Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio -ACID Product Family

Subject:Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio Posted by: dragonfish Date:4/21/2003 6:50:51 PM I'm working with Acid Pro 4.0 and a SoundBlaster Live card. I started to work on a song, and I was able to record one track of live audio. I added some more loops, and when I went to record additional tracks of live audio, the playback came back as a high pitched buzzing noise. I played a few notes on my keyboard to see if I could hear the live audio over the noise, and it definitely came through. I've been in correspondence with a Sonic Foundry tech who told me to mute all the tracks to see if that would do anything. I muted all the tracks, and sure enough - the buzzing went away, but this is absolutely pointless because I need to hear the playback in order to play in sync with the other tracks while I'm recording. Does anyone know what's going on here? I'm totally ready to tear out my hair. I really want to finish this song. Here's some more info: I have a cable running from my keyboard directly into the Line-In of my soundcard. When I check the Surround Mixer window to check my input levels, there are times when there is no signal flow being registered, and there are times when there is a lot. This happens even though I'm not playing anything. I play with the record input level, bringing it down so that nothing peaks, but that doesn't always help. Could my soundcard be defective? Could my Acid program be defective? Thanks a bunch. Please e-mail me directly at vi_bug@yahoo.com
Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio Reply by: Iacobus Date:4/22/2003 3:30:18 PM I would point the finger at the soundcard's drivers. Have you tried updated drivers if any are available? Try also moving your soundcard to a different slot. I'd also say the soundcard itself isn't really up to the task as well. Sound Blasters are good entry-level cards, but they're nowhere near as good as those offerings by M-Audio or Echo. HTH, Iacobus
Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio Reply by: pwppch Date:4/22/2003 10:58:16 PM Sounds like a feeback loop. Check the mixer settings for the Sound Blaster. It sounds like you have enabled record "what you hear". You have to set the input source for the SBLive to the line input only. Peter
Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio Reply by: Iacobus Date:4/23/2003 3:56:02 PM Ah, good point, Peter! Totally forgot about that. Iacobus
Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio Reply by: dragonfish Date:4/23/2003 5:56:48 PM Thanks for the tip. The funny thing is decompressing the loop playback button on the Acid recording window fixed the buzzing problem. Now there's a new problem with recording playback that I'll get to another time. I do have a question to ask you, though. Right now, the Task on Surround Mixer is set at "Custom", and the Preset is set to "Current Super Environment". I do have the Line In icon selected for recording. What do you suggest I set the Task and Preset to in order to get the best possible sound? I'm having a lot of problems adjusting the levels when I record.

Subject:Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio

Posted by: dragonfish

Date:4/21/2003 6:50:51 PM

I'm working with Acid Pro 4.0 and a SoundBlaster Live card. I started to work on a song, and I was able to record one track of live audio. I added some more loops, and when I went to record additional tracks of live audio, the playback came back as a high pitched buzzing noise. I played a few notes on my keyboard to see if I could hear the live audio over the noise, and it definitely came through. I've been in correspondence with a Sonic Foundry tech who told me to mute all the tracks to see if that would do anything. I muted all the tracks, and sure enough - the buzzing went away, but this is absolutely pointless because I need to hear the playback in order to play in sync with the other tracks while I'm recording. Does anyone know what's going on here? I'm totally ready to tear out my hair. I really want to finish this song.

Here's some more info: I have a cable running from my keyboard directly into the Line-In of my soundcard. When I check the Surround Mixer window to check my input levels, there are times when there is no signal flow being registered, and there are times when there is a lot. This happens even though I'm not playing anything. I play with the record input level, bringing it down so that nothing peaks, but that doesn't always help. Could my soundcard be defective? Could my Acid program be defective?

Thanks a bunch. Please e-mail me directly at vi_bug@yahoo.com

Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:4/22/2003 3:30:18 PM

I would point the finger at the soundcard's drivers. Have you tried updated drivers if any are available? Try also moving your soundcard to a different slot.

I'd also say the soundcard itself isn't really up to the task as well. Sound Blasters are good entry-level cards, but they're nowhere near as good as those offerings by M-Audio or Echo.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio

Reply by: pwppch

Date:4/22/2003 10:58:16 PM

Sounds like a feeback loop.

Check the mixer settings for the Sound Blaster. It sounds like you have enabled record "what you hear". You have to set the input source for the SBLive to the line input only.

Peter

Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:4/23/2003 3:56:02 PM

Ah, good point, Peter! Totally forgot about that.

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Horrible high-pitched buzzing when trying to record live audio

Reply by: dragonfish

Date:4/23/2003 5:56:48 PM

Thanks for the tip. The funny thing is decompressing the loop playback button on the Acid recording window fixed the buzzing problem. Now there's a new problem with recording playback that I'll get to another time.

I do have a question to ask you, though. Right now, the Task on Surround Mixer is set at "Custom", and the Preset is set to "Current Super Environment". I do have the Line In icon selected for recording. What do you suggest I set the Task and Preset to in order to get the best possible sound? I'm having a lot of problems adjusting the levels when I record.