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Need Help Recording Guitar In FL


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I've been using FL for a few months now but i've never actually recorded an instrument through it. I'm trying to record my guitar through it but the sound is awful. It doesn't sound too bad when i'm playing, but when i play back the recorded part it doesn't sound the same as it did when i was playing it. It sounds deeper, and the sound also kinda goes louder and softer when i play it with all the midi parts. Also for some reason right now it's started playing back at minimal volume and sound only comes out the left side of my head phones :S

My setup is this: My guitar is connected to my amp and my amp is connected to the line in on my laptop. It's dead basic, could this be the main problem? How can i make my guitar record in to FL and actually sound good? Please help, i'm at the end of my tether, i've been messing about with it for hours :(

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I would recommend Native Instruments Audio Kontrol 1, but it doesn't come with a free $200 product anymore. That's really what made the price worth it.

I got Audio Kontrol 1 for $200 in addition to a $200 product voucher which I used on Guitar Rig 4 Pro. It's an excellent sound card with all the I/O's needed for a solo artist/producer (XLR in, Line In, MIDI I/O, headphone out, two pairs of stereo outs), but it's not worth the $200 without the free product voucher, IMO. I think it comes with some other piano sample software, though, so I could be wrong about it not being worth it. Up to you, and I'd recommend it, but only if you wanna burn money.

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So an audio interface will amke all the hissing and latency go away as well? Will i still be able to use my amp? I have Guitar Rig 4 but it would keep giving me horrible feedback, i'd have to turn the input and output right down, but then it was too quiet. Was this because i was plugged straight into integrated audio as well?

EDIT: Sorry about all the questions, i'm just nervous about spending so much money on something and then finding out it didn't fix the problems

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It says Audio Kontrol comes with

  • External audio interface
  • USB cable
  • NEW YORK CONCERT GRAND
  • CUBASE LE 5
  • GUITAR RIG 4 ESSENTIAL
  • TRAKTOR LE
  • $30/25 € e-voucher*
  • Manual

and i can get all that for £184! That's quite a bit of powerful software plus the Audio interface. Is this an amazing deal or is it just me?

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It says Audio Kontrol comes with

  • External audio interface
  • NEW YORK CONCERT GRAND
  • CUBASE LE 5
  • GUITAR RIG 4 ESSENTIAL
  • TRAKTOR LE
  • $30/25 € e-voucher*

and i can get all that for £184! That's quite a bit of powerful software plus the Audio interface. Is this an amazing deal or is it just me?

That's Cubase LE 5. Emphasis on LE. It's limited compared to the real one. And besides, Cubase 6 is already out. Unlike FL Studio, you're gonna have to buy the update. :P

Next, guitar rig 4 essential. You don't even need an amp sim because you have a real amp.

Traktor is useless unless you're a DJ.

The only thing actually worth something in here (IMO) is NY Concert Grand, which isn't $200. You can go with this deal, but I wouldn't, because I got the better version package last year. Much more worth the money, but if you think you're gonna use the majority of this stuff, go right ahead. :P

So an audio interface will amke all the hissing and latency go away as well? Will i still be able to use my amp? I have Guitar Rig 4 but it would keep giving me horrible feedback, i'd have to turn the input and output right down, but then it was too quiet. Was this because i was plugged straight into integrated audio as well?

EDIT: Sorry about all the questions, i'm just nervous about spending so much money on something and then finding out it didn't fix the problems

First question: Yes, that is why they exist, sir. :P

Second ": If it's a Line In, of course, why not?

Third ": Yes, integrated audio is really bad for recording.

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Can you recommend a good audio interface for what i'm trying to do at a budget price?

I don't have experience with many, but don't get a Fast Track by M-Audio. They're made of plastic and when you hold one, it's light and you feel like dropping it would make it snap in half.

...

xD I was kidding, the plastic shouldn't be the deciding factor. It works, I've used it at school music production class.

