May I get some advice w/MC4 and more?

This is gonna be a long message and there is much to explain, just thought I would warn any and all. And I apologize for the LONG message in advance, but there is no other way around explaining and asking for help so please be understanding.


Here Goes :
I use Windows Vista Home Premium, and Music Creator 4. My previous setup was basically using a M-Audiophile Delta 2496 sound card and using the SPDIF setting going out of my Boss Br1600 SPDIF outs to record 24 bit into the SPDIF inputs on the 24/96 soundcard, which I might add would only allow 24/44 instead of 24/96, the selection was not available. I had multiple problems after a while using it so I decided to change my setup all together.

Here's what I done : I purchased a Toneport KB37 recording and modeling interface. After doing so I removed the M-Audio 24/96 card and the Boss 1600 as my primary means of using as an interface to the computer. I removed the sound card because I didn't need it anymore with the USB KB37.

Ok, one problem seems to happen after another. I started having hard drive problems, which I should add were fixed shortly after they started. "I learned my lesson a while back and use software and a external hard drive to back up everything from my primary hard drive". So I checked my Hard drive, and found multiple clusters, and got everything working right with that. And ofcourse I checked my external BACKUP hard drive where the backups were and everything was ok with no problems.

I restored my computer to when I first got my computer just to see what I had and to check things out, then I installed my KB37 software and to my shock the selection available to me was to use 24/96 which I have never had". And I am assuming that it was because at that point in time I didn't have so many programs using memory via drivers and such, or a lot of add/remove programs from the past. And I should mention that for some strange reason Firefox my favorite browser and the latest version crashes after install with that install. I dunno why, and haven't heard why.

That just wasn't good enough, because I use this computer to communicate via internet and as a DAW also. Nothing else. So I restored it to a time before I had probs. with the hard drive and with the KB37 installed, it works ok, lots of latency, pops, clicks, memory hungry setup and not good, but it's good for using my browser because I have all my passwords and things saved in that setup. I would just export or use a program to move my browser firefox settings etc and back them up and restore them to the first setup I was talking about. But the problem is I can't get firefox to work on the best setup which is the first, that I want to use MC4 on..... I've removed everything removable that I can on the setup I am using now to save memory. It's still a memory hog though. Basically browser/MC4 is all that's left.

Any ideas or thoughts would be appreciated.

I shoulda mentioned my computer to begin with, sorry... :-(

I have a Celeron D Processor 356 w/ 512 cache, 2 GB's of internal memory using 4 GB's of ready boost memory.

Any advice, ideas, or thoughts would be appreciated......

In my opinion 24/96 is a waste of good harddruve space, not necessary. 24/44,000 or even 41, will do. The headroom is the biggie, not so much the sample rate. Folks get too cought up in that stuff and forget that a good clean recording is the main thing.

I am not talking about the sound card, but rather that is is not important to worry about setting up recording at 24 bit 96,000 Htz sample rate, just just a solid 24, 44,100 setup and get a good clean recording. After all the 24 bit headroom will give the best bang for the buck, and ultimately you are migrating down to 16 bit 44,100 anyway.


I played around with all that super spec stuff to start with, and all it did was waste my time.

I also read that the Boss samples at 44.1 kHz. No mention of output specs, but when using the S/PDIF, the sampling rates of all devices have to match, and since I thought the Boss was 44.1, it could only transmit 44.1, thus the 48 kHz or 96 khz were not options for the recording, despite the sound card's capabilities.
Now, if you would have used the Boss's audio output instead of the S/PDIF, you could have used the higher sampling rates of the sound card.

But the computer problems are beyond my pay grade. Windows, maybe?

I have all my settings to 16 bit 44.1K right from the git go...

Thanks as always Guitar Hacker, I am horrible at explaining things. But I always appreciate your advice because your sound screams that "You know what you are doing".

Thanks again

ORIGINAL: ascottdesign

If all else fails, put another dime in the gas meter.

Not funny at all. If you don't understand that, then you don't need to comment.......

Profiled...........