HELP!!!! Thread last updated on 2004-08-16 23:06:27

Posted by member 159264 on 2004-07-31 13:19:20

Does anybody know how to make it so that the built-in media amps work with Windows media player? (WMP)? So far i could only get it to work with Winamp... but winamp messes with my speakers.

Thanks!

Posted by member 820 on 2004-07-31 14:45:58 link

Well first off you need to check which amp program you are using. It's probably geekamp, and I just checked the docs and it's for winamp only. I actually don't think any of the amp programs work with wmp, although some work with foobar.

I suggest you figure out how to fix winamp, try a different media player (foobar, qcd, whatever), or turn off the built in media controls and do it the old fashioned way.

Posted by member 159264 on 2004-07-31 14:58:40 link

Thx for the reply.

Posted by member 159264 on 2004-08-12 14:07:04 link

I bought a new sound card :o
ahahahah works fine now :)

Posted by member 7991 on 2004-08-12 16:49:41 link

You probably could've fixed the sound quality problem in Winamp by simply turning on the "Create Primary Buffer" option in the DirectSound Output plugin configuration window. But a better soundcard is definitely a better solution.

Posted by member 159264 on 2004-08-13 23:42:12 link

....shhh I need to NOT feel like an idiot right now. ahaha


Wutev, at least now I can plug my guitar into the card

Posted by member 7991 on 2004-08-14 10:51:20 link

haha, yeah. If you're pluggin your guitar straight into the card I suggest you use some sort of software amp simulator/modeller on anything you record. Or if you are using your computer simply for amplification/monitoring while you practice, see if you can run a real-time guitar amp modeller practically on your system (depending on your soundcard, there may be a significant and audible delay if you attempt to do any processing with the computer).

You see, a soundcard does not provide enough impedance for the pickups on an electric guitar to work correctly. The ideal solution would be to put a direct-input box between the guitar and the soundcard. In a pinch I use a small mixer before the soundcard, with the guitar plugged into one of the mic-channels (in order to take advatage of the mic-preamps). Some guitar amps have a line-out jack which you could use. This would essentially run the guitar through the preamp in the guitar amp, then send the signal out before it reached the final amplification stage. This signal could then be plugged directly into your sound-card. BEAR IN MIND that while some amplifiers have a line-out jack (OK), others have a speaker-out jack (NOT OK!!). Never ever ever connect a speaker-out to an input on your soundcard, or you will fry your soundcard.

If none of these options are available to you, don't fret. No damage will be done to your guitar, effects, or soundcard if you plug directly into the soundcard. It just won't sound quite "right", not nescessarily bad, just not "right". Just thought I'd take a minute to help further educate a fellow musician of the ins and outs.

Posted by member 159264 on 2004-08-14 15:44:52 link

=)) Thanks for the heads up.

I just bridge the line with my multi-FX processor then THAT runs into my mic input on the soundcard..

Not only can I now record directly, and then lay tracks over the guitar, but I think it will save me some space at my dorm room next month, I wont need to bring an amp :) these 4 altec lansings + sub are more than enough for my little room.

What do you use to record? I used to use Cool Edit before I had to format, now I lost the serial # :/

Posted by member 7991 on 2004-08-14 17:26:15 link

Pirated software is 'illegal'. :P But I used to use Cool Edit Pro (v1, then v2, then Adobe Audition when Cool Edit was sold). Currently tho I've been using Cubase SX 2.0. Samplitude 7 is really good also. Ableton Live is also a great program; unique way of doing things.

They all do the exact same thing, and you can get the same results with each of them, although with some it may take more work.

If you want to go the free AND legal route, try Kristal Audio Engine. I haven't used it yet, but it looks fantastic. Its limited to 16 tracks however.

Posted by member 1949 on 2004-08-14 17:48:16 link

Fellow recorders?
That's cool...

My setup:
Pro tools LE
Plug ins:
Amplitube 1 and 2
Tracks EQ
BFD for drums
Sampletank
NI Kompakt
All the digi plug-ins
Art studiov3 pre amp
sm57 and ksm27 mic
DD-55 drum machine the triggers to BFD plugin
or I use my evolution keyboard
Misc inputs to a mackie 20 channel board
Recording into 2 channel Mbox
And then Event monitors
Marshall tsl100 and two 1960 cabs
This took me a year for this setup
It took me a while to get it all working the way I wanted

I am curious what you two are using for your setup's.
Plugin list and things and what you find to constantly use.

Posted by member 7991 on 2004-08-15 21:25:07 link

Sadly, my setup is pretty basic and budget-quality:

Gear:
Pentium 2 - 400Mhz
Turtle Beach Montego A3DXtreme (audio interface)
Yamaha RM1x (main sound source, crap sounds)
Behringer MX602A (6-channel)
Behringer Autocom Pro (2 channel compressor)
Technics SH8015 (5-band graphics EQ - not used when recording)
Altec Lansing 3-piece multimedia speakers (monitoring)
Sony MDR-V300 headphones
Sony MDR-CD280 headphones
Vantek imitation Strat
ROSS RG-10 practice amp
DOD American Metal distortion pedal
Sony F-V420 mic

Software:
Adobe Audition (for quick recording, and for noise reduction )
Live 3.0 (arrangement of instrumentals)
Cubase SX 2.0 (multi-track acoustic recording and mixing)
PSP Vintage Warmer (for analog warmth)
T-Racks 24 2.0 (mastering)
Audiomulch (audio experiments, creative processing)
lots of plugins, none used exclusively for any purpose

Yeah, my crap computer and crap audio interface definitely restrict what I can do. I can't use many plugins in realtime due to my weak processor, and my soundcard is pretty noisey. I've been working pretty exclusively in hip-hop for the past couple years, but I used to do a lot of nu-skool breaks, progressive house, and hard techno.

Posted by member 1949 on 2004-08-16 21:53:02 link

Ahh sx 2 is my second fav, awesome app
I sometimes use it with the asio driver on my setup.
But I've been wanting to learn PT more nowadays.
You should check out reason by propellerhead.
It's great! also fruity loops.
Killer sound for your style...

Posted by member 7991 on 2004-08-16 23:06:27 link

I've always had something against fruity loops, but I guess it has progressed far beyond what it was when I first tested it.

Yeah, reason would be nice, but I wouldn't be able to push it much with my computer.

I'm not sure whether I should be using SX... I just started using it recently for a hiphop track, and it maxed out my harddrive I/O with only 11 tracks, and no plugins or EQ. I had to split the project up into two (one for the verses, one for the chorus). I think I may try and do a direct comparison between Cubase and Samplitude 7 (which is as good, if not better than Cubase). Haha, or I may just start using Live for everything... I dunno... but only 11 tracks just blows my mind. And its disk I/O too!! I was running way more than that with Cool Edit Pro 1.x 5 years ago!!