How to record electric guitar

[Foghorne]

Hi,

using MixCraft 2.51 b55.

I have the following kit and would like to record guitar tracks, but am having problems driving the signal into MixCraft.

Ibanez electric guitar
connected to
Marshal MG15CD practise amp
connected to
Behringer eurotrack UB502 Mixer
connected to
Sound card Line-In in PC
connected to
MixCraft

The problem I have is that to get a reasonable input into MixCraft which can 'touch the red', I have to have the guitar, the amp and the mixer all turned right up to maximum. This is astonishing when you hear the noise coming out of the Marshall.

The amp has two outputs, an 'emulated line out' and a headphone socket. I am using the emulated line out, the headphone socket output results in an even quieter input to MixCraft.

The Mixer is connected from its tape-out phono sockets to the line in on the sound card. I have line in selected in the record dialogue.

Any advice on how I can get a decent input without having to overdrive everything - greatly appreciated.

Foghorne

[Gman]

You didn't say what the problem is. Is the recorded sound distrorted or not enough sound to record (meaning too quiet)?

You have all the right equipment to do some nice recording. You shouldn't have to drive the Behringer so hard. Just a light or two should do. Tape out on it will work well. At this point, I would check some of you windows settings (double click your speaker icon) and be sure the line in is not muted and it is turned up. Also check in control panel that recording is set for your sound card.

Let us know.

[Foghorne]

You didn't say what the problem is. Is the recorded sound distrorted or not enough sound to record (meaning too quiet)?
.

Yeah, sorry. It's too quiet. With everything turned up the waveform produced is barely visible.

You have all the right equipment to do some nice recording. You shouldn't have to drive the Behringer so hard. Just a light or two should do. Tape out on it will work well. At this point, I would check some of you windows settings (double click your speaker icon) and be sure the line in is not muted and it is turned up. Also check in control panel that recording is set for your sound card.
Let us know.

The settings all seem fine and the record dialogue input sliders are up to max too.

Thanks for your response. Would you configure this lot any different ? Would it be better to output via the 502 headphone socket or anything.

[Gman]

I have a Marshall DFX30 and use the emulated line out with great results.

I do use main out on my Behringer, but tape out should provide the same results.

If everything is maxed out and it is still that quiet, it appears you are experiencing cross-talk between channels.

You say "touch the red"? Is that on the Mixcraft input monitor you are recording or on the Behringer?

[Foghorne]

I have a Marshall DFX30 and use the emulated line out with great results.

I do use main out on my Behringer, but tape out should provide the same results.

If everything is maxed out and it is still that quiet, it appears you are experiencing cross-talk between channels.

You say "touch the red"? Is that on the Mixcraft input monitor you are recording or on the Behringer?

I was referring to the MixCraft input monitor. Thinking about it, the Behringer does not move past the first (yellow) pair of LEDs so that rules out anything downstream of the mixer.

Thanks.

[Gman]

I would say you may have an output issue. If you can drive Mixcraft's input monitors into the red, then your input is good. Does the recorded track monitor show plenty of amplitude, meaning the wave form spikes are pronounced and fill a good deal of the track display like this-

http://www.acoustica.com/mixcraft/screenshots.htm

or is the recorded waveform a straight line?

[Acoustica Eric]

Windows Mixer has an advanced feature which includes a mic boost. Have you tried that?

[Gman]

Hey Eric-

He says he is using the line-in not the mic input. He is also using a preamped source so I didn't think that the boost would be needed. I also didn't think boost applied to line-in as well as mic input..

Hmmm-

[Acoustica Eric]

Correct, it only applies to the mic input. But he should not be using line in because it is a stereo jack. He should use the mic input and try the boost if needed.

[Foghorne]

Correct, it only applies to the mic input. But he should not be using line in because it is a stereo jack. He should use the mic input and try the boost if needed.

Thank you all for your comments.

I changed the cable between the amp and the mixer and all is now fine

I now have another problem. I don't really want to turn down the guitar input into MixCraft - it looks fine in the recording meters mainly in the yellow, and the sound is slightly overdriven sounding - just as I need it. However when I am recording the guitar I am unable to hear the drum backing track which is being played from MixCraft, particularly well because the guitar sound is drowning it.

What would be nice would be able to use headphones from the mixer to hear the guitar and let mixcraft play everything except the track I am recording so I can get a feel for the drum beat whilst playing. I have tried turning the drum track right up but it doesn't help.

Has anyone else hit this problem and overcome it? Am I missing something obvious.

Many thanks.

[Acoustica Eric]

That would be a job for a multi output sound card.
Like the M-Audio 1010LT shown here http://www.harmony-central.com/Newp/200 ... -large.jpg

You can assign different outputs and turn them up or down via your mixer.

[victorguillen]

Have you tried a DI Box?

I would recommend an Active DI wich will boost the signal that will pass through your mixer.

And by the way, try not to "touch" the red on your meters because that "red" it means that the signal is clipping and therefore you will get distortion of your signal (and I'm not talking about the guitar's distortion)

A good DI Box is the Behringer DI100. I use one of them and I'm really satisfied with the results.

[Gman]

Actually, a DI box would be too much in this case. The 'emulated line out' on the Marshall is fully pre-amped source by itself which is fed into another pre-amp (the mixer).

[Billkruse]

Hi,
The problem I have is that to get a reasonable input into MixCraft which can 'touch the red', I have to have the guitar, the amp and the mixer all turned right up to maximum. This is astonishing when you hear the noise coming out of the Marshall.
Foghorne

Simple answer seems to be don't do it anyway. If you want to get a BIG sound, many would suggest you're best off having it done in the mastering.

BB