No signal to softwre

[sleehewson]

I just got Pro tools SE. I'm running windows XP, and for some reason the meter on my guitar tracks doesn't register my guitar signal. I can hear the guitar in my headphones (i'm using M-audio fast track pro). I'm aware of selecting input 1 or 2 on the track. I've selected both and changed which input i use on the audio interface. I've changed the USB port i'm using. The very first night i set everything up it worked. But now it doesn't. I don't think i changed anything, but i'm new to home recording and have no clue.

Any thoughts? or help?

[Darryl Ramm]

And your guitar is acoustic or electric or what? Connected to what amp or preamp if any? If an amp you have mic'ed the amps speaker that with what microphone? You have what type of cable plugged into what input on the interface? With the interface knobby things set roughly where?

If you create a new Stereo audio track and drag any old mp3 or similar file onto the track and hit play do you hear track in the headphone? Does that tracks and the master fader track meters move like you expect?

Darryl

[sleehewson]

An electric guitar plugged directly into the m-audio fast track pro interface. I've tried both of the inputs (the interface only has 2 inputs) not running any effects or anything. Just directly into the interface. Yes I can hear loops and all of that in my headphones from the software. I can manipulate tracks and hear them on playback. I just can't record any of my own tracks. Gain is set at midlevel on the input from the interface. The interface is set to mono, not stereo output.

[Darryl Ramm]

A guitar is an instrument level/impedance device so you should plug in the TS (tip-sleeve) guitar cable to one of the front panel jacks on the interface, use the push button to select 'inst' for instrument and make sure the pad is not engaged. Turn up the gain knob on the interface until the input starts to clip (red input LED) when you strum hard (make sure the guitar volume is turned up and any active pickups have new batteries etc) then turn the gain down a little to stop the red/clip indication while strumming hard. Now connect a track to that input, arm it and press record and play guitar. This dry guitar signal may be at a low level, you may need to move up the track and master fader to hear it. And typically you are going to stick a amp sim plugin like Eleven or Eleven Free, Guitar Rig or Pod Farm etc. on the dry guitar track and that will provide a lot of gain.

Is the guitar being recorded to the track? can you hear it on playback? If you zoom in on the track can you see the guitar waveform?

Now wether you hear anything *while* you are recording is another more complex issue to do with hardware monitoring mixes, input only monitoring etc.... Do you hear what you expect while tracking?

Darryl

[sleehewson]

I'm still having this issue. I downloaded a free audio software "Kristal" and i'm able to record just fine. There has to something within the software of ProTools, or the driver that i don't have set up correctly...or configured right. But i have no idea what it is.