WhiskeyBurn
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SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
I just installed a SoundBlaster Audigy 2 card in my computer in order to get better sound quality while mixing my bands original music. Problem is that Cakewalk playback sounds like it is under water now. Switching back to onboard output is fine. Any audio played through the SoundBlaster sounds fine. It's only Cakewalk projects played through the SoundBlaster that is an issue. I'm sure it's a Cakewalk setting, but could someone PLEASE help!
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57Gregy
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/17 23:39:52
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Welcome to the forum.
Most Sound Blasters use 48,000 Hz sampling rate by default. MC is set to 44,100 Hz by default.
Try changing one of them to match the other.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/18 12:40:40
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Soundblaster.... not good.
The factory card is like using a VW and trying to run the indy 500 ..... upgrading the factory card to a "better" soundblaster is like putting fancy hubcaps on the VW and some sporty paint.
It still won't get you there. Sure... it will get you sound and you can change driver modes and sampling rates but ultimately, you're still not competitive.
Carry the gamer card back and get a musical interface...check on Beagle's web site and see what GOOD options are available.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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Beagle
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/18 22:13:44
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57Gregy
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/18 23:47:12
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Guitarhacker
The factory card is like using a VW and trying to run the indy 500 .....
Funny you say that. Didn't "Herbie" the Love Bug win the Indy 500? 
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 07:08:19
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Unfortunately, we don't have the $ to upgrade the sound card right now. We were using the on board audio out, so the SB for $15, was an upgrade over what we had. Set both at 48k, still sounds like it's under water. Going to load the SB EAX console tonight to see if I can configure the card that way.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 08:09:02
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57Gregy
Guitarhacker
The factory card is like using a VW and trying to run the indy 500 .....
Funny you say that. Didn't "Herbie" the Love Bug win the Indy 500?
Yeah "he" did... and man did I hate that movie... Also, some people here claim to use a SB cards to record multiple track projects with synths and no latency...... I guess the "love bug" rocks on ......
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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Guitarhacker
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 08:13:38
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WhiskeyBurn
Unfortunately, we don't have the $ to upgrade the sound card right now. We were using the on board audio out, so the SB for $15, was an upgrade over what we had. Set both at 48k, still sounds like it's under water. Going to load the SB EAX console tonight to see if I can configure the card that way.
set MC to 44.1 and set the SB to 44.1 as well. they both must be the same. if that doesn't work, try 48 on both. You might want to go to the factory card if neither work. reinstall the FC and set it to MME/44.1 ...check MC to be sure it's the same. Most people can get a factory card to record audio projects OK. Its when they start adding synths that problems with latency start causing problems.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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Beagle
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 08:34:41
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WhiskeyBurn
Unfortunately, we don't have the $ to upgrade the sound card right now. We were using the on board audio out, so the SB for $15, was an upgrade over what we had. Set both at 48k, still sounds like it's under water. Going to load the SB EAX console tonight to see if I can configure the card that way.
no - that's the worst thing you could do! don't try to use BOTH soundcards or you'll have sync problems! use either the onboard soundcard OR the soundblaster but not both. if you can get the SB card to work it will probably be a little better than the onboard card. just plug your speakers into it, set your output to the SB card and not the onboard card in MC. you can also do that for windows if you want to change your windows sounds to use the SB card as well.
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 11:00:30
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Beagle, I don't have both enabled. "Had" been using the onboard audio. Sound was fine (well as fine as it was going to be). Installed the SB, selected it in MC4. The problem is that the audio when playing back in MC4 sounds like it is under water. Any other audio sounds fine, it's only when played through MC4. Figure it's a setting somewhere. Have tried matching the sampling rates, but no change. Will mess with it again when I get a chance.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 13:09:33
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if you recorded it with the onboard card and are now playing back on the "upgraded" SB card, if the sampling rates are different...even though you now have both the SB & MC set the same, if it is different from the original sampling rate it would very likely cause such issues with the sound.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 13:31:12
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Well, that blows. Could you clarify what you mean when you say "recorded". I didn't actually "record" to the Computer. We record to a Tascam Neo 2488. I then export the wav files from that, and import them into MC4. Is that methodology still deemed "recorded"? My thought would be "no", but I'm finding that I am having a lot of symantec issues with the lingo.
