Need help using pedal
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Posted on Oct 04, 2005 08:34 am
godsfirefighter
Member Since: May 10, 2005
I am brand new to recording...its something i have talked about doing for a while now and since i just got my reenlistment bonus i bought a bunch of stuff (none of it is here yet).
I already had a really good computer and i know its not popular here, but i have a soundblaster. I just dont want to replace my soundcard right now when there so much else to buy. I have the platninum pro which has the external box that i can plug stuff into.
Ok, finally here is my question. When i plug my guitar into the computer there is no problem, but as soon as i throw a pedal in between i get nothing from my computer. How do i get my pedal to work.
I bought some behringer mixer, a dr-880 drum machine and a voiceworks thing. I am sure as soon as it gets here, i will need help with all that, too. Thanks.
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Oct 04, 2005 08:40 am OK, in an effort to leave the soundcard thing alone, what kind of pedal are you using? How are you getting it into your SoundDisaster (sorry, couldn't resist:-) is it going thru the mixer? Or stright into the sound card (bad idea)
Oct 04, 2005 08:57 am My mixer isnt here yet...i was trying to run the pedal into the card...it is just a boss distortion pedal, but i have lots of pedals i will want to use.
I know i need a sound card, i just dont know enough about them...i have read many posts on here about what are good beginner one but i know so little about recording that i dont even understand the differences between them.
I also know the software is going to kick my butt as soon as i try to start using it. I am trying the free krystal software.
All i want to do is to use my computer like a beefed up cassette portstudio. I just want to record my guitars, vocals, and drums and pop out a cd. I dont know anything about the mixing and mastering stuff. Thats why i want to use effect pedals and not try to do it with software. Same reason i bought the voiceworks. I would have no idea how to fix it on my computer screen.
Anyway, what do you suggest about the pedal?
I appreciate it!
Oct 04, 2005 09:02 am OK, well, first things first. Don't run the pedal directly into the card, not a cool idea. You need a preamp of some sort. The best thing, is if you have a guitar amp that has a direct out, run your pedal into the amp and play through the amp like usual and run the direct out to the sound card. Still not the best route...but better.
The best situation is either miking an amp, or, getting a amp modeler like Line 6 POD or Behringer Vamp. The Vamps are very reasonably priced but the POD's sound FAR better.
That said, it doesn't sound liek you are trying to record a releasable CD, just hacking around, so the Vamp might serve you well...
I know, I know, more gear = more money gone...sucks...but running a guitar, whether via pedal or straight in, is sending a vastly different signal level than it is wanting to recieve...you'll never get a good sound...
The Grateful Dead have run electrics straight in like that sometimes, but that's only because they wanted that thin, lame sound, if memory serves, the last little outro riff of Sugar Magnolia was done that way...
Oct 04, 2005 09:06 am I think the mixer I bought has a built in pre-amp, so I should be good to go there. Would it work to run everything through my mixer and then my mixer to my sound card? If that would work, what kind of sound card would I need for that.
Oct 04, 2005 09:12 am it could work, but on your mixer the preamps are only on the XLR microphone inputs, not the 1/4" line ins...
For a sound card I would suggest the Audiophile 2496...it's cheap and performs well...a bit more expensive would be the ESI Juli@, which is what I have, lower latency, cleaner drivers and an opitical output...
Oct 04, 2005 09:18 am I see, a preamp it is then. I looked at the Vamp on MF, pretty reasonable...I have another question...i bought a boss dr-880 drum machine and now i am wondering if i should have just bought a cheap yamaha electric drum set. I have never messed with a drum machine before and i want to know if i can really make it sound like there is a drummer there or at least sound as good as me playing an electric kit. Any advice here? Thank you.
Oct 04, 2005 09:22 am www.rayzoon.com/
Unless you play drums, I'd go with a software based drum machine. AT the present time I don't believe Kristal will support such technology, but many good, and inexpensive apps such as the Cakewalk Home Studio I just reviewed, MultitrackStudio, Tracktion and others, will support it, and you can select and use your own drum samples rather than whatever samples are built in to the drum machine.
Oct 04, 2005 09:23 am I do play drums, does that change anything?
Oct 04, 2005 09:25 am heck ya, then get an electronic kit...I have one, I don't play drum much, but they do get louder and software the harder you hit, many have multiple triggers for things like hitting the cymbal edge or the bell, hitting the snare head or side stick and things like that.
Oct 04, 2005 09:28 am I just checked out that software and its talking about midi and loops and vst and all that. I know what they mean and i basically know what they are used for, but i have no idea how to use it myself. With this software can i just, i dont know, program each key on my keyboard with a sound and just make beats that way. I could probably figure out how to use it, but my main concern is if i am going to be able to line everything up with the rest of the music. Where as if i played an electric kit, i know it would go right with the music without having to do anything with it.
Oct 04, 2005 09:30 am As I recall Kristal does not support MIDI at all yet...so you'd need a kit or drum machine and record it to Kristal as an audio track, not MIDI.
Oct 04, 2005 09:30 am cool, as soon as the dr-880 gets here, i will send it back and get a dtxpress. Thanks for the help. I am sure once the TC Helicon voiceworks gets here, i will be back with more questions.
Oct 04, 2005 09:33 am if i just use a line out on the kit into the mixer, that isnt midi, right? So there shouldnt be a problem with the kristal? i am planning on getting the homestudio anyway, but i just want to make sure i can learn how to do this before i buy more software type stuff. I also have cubasis which i guess is a stripped down cubase that came with my soundblaster. I cant really figure it out. I should probably hit the manual, i like to just look at the screen and figure out how everything works.
Oct 04, 2005 09:33 am Groovy, come on back when you're ready, that's why we are here :-)
But really, the DR880 could do the job as well, by recording drums as audio...you just couldn't "play" it...
Oct 04, 2005 09:36 am Yeah, if you have 1/4" jacks going into the mixer then it's all audio...
Cakewalk has WAY better manuals than Steinberg...Sonar Home Studio is a great little app, easy to use and learn and sounds great, it uses the same audio engine as their flagship product, Sonar...
