Popping in recording

[CSmith]

I'm trying to record my piano into the computer through the line in and I'm getting popping in the sound.

It's a Roland digital piano and I'm using the 1/4" jacks and using adapters to convert to a stereo mini plug. I'm using Goldwave to record.

After I record something I have to maximize the volume to be able to hear it. I thought that might be causing clipping, but the readout is showing around -20db as the peak, and the popping can happen in quieter sections too. So I lowered the volume on the line in and set maximize to a max of -10db (since it was at 0 before) and recorded like usual. The result was that the peak volume didn't get over around -35db, but the popping was still there. And the popping isn't at a regular interval, and if I just press record and don't play anything there's a very small amount of hiss but no popping.

Also, possibly related, but when I try to record my electronic drumset, the sond generally distorts if there's a lot going on. I was wondering if maybe this has to do with the wide range of frequencies I'm pushing through all at once. Can a computer soundcard's line in not take that much?

Should I get an external sound card (USB or Firewire)?

I hope someone knows what's going on.

Also, my card is a Xonar D2X, I'm running Windows 7 with 4 gigs of RAM.

[Fishy]

The line in input on most built-in soundcards is so so very bad.

If you are serious about recording anything, invest in a dedicated external soundcard. The level is so low because the input impedence of the line input is probably nowhere near matched to your keyboards output = horrible low level sound.

Firewire is better but USB is cheaper. For just recording one or two channels though there's no real reason to go firewire.

[CSmith]

Thanks Fishy. I suspected that might be the problem, as when I was into recording before I remembered someone saying line in wasn't very good for it.

I messed around in my options and got rid of the click in my recording. Not sure what did it. If I maximize the sound and apply a hiss reduction filter it actually sounds pretty good, but I'm definitely looking into an external soundcard.

What do you think of the Yamaha Audiogram 6? Ideally I want two sets of stereo inputs, one for my keyboard and one for my drums. I have a condenser mic and cable along with a small mixer back at my parents' house, but from the pictures of the Audiogram it looks like the connector is different. I haven't recorded in so long I forgot almost everything I ever knew (which wasn't much to begin with!), but I definitely want something that will work with the gear I already have. And since I can't seem to find something inexpensive that has 4 1/4" inputs along with 2 MIDI in/out ports, I figure for MIDI I can just get a Midisport 2x2 or something. My computer has like 5 free USB ports at the moment.

I just don't want something low quality, and at the same time I'm nowhere near the level of needing professional-level gear and rackmount units and billions of cables running everywhere.

[Nabeel Ansari]

You can get one of Native Instruments's audio interfaces, I have the Audio Kontrol 1 but it might be too expensive if all you want is piano recording. I got it because it included a free Guitar Rig 4 Pro voucher, but since you're not doing guitars you should go with one of their simpler interfaces (unless you feel like spending $200).

www.nativeinstruments.com

[SnappleMan]

At first I read the title of this thread as "pooping in recording", which gave me the awesome idea to install a fully functioning toilet in my studio. Thanks.