Hello all! I've been trying to evaluate recording software to determine which one I think is best for the money and for what I need. I have been using n-track for the last month and love all the features. Unfortunately, I can't handle the stability problems anymore. I kept hoping that if I got more proficient at using it then it would be more stable. Actually, the opposite was true.
Anyway - enough n-track bashing...on to the newbie question...
I tried using the wizard at first to add a midi track. when I started recording, no notes were recorded in the track, nor did I hear anything in the headphones from the soundcard.
I tried changing from winsound to AISO but MTS gave me a pop up error saying that it couldn't open the device.
Leaving it on winsound, I tried changing my MIDI output options to all that were listed, but that shouldn't have anything to do with recording, right? Just where the midi signals are sent for playback. Which would affect whether I heard anything from the soundcard or the keyboard, etc, but not recording (unless I'm being a moronic newbie!).
Any ideas what my problem might be?
Sorry - I guess some setup info would be nice...
AMD 1700+ (1.4GHz)
1G PC133 RAM
SBLive! Internal
SBLive! External (currently have both connected, but using the external)
80G SATA 150 Internal HD
WinXP Pro
Yamaha PSR-293
Note: The keyboard is connected to the computer thru USB, the PSR293 does not have MIDI I/O connectors, only USB. Also - I do not currently have USB 2.x, only 1.0...plan to upgrade that very soon, but that's what I have right now.
In case I didn't make it clear, I AM running the MTS LITE (eval version).
TIA!
Reece
Newbie asking the same old questions
Hi Reece,
I suspect there may be a Midi INPUT problem, check the Midi Input choices in MTS first.
I also would recommend that you KISS at first, disconnect that external card and use the internal card for now. This will eliminate one thing out of the chain that may be masking another setting. That and the external is a USB device also, heck, you are worried about not having USB2 and then trying to do the audio AND the midi thru USB.
Try setting the internal Live card as the midi output, choose Live Synth A for it should have the default GM soundfont bank installed in it if you have the complete creative drivers for the Live card in there.
Then select the Midi Input for the USB.
BTW, you did install the Yamaha USB drivers for that keyboard, right? If you didn't, then that is certainly one of your problems.
HTH,
--Mac
I suspect there may be a Midi INPUT problem, check the Midi Input choices in MTS first.
I also would recommend that you KISS at first, disconnect that external card and use the internal card for now. This will eliminate one thing out of the chain that may be masking another setting. That and the external is a USB device also, heck, you are worried about not having USB2 and then trying to do the audio AND the midi thru USB.
Try setting the internal Live card as the midi output, choose Live Synth A for it should have the default GM soundfont bank installed in it if you have the complete creative drivers for the Live card in there.
Then select the Midi Input for the USB.
BTW, you did install the Yamaha USB drivers for that keyboard, right? If you didn't, then that is certainly one of your problems.
HTH,
--Mac
Hey, Mac, thanks for the advice.
You were right, there was a Midi input problem. I did get it to work before I read your reply. I finally figured out that with 24bit record and playback ON the Keyboard and external sound card couldn't handle the thru-put on the USB1. When I brought it down to 16bit I was able to choose the SB Live Midi Synth and it started working.
Yeah, I didn't think about trying to run both thru the USB1 being a problem that might could be solved by using the internal only. The only reason I was using the external was because the internal is an old SB Live card and I have not been able to use 24bit with it before on n-track. I know the SB Live series are all supposed to be 24bit capable, but I thought maybe because it was old that something might have been wrong with it (I got it used...free).
Oh, and yes, the drivers for the keyboard have been on the computer, and I even am able to check the USB connectivity with the Yamaha software before trying to use it in MTS or whatever.
Thanks again!
You were right, there was a Midi input problem. I did get it to work before I read your reply. I finally figured out that with 24bit record and playback ON the Keyboard and external sound card couldn't handle the thru-put on the USB1. When I brought it down to 16bit I was able to choose the SB Live Midi Synth and it started working.
Yeah, I didn't think about trying to run both thru the USB1 being a problem that might could be solved by using the internal only. The only reason I was using the external was because the internal is an old SB Live card and I have not been able to use 24bit with it before on n-track. I know the SB Live series are all supposed to be 24bit capable, but I thought maybe because it was old that something might have been wrong with it (I got it used...free).
Oh, and yes, the drivers for the keyboard have been on the computer, and I even am able to check the USB connectivity with the Yamaha software before trying to use it in MTS or whatever.
Thanks again!
