, I'm not so sure. I personally use my Realtec card for playing back Windows sounds/MP3's etc but when I'm mixing I use the Delta card. I have Audition setup to stereo output of the Delta cards for playback. This is because I have my Delta outputs connected to my headphone amp ('cause unfortunately I have to use headphones to mix).
To hear what you are playing you can route the signal back out the card without even having an application running. This can be setup on the hardware tab (HW in 1/2 etc) in the M-Audio control panel. Basically I am setup like this... my 8 channel pre-amp goes into the first 2 Delta 44's and GTR's 1, 2, Bass and Keys go into the 3rd Delta card. I route the signal back out to my mixer which reduces to 1 stereo pair. I have one output to my PA and 1 to my headphone amp. This allows our band to jam via headphones or to pump it out the PA when we are not recording.
Jan 17, 2006 01:58 pm For playback it really depends as much on your amp, spekaers and room as it does with the sound device. Also, games and such often have effects and things that only "gaming cards" have, the Delta is a recording card. It plays back system sounds and crap just fine, it'll playback DVD's and mp3's well...
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 17, 2006 02:12 pm Will this still work even if I don't have a mixer or preamp? All I have it the keys and guitar (with preamp)going into the breakout box.
Beer,
Could I then leave my PC speakers connected to the SB and just hook up a set of headphones to the Delta to monitor what I'm recording and for playback? Would I need a headphone amp? I'm a minimalist so for the time being I don't have a mixer/amps but I still want to enjoy recording.
BeerHunterwww.TheLondonProject.caMember
Since: Feb 07, 2005
Jan 17, 2006 02:22 pm Yes you can leave the PC speakers connected to the SB but you won't be able to run your headphone out of the Delta directly. The outputs on the Delta are mono so you would need to somehow combine the two outputs into 1 stereo pair like the headphones are expecting. Hmmm, mixer might be the only way. You don't necessarily need a headphone amp. I only have one because each player needs to adjust their volume levels separately. A small mixer is pretty inexpensive (actually so was the headphone amp but you will get way more use out of a mixer).
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 17, 2006 02:32 pm I'll look into an inexpensive mixer then. Thanks for all the help.
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 23, 2006 11:03 am I decided to get the speakers hooked up to Delta first so I went and got adapter plugs to try and get it to work. The only problem is I think I bought the wrong ones. The speaker plug is a 1/8" and the delta has a 1/4" so I bought a 1/8" (female) to 1/4" male Y adapter. I plugged the two 1/4" into the Delta 1-2 ports but all I get is sound from the left front and left rear speaker. Nothing is coming out of the right side. The 1/4" Y adapter is mono left and right so shouldn't it work? I then went and bought a 1/8" female to stereo 1/4" male and plugged it into the Delta 1 output and still got the same thing. Am I missing something here?
Jan 23, 2006 11:05 am yeah, it's a mixup between stereo and mono cables somewhere in that cable pile...
ZFRNZMember
Since: Jan 16, 2006
Jan 23, 2006 11:55 am So do I need to plug into one or two of the Delta outs? I thought each output was mono so in order to achieve stereo I would need to use output 1 for left and output 2 for right. Is this correct or can I just plug a stereo plug into one output. I tried plugging in a set of headphones directly into the output of the Delta and all I got was sound from the left ear.
Jan 23, 2006 11:57 am no, one for each channel, so, for stereo you need two outputs. those two outputs must go to a dual-mono-to-single-stereo adapter if you are trying to use standard PC type speakers...
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Jan 23, 2006 05:34 pm I had the same problem. Remember that outputs 1/2 and 3/4 are each a stereo pair on your Delta box. So output 1 is left channel and output 2 is right channel. Same for 3 and 4.
Your soundblaster is expecting a front and rear input so that it can reproduce 4.1 or 5.1 sound. So, when you plug outs 1/2 into the inputs of your SB, you're sending the left signal to the front and the right signal to the left (or vice versa).
You'll either need to combine outs 1/2 from your delta into a single 1/8" stereo input and plug that into either the front or rear input on your SB, or just hook your speakers up directly to the Delta.