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Another thing i need to mention. When i was recording in FL i would have the bass and drums playing while i was recording. I noticed the sound seemed to fade a lot on the guitar then on the midi then back on the guitar, like it couldn't handle all the sounds at the same time it was decreasing the volume to accomodate the other sounds. Is this because my laptop sound card can't handle it and will the audio interface stop this from happening? I am a total noob at this, i know nothing about recording stuff.

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Another thing i need to mention. When i was recording in FL i would have the bass and drums playing while i was recording. I noticed the sound seemed to fade a lot on the guitar then on the midi then back on the guitar, like it couldn't handle all the sounds at the same time it was decreasing the volume to accomodate the other sounds. Is this because my laptop sound card can't handle it and will the audio interface stop this from happening? I am a total noob at this, i know nothing about recording stuff.

This has nothing to do with your sound card, it's bad mixing. :P

Turn everything down. And make sure all of your instruments don't take up the same space.

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I got a line 6 tonedirect or toneport, and I absolutely love it. It was $80. This was two years ago. Might be something better now.

It has a 1/4 input. Comes with excellent tones for guitar, bass, and vocals.

You can also get the UX1 or w/e if you need phantom power.

edit: not sure about the wobbling. Wobbling would have nothing to do with integrated audio if it's the volume going up and down. Or at least I don't think. Check if you have a limiter on the master track and everything is coming into it too loud. I did a lot of mixing on integrated audio until I got into recording guitar and vocals. Integrated audio has only two problems that I'm aware of:

1. it's right next to all your other computer equipment and suffers from noise (hiss hiss hiss)

2. it might not be as fast as you would like. You'll hear glitching sounds if you have a lot of stuff going on (rip rip rip)

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Well i bought myself an audio interface which has got rid of hissing and latency and improved my overall guitar sound. I still can't work the audio levels though, i need a guideline to work from. When i playback a recording it's always a bit quiet, and for some reason when i'm playing there's an odd reverb effect, but when i play back it's gone.

Another thing is my interface has a left and right input, i'm plugged into the left but it's only producing sound out of the left side of my headphones. I have to pan about 90 degress to the right for it to come out of both. Is this normal?

So is there any way you could give me a generic audio level setup that i can work from, it would be a big help. I've looked on youtube and can't find any helpful videos :(

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Well i bought myself an audio interface which has got rid of hissing and latency and improved my overall guitar sound. I still can't work the audio levels though, i need a guideline to work from. When i playback a recording it's always a bit quiet, and for some reason when i'm playing there's an odd reverb effect, but when i play back it's gone.

Try turning up the gain of that channel on your interface, but obviously leave some headroom (I usually leave somewhere between 12 and 18 dB of headroom from the loudest sound I can replicate during sound check, since that can be different from how you play during recording, and plugins/effects can add gain). If that isn't working for you, change the gain with a gain control plugin and/or use a limiter.

Does your interface use latency-free direct monitoring? I turned it off on my interface because I like to record with amp/effect-modeling plugins, and having the clean guitar coming in only in my left ear while hearing the final sound gets a bit annoying. It also comes in a few ms before the sound from my DAW, which may be what you're noticing.

Another thing is my interface has a left and right input, i'm plugged into the left but it's only producing sound out of the left side of my headphones. I have to pan about 90 degress to the right for it to come out of both. Is this normal?

Record into your DAW as a mono track from input 1 (I'm assuming the left input on your interface is input 1). Usually when you add a new track to record, the option is there either as a popup when you create the channel, or on the channel's options.

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Record into your DAW as a mono track from input 1 (I'm assuming the left input on your interface is input 1). Usually when you add a new track to record, the option is there either as a popup when you create the channel, or on the channel's options.

FL Studio, bro, recording doesn't work like that at all. :P

Brewt, skype me, It's easier to show you than to explain in a post how to get your inpout set up the right way. I can probably help you figure out that audio level business, too.

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FL Studio, bro, recording doesn't work like that at all. :P

Brewt, skype me, It's easier to show you than to explain in a post how to get your inpout set up the right way. I can probably help you figure out that audio level business, too.

Ok cool, i'll need to re-install Skype. It'll have to be after the weekend because i'm dead busy, I'll contact you when i'm free though.

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