IDM Mailing Archive

1997-06-17 15:23chris r graveswhat's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/ sb16 sound card) onto tape..? i ha

From:: chris r graves <grav@juno.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 11:23:22 EDT
Subject:: (idm) recording from computer

what's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/ sb16 sound card) onto tape..? i have just been using an audio cable from line out on the sound card to line in on my stereo, and it loses quite a bit of quality... maybe my cables are noisy? (i just got them at radio shack :)) thanks, .... grav ps. i don't want any advice to get professional equipment or anything, so don't tell me that.. this is a low-cost thing. ;)

1997-06-18 01:17. . . .> what's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/ > sb16 sound card) onto tape..?

From:: . . . . <kung.funk@virgin.net>
To:: chris r graves <grav@juno.com>
Cc:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 18:17:45 -0700
Subject:: Re: (idm) recording from computer

quoted 6 lines what's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/

> what's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/ > sb16 sound card) onto tape..? > i have just been using an audio cable from line out on > the sound card to line in on my stereo, and it loses > quite a bit of quality... maybe my cables are noisy? > (i just got them at radio shack :))

try plugging directly into your tape player, also try messing about with the soundcard volume and your recording level on the tape deck, if the sound card is loud you may only have your recording level set to say '3', try bringing down the level on your soundcard so you can increase your recording level, ideally '5' or above, if it is set too low youre gonna a lot of noise creeping in, im afraid you have to settle with a lot of noise using tapes.. -- k.F "I tried unloading banana trains and for while I had a job collecting horses hooves for a sausage skin and glue manufacturer. They also gave me a job after that, throwing cows heads into a bone crushing machine.I soon realised that these jobs weren't really what I wanted to do." -Lol Coxhill Quote.

1997-06-18 01:50MultSanta@aol.comIn a message dated 97-06-17 13:01:05 EDT, grav@juno.com (chris r graves) writes: << what's

From:: <MultSanta@aol.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 21:50:32 -0400 (EDT)
Subject:: Re: (idm) recording from computer

In a message dated 97-06-17 13:01:05 EDT, grav@juno.com (chris r graves) writes: << what's the best way to record from your computer (pc w/ sb16 sound card) onto tape..? i have just been using an audio cable from line out on the sound card to line in on my stereo, and it loses quite a bit of quality... maybe my cables are noisy? (i just got them at radio shack :)) >> yeah.. I'm in the exact same situation any advice for this guy send to me, too

1997-06-18 00:38The Rare GuyOn Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording from computer]

From:: The Rare Guy <buh@clark.net>
To:: IDM <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 00:38:33 EST4EDT
Subject:: Re: (idm) recording from computer
Reply to:: Re: (idm) recording from computer

On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording from computer]:

quoted 2 lines yeah..

>yeah.. >I'm in the exact same situation any advice for this guy send to me, too

heh I thought it would maybe be posted to the list, but yeah, anyone who responds to this, can send that advice over my way as well :) __ __\ \ / /_\ \ \_____/ , m7=

1997-06-18 14:30Oblique HostilityOn Wed, 18 Jun 1997, The Rare Guy wrote: > On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrot

From:: Oblique Hostility <kent@inav.net>
To:: intelligent dance <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 09:30:38 -0500 (CDT)
Subject:: Re: (idm) recording from computer
Reply to:: Re: (idm) recording from computer

On Wed, 18 Jun 1997, The Rare Guy wrote:

quoted 8 lines On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording

> On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording > from computer]: > >yeah.. > >I'm in the exact same situation any advice for this guy send to me, too > > heh I thought it would maybe be posted to the list, but yeah, anyone who > responds to this, can send that advice over my way as well :) >

The Soundblaster cards are bad news sonically. Real geeks have a card with digital outputs that they run into their DAT machines. If I had to guess, I'd say the problem is that the line out has that crappy 1 watt power amplifier on it, and you have to jack down the level to match the line input on your receiver. If you amplify a signal through a bad op-amp, and then pad the level down to line level it will sound like shit, straight up. The SB16 and later has a way documented in the manual to disable the power amplifier so that you get a cleaner line output. But the best bet is to sell the Soundblaster to some unsuspecting kid and buy an Ensoniq PCI soundcard for $50. --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Psyche manifests as psychic through something we call 'winding', because it twists, and puts things that were far apart next to each other, complicatedly, taffywise." -- winona on channel 78 Kent Williams kent@inav.net -- http://soli.inav.net/~kent

1997-06-18 17:02Random JunkThe Rare Guy writes: > On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) r

From:: Random Junk <jsd@gamespot.com>
To:: <idm@hyperreal.com>
Date:: Wed, 18 Jun 1997 10:02:52 -0700 (PDT)
Subject:: Re: (idm) recording from computer
Reply to:: Re: (idm) recording from computer

The Rare Guy writes:

quoted 7 lines On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording

> On Wednesday, 18-Jun-97, MultSanta@aol.com wrote [about Re: (idm) recording > from computer]: > >yeah.. > >I'm in the exact same situation any advice for this guy send to me, too > > heh I thought it would maybe be posted to the list, but yeah, anyone who > responds to this, can send that advice over my way as well :)

the bottom line is you are never going to get a cassette to sound anywhere near as good as what's coming out of your computer. if you can get one of those double-speed 4 track decks you might be heading in the right direction. normal cassette just doesn't have the dynamic range or frequency response. if your soundcard has one of those cheapie 1/8" stereo mini plugs you'd be well off getting one with separate RCA outs. a compressor might help in that it will squash the signal such that it will "fit" better on the tape. really i'd recommend getting a DAT machine. get one with a digital connector that is compatible with your computer and you will be a happy happy camper. it will make more a difference than anything else you can do to your system. -- Jon Drukman jsd@gamespot.com SpotMedia Communications ...I was an infinitely hot and dense dot...