RECORDING PROBLEM.

what up yall.
i have a question about recording.
when i play a beat right off my mpc, i feel the "punch" so to speak.
it seems when i record, i lose that punchy feeling that the beat has when i play it back through the mpc.

i record through the main outs on my mpc, through a samson compressor, and then from the compressor to cool edit pro.

wheres my punch?
does it have to do with the record and playback settings on my pc?
thanks for the help. peace.

p.s. i used hard limiting to achieve max output on my samples and all, so the samples arent just at low levels

The signal is becoming transformed because your sending it through the stated outboard gear.Perhaps you should alter the compression settings....
Or record dry str8 into the PC then compress after

but i dont understand why that would happen if the compressor is actually improving the quality of the sound on the playback, because it plays through the compressor as well.

I agree with BRAVO, sounds like you're compressor is takin' the life out of your recording. I don't know how much you know about compression but it wouldn't hurt to read up on it. Here's a link to Tutor's articles about compression. I'd do a search on the web too, compression is often misunderstood and can really suck the life out of a track if used wrong.

http://www.mpc-tutor.com/articles/compression.php

im just confused because my playback runs from my mpc to my compressor, to my soundcard to my speakers, so all of the sounds are going through the compressor when im just playing around and making a beat. not just when i record, therefore shouldnt the output of the sound when i record it reflect what im hearing when im just playing it?

Maybe its your soundcard.....Poor converters perhaps

There can be a number of things goin' on. What kind of audio interface are you using? Does it use a software mixer? If it does, are the input/output levels at unity gain. Make sure you're recording a strong signal to begin with(that's one thing about CEP I never liked, no level meters!) It's really hard to say what the problem is without being able to hear what's goin' on but I'd bet money it's the compressor. Take BRAVO's advice and try a take without the compressor and see how it's sounds, if it sounds good then it's the compressor, if it still sounds weak then you can look elsewhere.

im using a creative soundblaster extigy.

maybe thisll help

I have the same setup and the same problem..on my DBX compressor i've got a bypass switch nad the compressor isn't the problem..but I must say when i dont use the compressor my beats sound harder ( in DB that is) compressor can do great thing for your music..but using it wrong (like I do, with to little knowledge) it can eally **** it up! haha

kaymir, thanks.
i figured out my problem to a degree, i wasnt **** up with the compressor that bad.
btw, im really feelin some of your tracks, me and you have a similar style and approach.
keep em bangin homie.

aight thnx man!!! most of them cats out here dont really feel it..cuz it aint clubby and shit hahaha!!

I am gonna step out off computer recording and buy me a Fostex MR-8..!! and then transfer my shit to a computer using usb for burning and such... and I am gonna look into compression..! I am gonna check out some of your music..you've got a link?

kaymir, i dont have any of my music up.
i rhyme and produce myself. you can check out a track of mine where im rhymin, i didnt do the beat however.

soundclick.com/stryke

thats my boys soundclick page but he put one of my tracks up on there.
sense wondah - exist

id love to collab on some shit.
check it out, if you feel it, you feel it.
much love. peace.