OK, so one problem I have, after my Firewire Focusrite Pro24 DSP audio interface died is I am now using an onboard Audigy ASIO card. Now, surprisingly its a pretty efficient PCI card, I get pretty low latency, around 5 Ms, almost as good as my broken..good...external interface. However, I have zero control as far as how hot I can make my mic signal going into Live, the recorded audio is just not that loud, turned all the way up to 10 in Windows mixer. The recorded waveforms in Live's sequencer are barely visible. So, I have been experimenting with the best plugin to use to initially bring up my recorded signal.. up.. without distorting the audio. Using Lives Limiter, Compressor adds enough gain to get an audible signal but tends to distort the sound a bit before I even start adding any effects chains. Any suggestions of a good method, or best plugin\vst pre-amp to get my gain up at the front of the effect chain without clipping or distorting the vocals would be appreciated. Cheers guys.
So if you don't want any extra coloration: just use the gain of your daw. It's the most precise way to get a higher amplitude - no plugin needed. Of course you can't compare it with preamplifying the signal before digitization... If you like some extra color, try Sir Elliot's Preamplifier plugins... freeware, but very good.
Everything is already set to unity - 0dB, are you suggesting I turn up the volume on the Vocal track itself? Not that worried about coloring that much, as long as distorting is avoided. Articstorm, Ive seen that utility plug used in various scenarios in some tutorials, maybe I'll give it a try Nothing, other than Hardware is going to get me taller, fatter waveforms is it?, as insert effects are being added after the vocal is recorded.... or is there a way to add a destructive volume gain into Live before the recorded vocal?
Put this on your Input Bus. I use this quite a lot. http://audioz.info/audio-software/pc/12025-112db-redline-preamp-vst-v101.html
the redline preamp is a good plug in. *yes* But if it is just simple gain youre looking for, just use the native ableton "utility" plug in the audio effects folder. Its also very useful for mono-ing out sounds in ableton without downmixing the orig track. -- sG *also you can dble click the sample and turn up the volume in the properties window for that sample. also works with multiple samples selected. This will actually "fatten" the sample(s) too.
the utilty plug seems to work wonders in increasing the volume of the recording signal, which is essentially what I wanted, it is however an insert effect and has no bearing on the size of the recorded peak waveforms. Is there no way, without using hardware to add volume via a plugin before it is recorded? So that my waveforms are larger \ more visible. thanks guys, your being very helpful.
I just edited my original post. Thats a way to actually make em fatter, but they start to look a lil' weird in ableton. Hey, Im in So. FLOORida. West Palm/Broward area Hmmmmm, just made me think, does the soundcard has a softswitch for a pad? if not a real switch? By pad I mean a -10 to 20 decible decrease in channel gain? Or maybe line/HiZ toggle?
Hows this? Use utility to get it where you want it on the meters then freeze and flatten? Just one way to do it. TaDahh Fat sausages
This is my sound-card, its an Audigy 2, not sure if it has what you asked about, I am already using the Line-in for my Mic, as the Mic in, while much louder, has a really bad 'buzz' sound when using it. The mic-in creates huge wave forms in ableton, but, like i said, has a LOT of noise, and buzz on it. So, I am using the line-in, and while a very clear recording, the wave-forms are tiny. This is what I am trying to increase. If i put a Utilty inserted on a vocal track, then, yes, the volume is increased but the wave form, from the original line-in signal is still very small. I am trying to find a way to increase the volume \ waveform size AS it is being recorded. I'm in NE Florida, lil town called Middleburg.
how about routing it? put the utility and or software preamp emu on a track, then route the audio to another track thats armed to rec. just make sure the input on the target track isnt set to record your line in. some creative bussing? So you record thru the plugs into the other track? does this make sense?
Check Windows mixer control for Microphone boost option. Look at this guide in the bottom: http://www.tinyeye.com/avsetup/soundsetup_xp.html The suggest to turn it off. I suggest you to turn it on, if you have this option
Cheers mate, but I'm using the Line in for my Mic, and no option avail. for that on my Win 7 Mixer. I did try subGENRE's 'creative bussing' technique and it worked... brilliantly. So, until I can afford a new AI, problem solved ! :dancing:
Man, i have similar problems with my (condenser) MIC on LOGIC Pro DAW! What if the MICs we use aren't the right ones? Ever heard of Impendance? Code: http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/impedance.html Maybe you have to check the technical details of your gear, also the input/output Impendance. Excerpt of the link above: "A low impedance microphone should generally be connected to an input with the same or higher impedance. If a microphone is connected to an input with lower impedance, there will be a loss of signal strength. In some cases you can use a line matching transformer, which will convert a signal to a different impedance for matching to other components." I hope this will help you mate!
Thats actually what i was going to buy before I got my Pro24 DSP (which crapped out a month after warranty). I'm pretty sure its unsupported in Win 7 x64 Sp1 tho. @ Kookaboo, yeah, im pretty sure a better mic is in order, and a new card, but I seem to have found a temp. fix for now. *yes*
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Focusrite/SAFFIRELE/ Acutally it works great with win764, It actally has real 64bit drivers too. I was using it just last month because my mackie onxy has no digital i/o. I needed to hook up a tc electronics finalizer to bounce some tracks thru, and used the digital i/o on the focusrite. I also have a maudio fw410 but one of the headphone outs is scratchy. and maudio drivers are really crappy on the x64 side of things and a maudio pci 24/96 card
Well, while I appreciate the offer, I couldnt even afford tax on a soundcard at the moment Perhaps when things start looking up I'll get with you on it. Preesh *yes*
Mos def. Ill hold on to it for you I paid liek 350 for it a over a year ago. Ill give it to you for a hundred even? Or maybe you can give me some of your awesome themes as partial payment? Ill work with ya.....Homie
