Greetings,
I am a newbie currently converting my analog music through a Gina Echo 24/96 Sound Card into n-Track. I have an Ashly PowerAmp, Adcom Preamp; with B&O Turntable, Nak DR1 3-Head Cassette Player/Recorder, CD Player and even an 8-track if I find anything I want to convert from that format. Anyway I’ve started doing some recording and have a couple of questions.
1st question is there a way in n-track to adjust the recording levels…am I not seeing something here? The only way I see to adjust recording level is with my preamp volume control, so if I have my stereo speakers turned on they are really cranking. The Gina 24 console input level seems to have no effect on what is coming into n-track, only the output.
2nd question
If I press the stop button in n-track is there a way to continue recording from where I left off without starting a new “track”? Seems like the only way to keep a recording all in one track is to press pause and not stop.
Thats all for now
Thanks
ds
The Gina console should be adjusting the level. I don’t have access to my Layla (I think it used the same console), but you need to set up a way to control the output to the speakers - the recording curcuits always seem to require a higher setting than what is required for listening and I think you are monitoring the input. I finally got me a little Berringer “MiniMon” from Musiciansfriend - less than $50 dollars. It lets you select from several different speakers or sound sourses and/or headphones and control the volume to and from each - this is for playback and monitoring not in the record curcuit.
If you want to continue recording from where you left off on the same track, set the curser at that point and arm the track by pressing the Red Button on the lefthand side of the track (where the solo, mute freeze etc. are shown) then press the regular record button.
I have found that it is not necessarily a bad idea to place things on different tracks (where you set the curser is where the recording starts) that gives me an easier way to “doctor” the different songs/parts of a recording. Then just mix it down to one file or mixdown to seperate files so that they can be burned to a CD as seperate songs - using Nero or
CD-Architect or other authoring software you can split up a long track into selectable sections with or without a 2 second delay between tracks, so you can put it back into one long recording with indexed selectable play or a seperate selectable songs with the traditional 2 second delay between cuts.
Bax
Thank you very much for your response bax3. I am currently running device of choice from my preamp through the Gina. I used to use the lite version of cool edit pro that came with the card and I don’t remember having this problem, but OS was win98 (now XP). I am not sure the drivers are “Win XP compatible/certified” even thought I have the most recent drivers for the Gina.
Maybe I have something connected differently (several moves and quite a bit of time has passed since I reconnected everything. By looking at the recording level monitor I can see that any adjustment to my Gina console levels has no effect on input, only what I am monitoring. So as you have noted recording circuits require higher settings and if I have my speakers turned on I would really be blasting out the music.
The continuing from stop thing was not a huge deal just a little getting used to. Pause works fine. Are you “doctoring” in n-Track? Can you zoom way in on both tracks of a wave file and make adjustments. Been using CD-Wave editor to break long waves into individual songs, which also gives me the option to save as Wav, mp3, flac. Its quite useful and free.
Thanks again. I’ll have to try a couple of different wiring schemes so I can monitor with my speakers
without blowing them out.
dyemandav
You also have the trim controls on the Gina input;
aren’t you using those?
Oops – I should have read the post more carefully; certainly changing the trim controls on the Gina should change the input levels if things are connected correctly!
Yea,
The controls for the Gina have no effect on input levels. As far as I can see everything else is connected correctly. Anyone else out there running a Gina24 in Win XP?
Thanks
dyeman
OK, if memory serves me correct ( I used a Gina 20 card for several years on Win98se with nTrack)
More info on your patching of equipment may shine a light on your troubles.
Check to see if the Gina card is the preferred recording/playback device in Windows. The Gina mixer has 1 stereo input and 4 stereo outs I think, you should be able to set the Gina card for monitor thru inputs 1/2 outputs 1/2 making sure in prefrences of nTrack that Gina (asio, wdm, mme, whatever you’re using) is selected for both inputs and outputs. Then the auto input gain can be used in the Gina console for volume levels.
Been several years since using this card.
Echo’s (Sound Card Manufacturer) only answer was to adjust levels preamp volume control. I can’t believe console does nothing. Maybe its WinXP as I also was running this setup with Win98 and Cool Edit Pro a few years ago and didn’t have this problem. I will double check my Windows settings. What card are you using now Zay?
Thanks
Am now using an E-Mu 0404 pci card. 2 in 2 out.
To answer your original question, Yes there is a way to adjust the RECORD
input level. Run n-Track -
1. Select the input VU meter icon from the toolbar. It’s the one with the
red (record) button in the lower right-hand corner.
2. Click the little hammer on the ‘input meter’ (just below the meter)
3. Select 'Enable Live Processing’
4. Then select (from the toolbar menu)
SETTINGS/SOUNDCARD SETTINGS/RECORDING MIXING CONTROLS
5. Select your soundcards input and adjust the record level.
If you have a source hooked up - you should see the level change
on the meter as you adjust the level slider.
If you don’t, then I would start tracing the signal back to the
source - to see if you are getting an acceptable level to the
input of your soundcard input.
The n-Track settings are as you suggested. Looks like it is some limitation of the sound card at least according to Echo Digital Audio. The Gina controls have no effect on the recording levels, only output, levels even with the settings you have suggested. Ive tried both MME and WDM settings in device settings in n-track. Can only affect recording levels by cranking volume…which means turning off power amp to my stereo speakers.
Thanks
ds
Maybe someone can put you on the right track by looking at this:
Echo24.pdf
Seems to me in the ‘Console 3’ software that there is a input
level strip.
I also think you have to route to the correct bus.
But I don’t have the card or anything.
Also are you using -10db input and opposed to +4?
I think you want to make sure it’s -10.
I’ve got a Gina24, but don’t have it in my machine at the moment.
Make sure you are adjusting the trims on the input at the top of the mixer. The sliders below are output monitor levels and will not affect record level.
I don’t remember if the Gina24 (in Console3) has the input trim levels. Seems like it should since the Layla24 does and uses the same Console3.
For sure there are inputs that DON’T have them. I was using the Gina24 as a front end for it’s optical input. Those didn’t have trims, but they add 8 more inputs in addition to the stereo analog inputs.
ADDITION: After looking at the manual (there’s a slightly newer 3.1.1 version at echo) I’m wondering if either the Gina24 or Layla24 has the input trim. I also have a Layla20. I may be remembering it instead. If that’s the case then the available input levels are +4 and -10.