A general question/problem with recording with mac

udp · Post by **udp** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:15 pm

Back to basics! What version of Live do you have? You should be able to record your synth to a single track without recording the other stuff even with your built in card. So, it's probably something to do with your routing. Tell us how you're routing. Is the usb mic for your voice or are you recording the synth output over speakers into the mic. If so why? Midi would seem prudent. We need more information to help you.

nolus · Post by **nolus** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 6:58 pm

I'm a PC user so this might not be relevant, but check the mixer software that controls your sound card. Quite often there is a window for setting up the recording source and sometimes one of the available sources is the "Mixer Output" - if so make sure it is not enabled.

MartinOM28V · Post by **MartinOM28V** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 8:56 pm

Hey Pyramidman. See my other thread about trading my soundcard--it sounds like you have been elected to be the lucky recipient of my gently-used, great-condition M-Audio Delta Audiophile 2496 sound card with drivers and MIDI connectors. This is the Toyota Corolla of sound cards--nothing fancy but extremely reliable. It has never flaked out on me and works great, but I just mothballed my pc for one of those nifty new iMacs so I don't need it. If you have a computer with a PCI slot, this thing will work great.

Because the karma police have intervened on your behalf, I will give it to you for postage and 4 skittles (see the other thread

)...seriously, just PM me your address and I'll let you know shipping costs. Here's a link to more info about the card:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/A ... -main.html

pyramidman · Post by **pyramidman** » Tue Nov 20, 2007 9:35 pm

udp wrote:Back to basics! What version of Live do you have? You should be able to record your synth to a single track without recording the other stuff even with your built in card. So, it's probably something to do with your routing. Tell us how you're routing. Is the usb mic for your voice or are you recording the synth output over speakers into the mic. If so why? Midi would seem prudent. We need more information to help you.

hey udp. i have version 5.2. the usb mic is plugged into my synth through the headphone jack, which is getting recorded directly to my audio track, and the output is going to headphones. is that what you are asking?

udp · Post by **udp** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:22 am

Hold on I'll be back to you.... I must think.

theque · Post by **theque** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:27 am

everybody send him your fw410's . i can chip in one

udp · Post by **udp** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 12:38 am

MartinOM28V wrote:Hey Pyramidman. See my other thread about trading my soundcard--it sounds like you have been elected to be the lucky recipient of my gently-used, great-condition M-Audio Delta Audiophile 2496 sound card with drivers and MIDI connectors. This is the Toyota Corolla of sound cards--nothing fancy but extremely reliable. It has never flaked out on me and works great, but I just mothballed my pc for one of those nifty new iMacs so I don't need it. If you have a computer with a PCI slot, this thing will work great.

Because the karma police have intervened on your behalf, I will give it to you for postage and 4 skittles (see the other thread )...seriously, just PM me your address and I'll let you know shipping costs. Here's a link to more info about the card:

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/A ... -main.html

As nice as your offer is... he can't use the 2496 with his iBook. There isn't a card slot in the ibook. The FW 410 WILL work with the iBook provided it's got enough CPU. The 410 notoriously eats CPU for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I suggest the Tascam US122 or the M-audio fast track usb or fast track pro. Pyramidman, I looked into your "interface". It simply will not do what your trying to do.

pyramidman · Post by **pyramidman** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 1:46 am

haha well i am back to having no clue to what i need. at this point, it seems like i need a better computer. which i will get..one of these days. i also have a usb/midi adapter, would something like that work for recording outside instruments?

ps i am not a he, thought my username makes it seem like i am.

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 3:37 am

Okay,,,
Lets really start again.
I'm assuming your running OS X on your Mac.
What version is it?
Go to the little blue apple in the top left corner,,
click on it,,
select the first entry, "About this mac". What does it say??

Assuming your running a version older than 10.3 you should have a utility called Audio Midi set up. Its in the applications folder in a second folder labeled Utilities.

