quick question about sound quailty when recording a mix

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-- quick question about sound quailty when recording a mix

Posted by dallas on Mar-21-2004 03:56:

quick question about sound quailty when recording a mix

hey guys, i already used the search option and i could not find anything related to this

now with that being said, my question is that when i use sound forge to record what i am mixing, when i play it back the sound quality is not up to par *sp*

now, right now im using 2 techs and a pioneer djm 500

i use the line-in from my computer to connect the djm to the pc (for recording)

any suggestions?

thanks!

Posted by Boomer187 on Mar-21-2004 04:16:

Check this out

its a direct x plugin mastering program. I use it and it will give amazing quality.

I haven't looked at other options, I can't help any more.

Posted by dukes on Mar-21-2004 05:23:

doggy conections are a possibility. more likely to be crap wires. did you get them cheap or are they an unknown make?

it really does pay to have good quality wires. its often overlooked.

Posted by dallas on Mar-21-2004 05:46:

which wire are you talking about in particular?

the wire that goes from mixer -> computer .. i bought at comp usa, for like $20.

the other wires are the ones that came with the package itself (turntables, etc)

are those the ones you were talking about?

Posted by Fresh on Mar-21-2004 14:36:

Whats connected to the line-in on your sound card from the mixer? I Find you can either use the 'Master Out 1' or the 'Booth Monitor' output from the back of the mixer to the line-in on your sound card.

I use the Booth monitor and find it gives a better recording quality and you can adjust the levels with the booth monitor knob itself (below the Master Balance knob) making sure you have no clipping with the meters in sound forge.

quote:
Originally posted by Boomer187
Check this out

its a direct x plugin mastering program. I use it and it will give amazing quality.

I haven't looked at other options, I can't help any more.

This looks interesting, will check this out

Posted by dukes on Mar-21-2004 14:36:

ok it dont sound likely that its the wires then.

another possable thing would be your sound card. unless its good.

when you save you sound file have you cheaked the sample rate to make sure its a decent value? when saving do save as and cheak the "template" to see what kind of quality you saving as.

could it be your pc speakers?

Posted by brian on Mar-21-2004 16:51:

Re: quick question about sound quailty when recording a mix

quote:
Originally posted by dallas
the sound quality is not up to par *sp*

What is it about the sound quality that isn't up to par? Can you give us details?

Posted by MrSquirrel on Mar-21-2004 20:01:

You are probably running into the fact that your Mixer is sending pro level signals at +4dB while your sound card is expecting signals @ -10dB (consumer level). That can give you distortion. You might be able to fix that by tweaking down your input gain a bit....though I am not sure.

MrS

Posted by borron on Mar-21-2004 20:48:

Also try recording it as a 48 KHz wav if you have that option.

Posted by dallas on Mar-21-2004 21:02:

okay heres what i mean

sorry for me not specifing earlier but this is what im talking about

when i play the music from my room, it sounds excellent.
however when i record it on sound forge
and play it back...

it sounds like an mp3 i downloaded with a very crappy sound quality rate. it sounds as if the hi's are not sounding good, and are very high. the mid's are there but not totally there (like it sounds fake), and the bass sounds pretty low.

any solutions to my problem??
thanks again

Posted by auujay on Mar-21-2004 21:27:

When you save it in SoundForge be sure you are saving it as a high quality MP3 or a WAV file. What kind of sound card do you have?

Posted by CraSHer[UK] on Mar-21-2004 23:11:

Are you certain that you are using your 'line in' and not the mic input, because i have no line in on my laptop and recording through the mic gives aybsmal sound quality.

Posted by SUNWmsf on Mar-24-2004 00:55:

I record using a 24-bit soundcard vs. the old consumer 16-bit soundcards....I didnt like using the 16-bit soundcards after hearing mixes using the 24-bit card. Also, being able to record at the +4dB level (vs -10dB) makes the recording sound better as well. (as was previously posted).

Also... using those 1/8 mini plugs has more distortion that using the 1/4" TRS plugs. In order to be able to use the 1/4" inputs, you will need to buy another soundcard with those type of input connections. If you normally use the 1/8" mini plugs, then you may not hear the difference until you use a better card that uses better connections.

Have you always had the sound problem when playing back, or did it just start?

Is your recording sounding low in volume and dull? or are you getting distortion on your recording?

Maybe monitor the input recording volume and make sure its not too low or too high.

Posted by Zombie0729 on Mar-24-2004 01:10:

yes, it is fair to say its time to upgrade your sound card. Read the decibil levels when ur recording, you'll see what we're talkign about.