New User with Mixer

Sounds like you don't have your soundcard setup properly. What soundcard do you have? What version of Home Studio, Windows. How are you connecting your equipment to the computer?

Still no make and model... How can I help you?

Go to Options-Audio and see what you have installed as the record and playback device. Run the Wave Profiler. I'm shooting in the dark here...

Sorry, I'll add as much detail as I can. The computer is a Gateway P4 with a 1.3 GHZ CPU and about 128 MB of RAM. Its running Windows XP and I have Home Studio ver 2. The Mixer is an Alesis Multimix 12 USB. I read the Manual carefully, and all it says is the mixer can act as a combo mixer/soundcard when you plug it in with the USB cable.


In the Audio options it says I have USB-Audio connected, or something like that. I'm at work now; I can check the exact message when I get home. Someone told me Cakewalk Music Creator Ver 2 was a hell of a lot easier to use. I was thinking of trying to find that, but I would like to be able to make this one work.

To re-explain the problem, I “armed the track,” the red “R” lights up, then I hit record and the meter starts counting up like its working. After I stop it and hit play there is nothing there.

Not wishing to be a pedant, Slugbaby (but you know what's coming next...), Cakewalk's minimum required specs for HS2 are 32MB RAM and a 500MHz processor. Personally, I'd like to see such a system work, but that's what they say. I believe that some people on the forum have had HS running happily with 128Mb. More RAM is better, particularly if you want to use soft-synths and effects. I don't think that jfriley's problems are likely to be RAM related. Probably signal strength or signal path related.

Cakewalk's minimum required specs for HS2 are 32MB RAM and a 500MHz processor. Personally, I'd like to see such a system work, but that's what they say.

I suspect they're leaving out the part about how it will run if you have only 32MB RAM only if you are running Windows 98...

Windows XP will use up 128MB all by itself, with nothing else running. It's possible to run XP with only 64MB, but even starting MS Word will tax such a system. Audio takes up a lot of memory in itself. So yes, if you have XP, you definitely want at least 512MB of RAM to run HS. You might get 256MB to work, but not very well, and not if you like to use softsynths or effect plugins.

Too little RAM will cause the exact symptoms you are describing, jfriley.

jfriley,

I have an Alesis 16usb mixer and it works great with HS2XL. It sounds like an input problem.
Go to your Control Panel in XP and setup sounds and audio devices, select "USB Audio" for recording.
Then go into Cakewalk and Select Options | Audio Options and make sure that's looking at the "USB Audio". Then create a new file with the normal template. It should create two tracks for you, 1 Midi track and 1 Audio track. (At least that's what mine does) Expand the Audio Track and setup the Input for USB Audio and the levels and panning and whatever (I'm going from memory here). Play some sounds through the mixer. You should see response from the level meters.
<Edit>
Let me qualify this response. I am very new to Cakewalk and Home Studio. I'm learning tons of new stuff everyday. I bought the Alesis mixer for the same reason you did, the USB port. Currently, I'm not using the USB port. I was so blown away by learning Home Studio and my Yamaha S90 synth operation at the same time, that I removed all USB functionality (FOR THE TIME BEING) and am working with simple midi cables and audio cables. My thinking on this being that once I have MASTERED using my equpment with these interfaces that I'm already familiar with, I'll then venture into USB land and see what (if any) differences there are.

I'm a Senior IT manager for a large telecommunications firm so I know a (little) bit about computers. I've been in the business for 25 years. I've never liked USB. In theory, it's awesome. But in everyday use, it often falls short. Much of the cooperation you get from USB seems to depend on exactly what chipset you have for your USB ports and whether you're using USB1.1 or 2.0. That's just another reason why I took USB out of the picture (FOR THE TIME BEING).
Also, RAM is definately an issue for you. Windows XP itself doesn't like to run on as little as 128mb of ram. (It'll do it, but not well). So you can't expect Home Studio to work well either. Both should be just fine with the 1ghz of ram you're using now.

Best of luck to you

<end of edit>



Hope this helps.

ORIGINAL: papa2004

I use the M-Audio USB Audiophile every day...I've never had a problem with it.

You said you're a Senior IT tech, then you said "Both should be just fine with the 1ghz of ram you're using now." HUH?

Please be more specific.

Regards,

Papa

Papa,

I never said that USB WOULD be problematic, I merely said that IN MY EXPERIENCE with USB (which I believe I've qualified) it COULD be problematic. That's all.

As far as being an IT Tech - I never said I was a senior IT Tech. I said I was Senior IT Manager. I was a tech years ago. Now I'm the boss of all the techs. They all report directly to me, I report to the CEO.

As far as being more specific, I said that Windows XP itself doesn't like to run on only 128mb of RAM, so you can't expect Cakewalk to run well under XP with 128mb of RAM. With the 1ghz of RAM that he's now using BOTH (Meaning XP and Cakewalk) should be just fine. XP and Cakewalk are the only two software items I referenced in that whole paragraph. How much more specific do you want me to be?

Cheers.

I'm no computer "expert", maybe that's why I don't understand what "1ghz" of RAM is...

The closest binary equivalent of 1000 is 2^10, or 1024. Therefore, historically 1KB (kilobyte) has been 1024 bytes. Likewise, 1MB is 1024 KB, and 1GB is 1024MB. Therefore, 1GB is roughly 1 billion bytes. (The exact number is 1,073,741,824 bytes.)

Since "kilo" has always meant 1000, having kilo mean 1024 for computers has caused some confusion. I've heard that there has been a new standard proposed, where 1 kilobyte = 1000 bytes, and 1 kibibyte (I'm not making this up!) = 1024 bytes, but I don't think that's caught on.

Jeeeeez, IT people can't spell! I should know, I'm one too.
1gb and 1ghz are easily confused. Especially for management.

ORIGINAL: Slugbaby

Jeeeeez, IT people can't spell! I should know, I'm one too.
1gb and 1ghz are easily confused. Especially for management.

*LOL* Somebody finally caught on! *LOL*

You can't monitor through the mixer and the soundcard at the same time. Run everything through the mixer.

Soundcard out ---> Mixer In (use tape in or aux return bus so you can isolate the playback from the track being recorded)
Soundcard in <--- Mixer Out