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Beagle
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 13:39:40
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WhiskeyBurn
Beagle, I don't have both enabled. "Had" been using the onboard audio. Sound was fine (well as fine as it was going to be). Installed the SB, selected it in MC4. The problem is that the audio when playing back in MC4 sounds like it is under water. Any other audio sounds fine, it's only when played through MC4. Figure it's a setting somewhere. Have tried matching the sampling rates, but no change. Will mess with it again when I get a chance.
sorry - I misunderstood your post then. see below for more info on troubleshooting this problem. WhiskeyBurn
Well, that blows. Could you clarify what you mean when you say "recorded". I didn't actually "record" to the Computer. We record to a Tascam Neo 2488. I then export the wav files from that, and import them into MC4. Is that methodology still deemed "recorded"? My thought would be "no", but I'm finding that I am having a lot of symantec issues with the lingo.
ok - that's info that I don't recall we had before. it's important to let us know about all of the steps you're taking to get to where you are and include all of the hardware you're using. according to the specs, the Tascam Neo 2488 will record at 24bit or 16bit and 44.1kHz only. the soundblaster will only operate at 48kHz so this is possibly your problem. I assume you're burning a CD from the Tascam Neo 2488 and then transferring the wave files from the CD to your computer and then importing them into MC. if that's NOT the case, then we need to know exactly what steps you're taking. if you ARE doing what I described above, can you play the CD from Windows Media Player on your computer? if so, what does it sound like there? also, are you recording at 24bit or 16bit on the Tascam?
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 15:15:16
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For some reason my PC I have MC4 installed on does not recognize the Neo. So I connect my wife's laptop to the Neo, and export from the Neo to a thumb drive. I then take the thumb drive to the MC4 PC and import the individual wav files to the audio tracks. Not sure about the bit rate from the Tascam. I'll have to check that. Guess I'm using the default, but not sure what that is. Also, will have to listen to the wav files individually through Media Player. I'll try it tonight. Thanks for the help.
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/19 20:06:12
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Just tried playing individual wav tracks via Media Player. These tracks were taken from the 2488 Neo and transferred to the PC with MC4. Individual tracks play fine via Media Player. Is it a possible configuration setting in MC4 that is causing the "under water" effect?
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Beagle
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/20 08:00:56
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I'm not sure what an "underwater" effect sounds like. that might sound different to you than it does to me and it's not something that's normally a setting in MC which might cause something to sound like it's "underwater."
look at these places and tell me what you have listed for these parameters:
in OPTIONS>AUDIO there are several tabs, for MC4, I have forgotten exactly which tabs hold which of these parameters, so you'll have to look at all the tabs to find what I need to know:
PLAYBACK TIMING MASTER
RECORDING TIMING MASTER
DRIVER MODE
RECORDING BIT RATE
SAMPLING RATE
LATENCY (this is reported in millisecs on the GENERAL tab at the bottom)
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/20 09:26:08
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Beagle, I'll check those out and get you the info. Might be a couple days, unless little league football practice gets rained out tonight. Thanks
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WhiskeyBurn
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/20 20:12:59
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Think I got it!!!!!! While I was checking the setting that Beagle asked for, I noticed a button labeled "Wave Profiler". So I clicked on it. It ran through a series of test, and changed some of the settings. A quick listen proved to sound MUCH better. Thanks!!!!!!
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Beagle
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/09/20 21:12:37
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MetalTeK
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/10/05 01:57:28
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I use the exact same card and fair pretty well with it although it's definitely not a "studio" sound card.
Anyway, wanted to let you know. I didn't see anyone else mention it but you'll get your best performance out of the ASIO drivers.
I have found this to work best on my PC.
1. Go to Options/Audio Then switch Driver Mode to ASIO.
2. Half way down, Click on "ASIO Panel". When it opens click the wrench in lower right corner to go to advanced view.
3. Check the Hardware Buffer box.(It says may not work, but it made a big difference for me).
4. I keep Buffer offset at 10ms. Any lower and I start getting pops and noise when I play/record in MC.
5. Uncheck "Always Resample 44.1 to 48
6. I set my ASIO Buffer Size to 1024 Samples
7. I check Force WDM Driver to 16 Bit. (I am running 16 bit though).
8. Latency Compensation I have IN and OUT set to 128. (played with this and never noticed any difference one way or the other)
If something gets jacked up you can always come back and click the parachute next to the wrench to reset to defaults.
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Guitarhacker
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Re:SoundBlaster Audigy 2 with Music Creator 4
2011/10/05 08:30:04
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Whiskburn... did that fix the problem? Running the wave profiler.... ?
I was going to comment that if the Tascam records a certain sampling rate, transferring the file to 100 computers in a row before finally getting it into the DAW will not change the original sampling rate. Whatever that rate is, it should match the one you use in MC4. 44.1/16 or 44.1/24 are the normal settings. 24 bits for recording is fine...... then export to 16 for final song files.
My website & music: www.herbhartley.com MC4/5/6/X1e.c, on a Custom DAW Focusrite Firewire Saffire Interface BMI/NSAI "Just as the blade chooses the warrior, so too, the song chooses the writer "
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