If the internal is called a "Soundblaster Live! 24-bit," then it is indeed 24 bit capable, obviously. This is the famous 25 dollar "walmart" card. Or should I say "infamous"? (grin) The only Live card to run soundfonts on the host's cpu, boo.Beagle wrote:Oh! Ok, I thought it was (24bit).
I know that my external SBLive advertised on the box and documentation that it's 24bit. I thought that I had read that the SB Live internal was 24bit as well.
But since you said you had an "old" Live card, they were only 16 bit right up until that one above was released about a year or so ago.
--Mac
Ah, OK. Yes, it is an older card...probably 3 or 4 years old.
I have been looking at new cards, but I'm limited on budget. Software first, new soundcard later. Most of my recordings right now, tho, are going to be no more than one or two tracks at a time, so I can't really justify what I really WANT (Delta 1010LT).
I think for now, I'm going to just upgrade my USB and use the external since it is 24bit (and I can tell a big difference in the sound quality between the two...I tried playback last night on both after recording with the internal...fairly noticable difference).
Thanks for your help!
I have been looking at new cards, but I'm limited on budget. Software first, new soundcard later. Most of my recordings right now, tho, are going to be no more than one or two tracks at a time, so I can't really justify what I really WANT (Delta 1010LT).
I think for now, I'm going to just upgrade my USB and use the external since it is 24bit (and I can tell a big difference in the sound quality between the two...I tried playback last night on both after recording with the internal...fairly noticable difference).
Thanks for your help!
You can get the same exact sound (and drivers) with less inputs for less money in the Audiophile 24/96 card. It is a Delta card with only two analog inputs.
I also found it could run happily alongside a Live card in my old DAW, enabling me to keep the Live card for the internal soundfont Midi synth and also the EAX effects, which take on a whole new life in a dual card system, you can use them in realtime while recording to the other card and have the EAX effect only be recorded on the one track. Or you can invoke EAX reverb for monitoring only while recording dry. Lots of options.
Patching the Live card's SP/DIF output to the Audiophile card's SP/DIF input gave me a whole new sound from the old live card too, because it bypasses the D-A in the live card, transferring all sounds from the Live card digitally to the 24/96 card. The only caveat is that when doing this you MUST set everything to 16/48, which is the native clock speed of the live card. I did not find that a kill at all, I used 16/48 to record my soundfonts and other things from the live card to wav and then could switch the audio recording to 24/48 and continue. After all tracks were done and mixed down to a stereo file I would simply convert to 16/44.1 using a good audio editor for burning CDs or making MP3s and the like.
My experience with USB audio devices has led me away from them. They will work, don't get me wrong, but they can also have a habit of making trouble at all the wrong times, too. So I decided they were not robust enough for my purposes, YMMV of course.
It takes a bit of time to shake down any setup for DAW use, take it one step at a time and it is a very good idea to start out by doing some shakedown run stuff, cover tunes, things like that and save your masterpiece for later on when you have the hang of running the DAW, you will be glad you did that. A performance can be easily worn out ragged when having to go back, jack, and do it again because of problems with the equipment. So start out by working a few scratch recordings just to shake both you and your equipment down, that's advice worth something.
--Mac
I also found it could run happily alongside a Live card in my old DAW, enabling me to keep the Live card for the internal soundfont Midi synth and also the EAX effects, which take on a whole new life in a dual card system, you can use them in realtime while recording to the other card and have the EAX effect only be recorded on the one track. Or you can invoke EAX reverb for monitoring only while recording dry. Lots of options.
Patching the Live card's SP/DIF output to the Audiophile card's SP/DIF input gave me a whole new sound from the old live card too, because it bypasses the D-A in the live card, transferring all sounds from the Live card digitally to the 24/96 card. The only caveat is that when doing this you MUST set everything to 16/48, which is the native clock speed of the live card. I did not find that a kill at all, I used 16/48 to record my soundfonts and other things from the live card to wav and then could switch the audio recording to 24/48 and continue. After all tracks were done and mixed down to a stereo file I would simply convert to 16/44.1 using a good audio editor for burning CDs or making MP3s and the like.
My experience with USB audio devices has led me away from them. They will work, don't get me wrong, but they can also have a habit of making trouble at all the wrong times, too. So I decided they were not robust enough for my purposes, YMMV of course.
It takes a bit of time to shake down any setup for DAW use, take it one step at a time and it is a very good idea to start out by doing some shakedown run stuff, cover tunes, things like that and save your masterpiece for later on when you have the hang of running the DAW, you will be glad you did that. A performance can be easily worn out ragged when having to go back, jack, and do it again because of problems with the equipment. So start out by working a few scratch recordings just to shake both you and your equipment down, that's advice worth something.
--Mac