Plug your USB device,, the one you keep describing as a mic,, in,,open the audio midi set up and go to the audio page,,
there are a bunch of option for input out-put,, select you USB device as the default input and default out put.

Open live,,

Go into the preferences panel and where it says audio go to the pain that is marked audio devices,,,
You should be able to select the USB audio device as either the Driver type,, the input/out put device or maybe all three,,,

Open the input/out put config window and tell live what in's and outs to see,,

Close the preferences window and create an audio track,,
go to the input selection on that track and select you device,,

If this doesn't work,,
remove the USB device,, re open live,, re-open the preferences window and see if you can select "built in",,,

If you can select built in, but not the USB device i would have to say that the USB device is incompatible with OS X,,

Get this sorted out,,
and then we'll move onto the MIDI usb device.

pyramidman · Post by **pyramidman** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 4:30 am

the computer definitly recognizes the usb thing and i am successful when i record with it, but its still doing the thing where it records other tracks along with it.

i do have a usb midi cord, i just havent used it yet because i just got it a few weeks ago and also i've never worked with midi before and am not sure what to do. is it possible to record just sounds from my keyboards onto the computer just with this midi cord?

im cluelessssss about everything i'm sorry

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:12 am

pyramidman wrote: but its still doing the thing where it records other tracks along with it.

did you install any drivers or other software with it?
If you did,, look in the dock when live is open and the USB device is attached and try quiting any application that is open other than Live,,,

It could be that there is a device specific mixing or monitoring application between the USB device and Live,, most often these are more trouble than they are worth as they can create the problems you are describing,,,

Also,,
In live how have you set up the audio racks you are creating,,
for example,,
Do they all show Audio from input 1,, or input 2,,,
and do they all show Audio to Master?

Do you have any sends activated?
If your using the default template go all the way over to the right hand side of the page and click the small R and S button,,,
do the return tracks have there out put sent to the master out?

On the master track is the out put set to master out 1/2?

pulsoc · Post by **pulsoc** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:23 am

First of all get rid of that hideous thing you are recording into. That is the problem. (Where the hell did you FIND that thing?)

What kind of synth do you have. Does it have a little 1/4" jack that says "output"? Yes? Good. Now go to radioshack and buy a cord that goes from a 1/4" to a 1/8" jack. Run that directly from your synth into the your mac's mic input (that's the little hole next to the headphone jack). Thats $5 instead of buying a new sound card. Please paypal me the consultant fee of $30 and you still save hundreds!

pyramidman · Post by **pyramidman** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:31 am

pulsoc wrote:First of all get rid of that hideous thing you are recording into. That is the problem. (Where the hell did you FIND that thing?)

What kind of synth do you have. Does it have a little 1/4" jack that says "output"? Yes? Good. Now go to radioshack and buy a cord that goes from a 1/4" to a 1/8" jack. Run that directly from your synth into the your mac's mic input (that's the little hole next to the headphone jack). Thats $5 instead of buying a new sound card. Please paypal me the consultant fee of $30 and you still save hundreds!

haha. my ex gave it to me. i have no idea where he got it. i have a microkorg..and an old casio from the 80s. im currently trying to get all of this to work with the casio right now because the korg is at my friend's studio. i do have an output jack converter..i'll try getting that cord...where is the mac's mic input? the hole next to my headphone input jack is a funny little square that has a symbol below it that looks like a square with 2 lines on the sides.

pulsoc · Post by **pulsoc** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:36 am

What kind of mac do you have and what version of the OS are you running?

And you are running from your casio to the mac with one of these?

http://musical-instruments.pricegrabber ... /27970883/

Homebelly · Post by **Homebelly** » Wed Nov 21, 2007 5:43 am

all of these are good advice,,
but i'm tending to think that there is some erroneous loop back going on,,
it's my guess that the USB audio device has some kind of summing thing either inside or through software that is summing the input in an attempt at some kind of quick fix to get around latency by creating a dodgy form of hard ware monitoring,,
If that is the case then she could probably turn it off some how,,,