horrible quality input sound digi 002 rack

[Remko]

Hi All,
Last few weeks have been busy getting a cheap digidesign cennected to a windows 10 pc via firewire. Connections seems to be fine now, but I ran into some issues...
I use Cakewalk and installed asio drivers to get the digi 002 working.

Problem is the audio quality, it's really horrible, I can barely hear I'm playing guitar. As the guitar pickup works fine directly in a mixer, problem seems to be in the digi 002. I hope I can fix it with settings, but I'm very new to this audio recording, so don't know what to look for. Do I need a separate program for the digi 002 or can I adapt settings via cakewalk? I don't have ProTools and wasn't planning to buy it, unless it's absolutely necessary to get it working :)

Hopefully some of you have some ideas what to look for!

Regards,
Remko

[EGS]

Guitar pickup ---> DI box ---> 002R mic input. Click: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/di-boxes/

[JFreak]

Hi, welcome to the community.

002 should be able to handle instrument level input, but you need to switch it on from the back panel. Otherwise it assumes line level input.

As said, DI box is the most common way, but should be unnecessary in this case.

[Remko]

I think I didn't explain clear enough

The guitar pickup I use in my acoustic guitar works like a microphone, so I switched the input to mic, not line. In my mixer I also put it in the microphone input and that works fine.
I have the same horrible sound when I connect other microphones to the digi 002, on all channels

[EGS]

Digi 002R has line & mic level inputs, however your guitar pickup is instrument level. Best way is to use a DI to convert instrument to mic level: https://www.sweetwater.com/sweetcare...level-signals/

[JFreak]

Argh, do some research. Pro level equipment (if you can call 002 that) have three options: mic level (XLR plug), line level (TRS plug) and instrument level (TRS plug). On 002 line level input and instrument level input use the same but you need to toggle between line and instrument levels. Now your 002 is assuming line level input, which is the culprit. Change it to instrument level and it should be okay. If you cannot do it, buy a DI box and connect to XLR input.

[EGS]

Originally Posted by JFreak

Argh, do some research. Pro level equipment (if you can call 002 that) have three options: mic level (XLR plug), line level (TRS plug) and instrument level (TRS plug). On 002 line level input and instrument level input use the same but you need to toggle between line and instrument levels. Now your 002 is assuming line level input, which is the culprit. Change it to instrument level and it should be okay. If you cannot do it, buy a DI box and connect to XLR input.

Yes! (I forgot 002 has the line/instrument switch)

[Darryl Ramm]

Originally Posted by Remko

I think I didn't explain clear enough

The guitar pickup I use in my acoustic guitar works like a microphone, so I switched the input to mic, not line. In my mixer I also put it in the microphone input and that works fine.
I have the same horrible sound when I connect other microphones to the digi 002, on all channels

If this thread is not helping you so far... you really need to explain exactly (make/model) guitar pickup you have and exactly (make/model) what other mics you have tested with, in all cases exactly what IO connection and exactly what cable end (xlr, trs, ts) you are connecting into the 002, and what effects adjusting the gain on the 002 has... and if mics need phantom power what happens when you turn that on or off. Microphones need to go into an *XLR* connection and have the corresponding gain turned up and phantom power enabled if they need it (typically condenser mics). Have any mic inputs on this 002 ever worked?

[Remko]

Thank you all for the tips.



In the meantime I have been playing with settings within Cakewalk. Looks like I get improved results by playing with buffering and sampling rate, so will deepdive in that section first.

I also got a tip that in the digidesign manual is described how to minimize buffering, so I will do RTFM


I must say it's a steep learning curve starting from scrap. Audio editing/recording is not that easy... But we're getting there, hopefully this weekend the first drum and guitar recording tests!


Regards,
Remko

[Darryl Ramm]

Huh? “Buffering and sample rate” and “Minimized buffering” have nothing to do with gross problems of mic or guitar inputs being too low a level.

ANd "buffering" as in the IO buffer... you set that up in your DAW.

You have posted here three times now without any clear useful information about what exactly you are doing.