hardware -ACID Product Family - MAGIX Community Forums Archive

Subject:hardware Posted by: libman Date:12/25/2007 9:55:14 PM Novice question. What equipment do I need to interface musical instruments with my HP pavilion 753 computer. I have a realtek ac97 audio card installed with a stereo audio input jack.
Subject:RE: hardware Reply by: JohnnyRoy Date:12/26/2007 10:10:11 AM That depends on what musical instruments you plan to interface. If they are acoustic instruments that you plan to record with a microphone, then obviously you will need a microphone that can plug into the little mini jack on your PC. If they are electronic instruments then all you need is a cable to connect them. Most electronic instruments use a standard 1/4" phone plug. So you will need a cable with a 1/4" phone on one end and a mini-plug on the other. That is the bare minimum and will allow you to record one instrument at a time. You can get more control by adding an external audio mixer. You will get better sound by using a better audio card (the AC97 built in to your PC is not ideal for recording... just playback). You can record multiple instruments onto separate tracks with a multi-port audio interface. If you play keyboards you might want to use MIDI in which case you will need a MIDI interface or a keyboard that has a MIDI interface. It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish and with what quality (i..e, hobby, semi-pro, pro, etc.) ~jr
Subject:RE: hardware Reply by: libman Date:12/26/2007 8:41:50 PM Thanks JR I just record as a hobby using guitar, bass and drum machine. I have a lot of material I recorded on cassette tapes using a Tascam 4 track portable studio. I was thinking that if I ran a cable from my 4 track line out to the audio input on my computer it would work the same as a mixer. I don't get any software response when I plug in. There is no communication. I'm stuck. Can you recommend a specific make and model of audio card suitable for home recording? L
Subject:RE: hardware Reply by: DKeenum Date:12/27/2007 10:55:40 AM If you decide to use an outside audio card, there are a number of options. But please save your self trouble and do not get a creative card. I use an Echo MiaMIDI - about $200. There are cards by m-audio and a number of manufacturers. Check audiomidi or musician's friend.
Subject:RE: hardware Reply by: Chienworks Date:12/27/2007 5:37:16 PM Until you get a good card ... open up the volume control panel for your sound card, click Options / Properties / Recording. In that window make sure that the line input is selected and the volume is turned up.

Subject:hardware

Posted by: libman

Date:12/25/2007 9:55:14 PM

Novice question. What equipment do I need to interface musical instruments with my HP pavilion 753 computer. I have a realtek ac97 audio card installed with a stereo audio input jack.

Subject:RE: hardware

Reply by: JohnnyRoy

Date:12/26/2007 10:10:11 AM

That depends on what musical instruments you plan to interface. If they are acoustic instruments that you plan to record with a microphone, then obviously you will need a microphone that can plug into the little mini jack on your PC. If they are electronic instruments then all you need is a cable to connect them. Most electronic instruments use a standard 1/4" phone plug. So you will need a cable with a 1/4" phone on one end and a mini-plug on the other.

That is the bare minimum and will allow you to record one instrument at a time. You can get more control by adding an external audio mixer. You will get better sound by using a better audio card (the AC97 built in to your PC is not ideal for recording... just playback). You can record multiple instruments onto separate tracks with a multi-port audio interface. If you play keyboards you might want to use MIDI in which case you will need a MIDI interface or a keyboard that has a MIDI interface.

It all depends on what you are trying to accomplish and with what quality (i..e, hobby, semi-pro, pro, etc.)

~jr

Subject:RE: hardware

Reply by: libman

Date:12/26/2007 8:41:50 PM

Thanks JR
I just record as a hobby using guitar, bass and drum machine. I have a lot of material I recorded on cassette tapes using a Tascam 4 track portable studio. I was thinking that if I ran a cable from my 4 track line out to the audio input on my computer it would work the same as a mixer. I don't get any software response when I plug in. There is no communication. I'm stuck.
Can you recommend a specific make and model of audio card
suitable for home recording?
L

Subject:RE: hardware

Reply by: DKeenum

Date:12/27/2007 10:55:40 AM

If you decide to use an outside audio card, there are a number of options. But please save your self trouble and do not get a creative card. I use an Echo MiaMIDI - about $200. There are cards by m-audio and a number of manufacturers. Check audiomidi or musician's friend.

Subject:RE: hardware

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:12/27/2007 5:37:16 PM

Until you get a good card ... open up the volume control panel for your sound card, click Options / Properties / Recording. In that window make sure that the line input is selected and the volume is turned up.