The Linux DAW is working... somewhat

[Leon]

ha! i've finally got a somewhat-better-than-before recording setup without having to resort to window$ .


[action=Leon's] Linux fire burns bright.[/action]

once i upgraded to the new version of Fedora (Fedora Core 6), the driver support was there for my Audigy2 soundcard. Audacity now registers the mic 1/4" mic jack on the front panel. also, i've got the Hydrogen drum machine up and running as well.

so far, the only problem is my mic. it's a Zeron, and is a bit of a piece of crap, at least for micing a cabinet. it seems to be ok for vocal stuff, but it completely clips out when i put it infront of my Nomad. i'm pretty sure an SM57/58 will have a greater dynamic range, but wanted to be sure first, before dropping $100 on one.

so, i should grab one, yes?

also noteworthy is my mic preamp... a Kustom 15w practice amp . i've got a converter for the mic cable, then i run an instrument cable from the headphone out to the mic 1/4" in on the soundcard. so far, this is the best i can do with what i've got.

any and all ideas are welcome

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

You could turn down or move your mic back from the cab or turn down the "input volume" in the program.

 

[Oguz286]

Nice to hear that someone got their linux DAW working. I still have to install everything, but i'm a bit lazy

Congrats!

 

[technomancer]

Congratulation, it's an acomplishment

I gave up on using Linux for that stuff when my company decided we should all use Macs. Now if I want to record something I plug in a firewire unit

 

[Leon]

You could turn down or move your mic back from the cab or turn down the "input volume" in the program.

i've tried turning everything down, but yeah, the only thing that works is backing the mic off... literally, into another room. that thing has NO dynamics at all. it's either really quiet, or clipping. i need a new mic

but thanks for the suggestion

 

[Jeff]

Get one of these, plug it into the RCA inputs on your audigy:

Then get the SM57.

 

[Leon]

holy crap, that mixer is only about ~$40 new. is it really a good piece of gear? can you tell me more about it's functionality?

 

[Drew]

holy crap, that mixer is only about ~$40 new. is it really a good piece of gear? can you tell me more about it's functionality?

I've been meaning to grab one of those. I mean, it's $40. How bad can it possibly be?

Leon, I'd do the mixer first, unless the mic itself is distorting when you hit the amp, of course. does that "clipping" sound happen when the sound clips to 0dB while recording, or do you get distortion and clipping even when the volume doesn't max out?

It's tough to go wrong with a SM57 as a close-mic on a good amp. It's not the BEST way to get a good recorded tone, arguably, but it's a damned good one - a 57 against the grill is an industry standard for a reason.

 

[Leon]

no clipping takes place on any of my "level" meters, which is why i think it's all mic clipping from saturation. either way, a better mic is certainly in order!

...as well as Jeff's mixer. shit, if i'm going to record, i might as well do it right!

...and i just checked out Shure's website. seems that the SM58 is a vocal mic, and the SM57 is the instrument mic. good to know

 

[Drew]

no clipping takes place on any of my "level" meters, which is why i think it's all mic clipping from saturation. either way, a better mic is certainly in order!

...as well as Jeff's mixer. shit, if i'm going to record, i might as well do it right!

...and i just checked out Shure's website. seems that the SM58 is a vocal mic, and the SM57 is the instrument mic. good to know

Look at your .wav files, though. Are they peaking at 0, or clipping well below? If it's 0, then it's hitting your soundcard WAY too hard. If it's below, then the mic is distorting.

 

[Leon]

well below. adjusting the soundcard inputs/levels only changes the level at which the clipping occurs. of all the knobs i fiddled, only one kept the system from clipping: the guitar's volume

 

[Drew]

Sounds like mic distortion, then.

Save it, though, for Tom Waits covers.

 

[Leon]

it does vocals pretty well, so i'll certainly be keeping it around, for when i have a sore throat, and decided to sing a little

 

[technomancer]

I know several people with various Behringer Eurorack mixer models and everybody I've known that's used them has had good luck with them

 

[Jeff]

no clipping takes place on any of my "level" meters, which is why i think it's all mic clipping from saturation. either way, a better mic is certainly in order!

...as well as Jeff's mixer. shit, if i'm going to record, i might as well do it right!

...and i just checked out Shure's website. seems that the SM58 is a vocal mic, and the SM57 is the instrument mic. good to know

the Behringer isn't going to win any awards with comparisons to a Neve, but then again it's not meant too; it's $40

I've had a pre-UB mixer for a few years, and it does sound pretty decent. An SM57 is a necessity too. either that or an e609. The SM57 is more versatile though, and cheaper.

 

[jarrydn]

Mixers are one of the few things Behringer does well. I say go for it ;D