luisgp

Hi, I am a complete newbie using this drivers and I have this problem:

I want to set my computer to record up to 8 mono tracks simultaneously. I have two soundblaster live! cards and two soundblaster PCI128s intalled on my machine (windows XP).

At first, when I tried to install both live! cards, the system crashed and rebooted, so I googled for better drivers and ended up finding this jewel. I downloaded the latest (beta) and installed it first for one card and then I added the other and installed again and both seem to be working fine (I also verified the sound control panel settings for full hardware acceleration, 5.1, etc)

The thing is:

When I try to record sound coming for the "line in" with CoolEdit Pro 2.0, I can't record anything from the sb live! cards, no matter what mixer settings I try. I have read the documentation and still I can't figure out the trick. What should be the correct settings? is it wrong that CoolEdit is set to record at 44.1 khz? What are the mixer settings to get to record from the line in? isn't the driver supposed to default to "What U hear?"

I used to record correctly with the (horrible) MS drivers, but the system wouldn't accept both cards installed.

Also, a liitle off-topic, if anybody knows about a decent driver for the SB PCI128 (Ensoniq 1370) I would be very grateful. Creative dropped support for the card long, long ago (before win2k) and all I have is the crappy MS driver that only records mono sound. The card itself has pretty good sound quality.

My system:

MB MSI K7N2 delta Nforce 2 ultra
CPU Athlon XP 2500+ OCd@3200+
512 mb DDR
1 SB Live! mp3+ (CT4760)
1 SB Live! value (CT4670)
2 SB PCI 128/Ensoniq AudioPCI 1370 (CT4700)
1 Nforce AC3 Audio (realtek 5.1 dolby blah blah) set as default for sound output, the soundblasters should be needed for input only.
ATI Radeon 8500
Windows XP SP1, cooledit pro 2.0

Thanks for any info

Luis

dj_stick

sounds like a PCI IRQ conflict, you may have to remove some of the cards from your computer

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Doomsayer

I think it's your AC97 setup. The sampling frequency is not important unless you use ASIO (which you probably don't). Have a look at some of the guides found around this site, or search the forum, it's all been discussed many times.

luisgp

Dj Stick

I read your post and also found your getting started guide. There is a guide there on how to record using the microphone so I set the mixer up like the guide says (unmute things doh!), just used the "line in" instead of the "mic in". Now when I try to record i get a high pitched, continuous, fuzzy beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! (I zoomed and it's a 12 mhz sine wave, clipped) in the right channel, nothing in the left channel. I hope you can help me i am at loss.

As for the IRQs, all the cards appear to be working but i will try removing the sb 128s


Thank a lot guys

Luis

[UPDATE] The 12 mhz sine wave is recorded only in the SB Live! value (4670) and now to both channels (L and R), the other card (4760) is now working as expected (thanks for the guide!!!). At least now I have 4 working recording channels.

Any ideas on what could be happening???

dj_stick

this is the second issue with the guide - it may be incorrect and cause a feedback loop - but also there could be conflicts with so many PCI bus hogging audio cards

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luisgp

Guys,

Thank you for pointing me in the right direction. The thing is now working and as you said it turned out that the live value card was sharing an IRQ with one of the SB 128s. I disabled the 128 and then I could record correctly in both live cards.

What remains for me to be seen is if I can manage to configure the system to give an exclusive IRQ to each sound card to see if I can manage to record 8 tracks. As both 128s were sharing IRQs I'll try and see if I can get decent stereo recording when I give 'em their own IRQs (hopefully I can get at least 3 of them working, you know the Nforce can assign only 4 IRQs to the PCI/AGP bus)

gosh I never imagined that the sound cards could be so picky about this stuff.

you guys are great. Thanks a lot.

Luis