Laptop soundcard

[Ryyy]

Basically, been recording my music from my laptop, and the quality is awful.

Would buying an external soundcard be the best option sound-quality wise? If so, can somebody direct me to some half-decent ones?


Muchos Love x

[Manu]

Originally Posted by Ryyy

Basically, been recording my music from my laptop, and the quality is awful.

please define "recording my music from my laptop". Chances are you didn't set your software and windows correctly in the first place

[Ryyy]

Recording 80min sets via Sony SoundForge & the quality is bad, way to much ambient noise..

Cable going from mixer (rec out) into the mic slot on lappy..& yes I'm useless when it comes to connections n sheeeettt!

[Matty_VTR]

An external sound card could possibly increase the sound quality. It may also be due to the signal path maybe the level of the output is to high. Although it is probably the sound card in your laptop isn't really meant for stuff like that.

There are loads of external ones, for my laptop I have a M-Audio Fast Track Pro which is pretty good for location recordings.

You will want to be looking for quality of the sound card i.e. numbers like 24bit/96kHz would be ideal and connectivity.

Im assume the output from the mixer will be a phono cable (red and white plugs) so it would be best to buy one with at least 2 Jack inputs so you can make a stereo recordings.

From there you would need a phono to jack cables to connect them to the sound card and from there the input on the sound card should work at line level (level set by the mixing desk) Hopefully that should give you a decent signal into your laptop.

I hope that helps.

[Ryyy]

Was looking at something like this;

http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardwa...ett-8i6--85209


& yeah mate helps alot

[Matty_VTR]

Originally Posted by Ryyy

Was looking at something like this;

http://www.dv247.com/computer-hardwa...ett-8i6--85209


& yeah mate helps alot

That would be good, focusrite is quite a name brand though so has a price tag, there will be cheaper ones that do exactly the same.

If its just for what you said then you don't really need the quality pre amps that come with this as the signal level is coming from the desk and will not need any more volume added to it (that is what pre amps do).

[Manu]

your input is probably set to microphone instead of line, hence the shit recording.

[Ryyy]

Dunno how to change it in SoundForge!

I'll have a gander.

[Manu]

Check your windows sound preferences first, I'd bet a tenner you're still set to mic.

Dunno how to change it in SoundForge!

or you could google "soundforge recording tutorial"

http://www.the-dj-equipment-guide.co...irst-time.html

[Ryyy]

I've done what ya said Manu, and my primary recording device was indeed set as the internal mic, hence the cack sound.

I've set the primary rec-device as 'stereo mix', but its not picking up any sound now;

Audio Preferences in SoundForge:

Audio Host; MME
Playback Devices; Speakers & Headphones (IDT High Def)
Recording Devices; Stereo Mix (IDT High Def)
2 Channels (Stereo)

And connection wise jack to phono going from mic slot in laptop to back of mixer (booth).

Anything I'm doing wrong?!

[Bound]

You need to set it to line in?

[Manu]

yes indeed, set it to line in. You should be fine after that.

And connection wise jack to phono going from mic slot in laptop to back of mixer (booth).

don't forget to turn up the volume on the booth out, and leave some headroom while recording.

[Ryyy]

I set the rec-device to Microsoft Sound Mapper and it seems miles better..think that's it.