Recording Guitars

Yes, you'd get better quality using a quality sound card like the tone port, but no you can't trigger softsynths with your guitar. you have to use a keyboard or midi controller for that. there are MIDI GUITARS available or you can modify your guitar by adding a "MIDI PICKUP" but both of those are expensive.

you can also enter MIDI just using your mouse. work thru the tutorials in MC and it will explain to you how to use the mouse, STAFF VIEW and Piano Roll view and how to use softsynths without a controller, or you could purchase a MIDI controller (such as the MIDI PICKUPS or a KEYBOARD) and use that instead.

Jim,
Are you working with a laptop or desktop PC?
You would want a Toneport UX2 to take advantage of the stereo output from the RP-80.
If you are working with a PC, an internal PCI card with an external mixer is an option.
The 1/4" outs on the RP-80 don't seem to be line level, and some form of preamp is needed.
I'm running both 1/4" outputs from the RP-80 to a stereo input on a mixer(some of those effects are stereo).
The preamp in the mixer boosts the signal, which in turn goes to the inputs of my E-MU0404. This is just one of many hardware options you have.
As you have noted, the sound from the RP-80 is ok, but could be better. I run it through an additional amp sim, usually FreeAmp2, to fatten it up. This pretty much requires that you have a decent sound card/interface, as the latency from the built-in sound card will make this almost unbearable.

Get a better sound interface before upgrading the speakers. But they are speakers designed for a flat frequency response with no sonic colorations, so you can hear what is actually recorded without the added bassiness most consumer speakers have. And an interface will (probably) be cheaper than reference monitors.

Thanks Greg, but what do you mean by sound iterface? are you talking about the sound card or somthing like the Line 6 pod or tone port? A better way to get my guitars signal to the computer?

This has me questioning the Sound card that I have : "M-Audiophile Delta 2496", I mean it seems to do what I have wanted it to do so far, and haven't heard many complaints aside from my playing when recording.

It think it's important to remember that more times than not a good quality sound card is more than just something that plays back music for you, it also is a means of input to record your music with. Sorry if this has already been explained, I kinda went to the end of the thread and haven't had time to read everything as of now.

Am I good for now with what I have with my sound card? Is it garbage or will it do a good 24 bit recording Job in your opinion using it? I'm talking about personal experience and if you have upgraded then why and how much of a difference does it make? I am talking about recording 24 Bit and not 16, I can tell a difference myself to be honest. Just thought I would mention that.

One last question : "Can you make a fine quality PRO-Sounding CD" that was recorded with the M-Audiophile Delta 2496. Or do pro's use it that you might know of? What's the bottom line :

Is it garbage where I should just give up and spend 2000 dollars that I don't have or what?

Bobby

Thanks RobertB!!!! That's a great comparison and explanation as to what I have. I feel a lot better about it now. The main reason I was asking is I don't wanna put a lot of time into many recordings without knowing I have a good sound card, or I guess what I am trying to say waste time and find out later I could have spent a couple hundred bucks more and the sound qaulity would have been so much better.

I should point out that I think Robomusic and perhaps you or beagle and maybe 57gregy told me about using this soundcard w/24bit recording, yeah I know it ussually always get's mixed down to 16 bit but I can tell a huge difference. I wish 24 would become a standard because I have purchased a few cd's as of late and they are revamped in 24 bit and I have compared them to the 16 bit version I have and the difference is unbelievable in sound qaulity. Yeah I know they are using pro. equiptment and all, but I've tried recording a few things in 16 bit and 24 and I can tell a huge difference.

Anyway thanks again, I feel a lot better reading that information from you because I know you know what you are talking about and have helped me a lot with multiple problems that I have had in the past.

Thanks again!!!!

Bobby

I can't thank you enough for your information Robomusic! I believe you were the first person that mentioned that to me about recording with my setup and you were right on the money!!! Although I had a few tech. probs. that's where RobertB and Beagle and 57Gregy and Guitarhacker, and I hope I ain't leaving anyone out to say thanks to!!!!!!! I have a lot to learn about this recording stuff digital wise, I know a little about Analog recording or that is with a cassette 4 track yamaha, "Well I had an old 4 track cassette recorder back in the late 80's that bit the dust", I gotta get another one though that will play what I have left in tapes and some old master tracks that is, I have mixdowns but there's a lot I didn't mixdown. Any thoughts anyone as to what might work with an old Yamaha 4 track from that time error? I wish I could give a model number but I took that thing apart trying to fix it and it ended up in the dump, I've kept the master cassette tapes from that time though. Too much to explain about the warranty and the crappy people I purchased it from at the time to explain, I purchased it new and was young and stupid. That should probably explain it best. Well I still have the stupid part down but the young thing is I'm old enough to know better now. Let me put it that way.

Bobby

Thanks RobertB! I think it was an MT series 4 track cassette recorder player but I'm not sure, although I feel pretty confident it was. I guess I need to do some research myself and when I see it I will know it just by looking at the pictures. Maybe I can pick one up off of ebay or something that is compat.

Thanks again.

Bobby

Thanks Guitarhacker! I'm gonna start looking around on Ebay and a few other places and see if I can find something that will play these master cassettes. I have several mixdown tapes of a several songs but not all of them. The thing I should have mentioned and neglected to do so is that there are some songs that I have just forgotten about because it's been so long ago when I recorded them. I mean I got outa music for a long time. I'm not gonna get into that topic because it wasn't a good time toward the end. I do however have to say thankyou for the advice! I think it was an MT400 but I am not sure. I hate going through this old stuff to be honest with you, I like some of the stuff but I really can't stand some of the other things I done at the time. It brings back good and bad memories even though I am the only one playing on almost all the tracks on the recordings. The thing that bugs me the most is that the stuff I really can't stand is the stuff that I have people to this day seem to be wanting me to record and hear more of..... I wanna move forward, but I can't give up the past because there was however some cool tunes I done then at that time, nothing fancy. Thing is : "I don't wanna try and live up to some reputation", I just wanna be a songwriter/player/sometimes performer and singer. I gotta live in the now, but how can you look forward without learning from the past......

Dang! I sound like someone running for President or something.... I practiced tonight for the first time in a long time, well my method of practice wasn't the norm. as always, I worked on playing Battle Axe by Carlos Cavazo from Quiet Riot. It was fun, and I guess that's all that matters in the end. JMO.......

Bobby

Greg...you are right.... I had a Tascam porta-one that recorded at double speed ....like you said, to reduce noise.


Freeze..... I hear what your saying about having forgotten the songs completely.... I have a few like that.... still have the words in a notebook but I never recorded the music....

Actually I have started to record a few of those older songs that I still remember AND are decent. Hanging Around was one of them.

So find an old 4track and listen to the old stuff.