Hello. Im getting some crackle sounds that sound and behave EXACTLY 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 now 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.
EDIT: 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).
It could be a lot of things causing this you'll have to try different things to narrow it down. The fact that it's Ok on speakers suggest it is not likely an input problem. Then again the software / mixer that comes with creative stuff is so diabolically designed that it can be hard to work out exactly where the signal is coming and going.
The first few things I would try is
1. play a mp3 or some audio file on the PC, not from acid but from media player.
2. try some other software
2. try stereo speakers without the 5.1 setting
Try breaking down the cause with as many ideas you can think of until you work out where the clipping / distortion is occuring, is it at the input or the output or in the software you are recording with.
If a mp3 file gives the same problem then my guess is a fault in the output stages in the card or could even be a driver problem.
Either way, the first thing to do is to figure out exactly where it is happening.
Question, how exactly have you got the headphones connected, are you going through any kind of amplifier from the card?
lee
I regulary listen to Mp3s on both my headphones and on my speakers and it works fine. Ive also tried switching the speakers to 2.1 and listening to the guitar and it does the same thing. Its not the software because I have it setup (actually Im not sure why it does this, it just does) so that no matter what programs or whatever I have open, I can always here my guitar (when the amp is on) through my computer. And when I plug headphones into the Line Out/Headphones jack on my amp (its called Emulated Line Out and Headphones) the clipping does not occur. I dont understand why it didnt happen for a year and then happened for a day and stopped for 10 minutes and continued since then. Maybe its my sound card crapping out.
