Guitar PC Clipping


mxma1
Registered User
Joined: 01/16/05
Posts: 1
mxma1
Registered User
Joined: 01/16/05
Posts: 1
01/16/2005 3:11 am
Hello. Im getting some crackle sounds that sound and behave like peaks/clips. I'm using an Ibanez RG321 to a Marshall MG100HDFX and from MG100HDFX Line Out to Audigy Pro (I think it's pro, its just a card, no i/o interface) Line In 2. I have the Line In thing set to Music Mix (or something of that sort; sorry I cant be specific, I'm not at my house right now, I'll edit this post and make everything accurate when I get home). I use Acid 4.0 Pro to record. Now the problem is no matter how quiet I make the Line In volume (I can see the difference on the monitor; but the actualy volume is the same) the signal still acts like its clipping (if I strum even a quiet chord, it clips). I went to control panel and changed the device volume down and that makes my guitar quieter (on the computer) but i still get the clips. I tried turning the output volume on the amp down, and I still get the clips. I tried using different headphones (on the computer) to see if it was maybe a headphone problem but thats not the case. Because the guitar is plugged into Line In and I have it set to Music Mix (Im not exactly sure what its called), I can hear my guitar play (when my amp is on that is) when my computer is on, not just when recording. It almost as if my computer is acting as a headphone but I still hear the clips, whether when I'm not running any programs, or when I'm recording something. When I use distortion, I dont get the clips because the signal isnt as um...agressive (not sure what the term is). Last night, I asked my mom's boyfriend (whos a DJ and knows lot about this stuff) for help and because I wanted him to hear without wearing my computer headphones, I unplugged my headphones from the soundcard and plugged in the speakers and set the control from "Headphones" to "5.1 Speakers" in Audio HQ (its a program that comes with Creative Lab soundcards thats just an easy interface for all the window sound controls I think). The clips went completley away (unless the signal actually peaked on the graphic monitor). When I changed it back to headphones and "thanked him for his help" they came back so I thought it was the headphones but when I went back to speakers and then tried a $300 pair of headphones, the clips were still there. I really cant figure it out. Somebody please help.

Also, I've been recording for over a year and this problem has never occured before. And I'm thinking of getting one of three things. a cheap Behringer MX2600 (Compressor/Peak Limiter/Noise Gate) to go between the amp and soundcard, an Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro, and a M-Audio Solo FireWire Interface. Would any of the three things help and if so, which is the best for my case (I know the compressor doesnt really compare to the other two but if the other two dont help and the compressor will, that would be the best choice). But I'd rather not buy anything and just figure out what happened to cause the clip like behavior (its not just the clipping, I cant even play two strings without it clipping, but on the graphic monitor, it looks fine).

EDIT: Also, when I change the bit rate (I think thats what its called) in Acid from 16 to 24, it gets very distorted and you cant hear anything.
# 1

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