Total idiot needs help

I can't get Music Creator 4 to record anything!  The box said it was as simple as plugging in an instrument with the provided 14/" to USB cable, but after months of trying, I can't get a recording.  It won't let me select my guitar as an input.

Someone please help me find out what the hell is up here?!?

I use MC4 for all my stuff. It is a great program. You MUST have the right tools, and that means spending some money on a decent sound interface..... usually in the form of a USB external interface fro Midi and Audio.

The factory card Greg told you to set up will work OK with small projects..... It will get you started..... but to really use MC4 to it's fullest potential, you will need a better sound card/interface.

Greg, when I set the mode to MME, it won't take.  it says "an error occurred when trying to set a parameter on this page.  try again?" and when i try again, it repeats and the window won't close.

faceshapes


Greg, when I set the mode to MME, it won't take.  it says "an error occurred when trying to set a parameter on this page.  try again?" and when i try again, it repeats and the window won't close.

Ah yes, the old "an error has occurred when trying to set a parameter" error...
 
go to my website in my signature and click on RECORDING HELP and then click on CAKEWALK HELP or whatever it was I called it.  you may have to scroll through a few pages to find the one that talks about how to resolve this issue.  it involves downloading a file from cakewalk's website and running that according to the instructions listed.

you need to follow those directions in that help file on my website like I mentioned above.

I have Vista 32 on my lappy and MC4 works well with that OS.

So the next thing is to follow Greg & Beagle's advice to get the factory card working.

If you plan on doing this as a hobby or more, I would recommend getting an external USB based audio interface that has midi on it as well. It will make the experience a lot more fun and easy.

I'm not Guitarhacker, but you need to consider what inputs you need; an XLR input for microphones? A 1/4" input for guitars and basses, or a mic? Do you need phantom power for a condenser mic? Do you want RCA inputs to connect the audio outs of a radio, CD player, phonograph or cassette?
Do you have a MIDI keyboard with standard MIDI in/out? Many keyboards today have USB MIDI connections, so MIDI ports are not necessary for those.
Do you have a drum machine with MIDI in/out?
Since all recent versions of Music Creator only allow 2 simultaneous inputs and outputs, you won't need an interface with more than 2 in/outs, unless you want to someday upgrade to SONAR which allows for multiple ins and outs, like if you wanted to record a band all at once.
Do you have enough USB ports on your computer?
Devices from Focusrite, M-Audio, E-Mu, Presonus will, in most cases, be good choices.
Please ask here before you buy though. There are some products we wouldn't recommend due to poorly-written audio drivers, poor support or conflicts with particular operating systems.
Also, look for any post by Beagle and go to his web site. He has a list of devices there.