Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

Discuss the various methods you use in music production, from compressor settings to equipment type.
 Reply Share on Facebook

Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By bboyta Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:45 am
Hey, Im looking for some advice on how to get my recording best and as high as possible without loosing quality.

Is there any setings that should be put on the mpc 1000 maby ? How i do it at the moment is my volume knob is set to about 50% on my mpc, so the sound dosent get any wierd sounds. usually the kicks sound bad if i put it higher.

From my mpc outputs right and left i put into my soundcard inputs (i have Scarlet i2i soundcard) i turn up the rec gain on my soundcard as much as i can so the signal is still green and not red / orange. Then i Record from mpc into my DAW (Logic) is there any type of compressors i should use or sumthing, cus when i try my beats on good speakers and mixer etc, then it becomes abit low.

So what are you guys doing when u record and how u set things up ? Im not so familiar with logic but maby there are many ways of boosting and using compressors and giving the beats som extra good sound ?

https://soundcloud.com/buddhafunk-1 here is the beat i tested with
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By Metatron72 Sat Mar 16, 2013 10:10 am
Compression can be tricky. Read up all you can on it to be able to strike the balance between dynamics and adding a little "oomph" and not squashing the whole sound.

If 50% is the max you go to before digital clipping I would think your MPC is set to output at 0dB in it's settings, so you should get a solid signal into the Focusrite interface. And you said you're watching the levels for clipping.

So if you're getting a good loud recording with no digital distortion that's a great start. But it won't sound as loud as commercial record. At least not one from the last 20 years. That's were you have to learn compressors and limiters, EQ and mixing multi tracks.

Again read articles on compressors in general and then what plugins you might use will be easier, and you can totally load up the appropriate ones as you read the articles.

You can also bounce tracks internally into a 1000, 2500 and I would assume a 5000 and copy them to the computer. Or use the digital SPDIF on the MPC to record digitally and get exactly what the MPC was rendered digitally.
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By Metatron72 Tue Mar 26, 2013 6:06 am
bboyta wrote:Thx for reply. What is SPDIF? Could u explain this more specific what you do ? Im not so technical with sound and recording! Still learning :)


The digital out on your MPC is SPIDF. When connected to a SPIDF input on an audio interface for example you are passing the same exact digital data/signal that is inside the MPC. So the computer records exactly what your hear.

The mixing to .wav inside the MPC that was mentioned gives you basically the same integrity of a digital render, in that case you use USB to transfer the files over tho the PC by plugging the MPC over USB as a removable disk (The CF card or an internal HD if you have one installed).
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By ThobRom Fri Mar 29, 2013 9:35 am
Metatron72 wrote:The digital out on your MPC is SPIDF. When connected to a SPIDF input on an audio interface for example you are passing the same exact digital data/signal that is inside the MPC. So the computer records exactly what your hear.


Aha!
SPIDF!

I've been wondering how the heck to use those digital outs.

Could you elaborate a little more on how those are used?

I looked on ebay for a USB/SPIDF converter and didn't see anything that would obviously do what I need simply.

IE: Capturing digital quality stems while triggering and syncing my 1000 to a DAW through USB-midi.

Do they make a simple interface for stereo (?) SPIDF to USB?

Does it just use regular RCA cables?

Thanks.
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By Metatron72 Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:34 am
ThobRom wrote:
Metatron72 wrote:The digital out on your MPC is SPIDF. When connected to a SPIDF input on an audio interface for example you are passing the same exact digital data/signal that is inside the MPC. So the computer records exactly what your hear.


Aha!
SPIDF!

I've been wondering how the heck to use those digital outs.

Could you elaborate a little more on how those are used?

I looked on ebay for a USB/SPIDF converter and didn't see anything that would obviously do what I need simply.

IE: Capturing digital quality stems while triggering and syncing my 1000 to a DAW through USB-midi.

Do they make a simple interface for stereo (?) SPIDF to USB?

Does it just use regular RCA cables?

Thanks.


No, the USB on the MPC doesn't work that way. It's just to mount the CF Card or an internal hard drive as a removable disk on a computer. If you bounce your tracks internally you can drag/copy those to the computer the same as copying samples/folders.

Now a USB audio interface is likely to have SPDIF input and output though. But in that case the interface just happens to be USB. A PCI/e or Firewire interface would usually have SPDIF too. It's not like a cable/adapter thing like you thought in your question.

You could possibly use RCA's as the connector is the same, but it's best to buy cables labeled as SPDIF. Regular RCA's are not shielded and don't reject electromagnetic interference. So even if cheap RCA"s worked you'd likely have digital dropouts and probably be likely to lose digital sync.

Here's a link to a basic set of SPDIF cables. (Each on does a stereo signal, so you can do Input and Output with 2 cables where analog stereo I/O would need 4 total cables).

http://www.projectorsuperstore.com/shop ... 4AodRV4AAA

I think you could maybe get a SPDIF cable that end in a stereo 1/8" headphone jack if you're inputting to a computer with no audio interface. I always use interfaces so I'd have to check on that. I think my laptop will take a digital SPDIF signal into it's 1/8" input.
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By ThobRom Fri Mar 29, 2013 3:05 pm
Metatron72 wrote:
Now a USB audio interface is likely to have SPDIF input and output though. But in that case the interface just happens to be USB.



^^
Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind.
(I didn't mean through the USB plug on the MPC. :P )

Could you point me in the direction of such a conversion box?

I looked around amazon and ebay and did not see an obvious SPIDF to USB converter.

I'm not sure how I'm missing it.

Also what would the 2 digital RCA's transmit?

Would that be the same as the analog main left and right?

Am I looking for a conversion box with 2 SPIDF inputs?

Metatron72 wrote: If you bounce your tracks internally you can drag/copy those to the computer the same as copying samples/folders.


^^
This is what I plan on doing initially,
(as soon as I get JJos figured out).

Maybe into Audacity.

But I thought that it would be a neat option to be able to track the MPC out synced to a DAW like Reaper or Ableton through a USBmidi cable if it could be done digitally without converting everything through analogue.

Thanks for the info.
User avatar

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By Wal Martian Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:32 pm
bboyta wrote:i have Scarlet i2i soundcard

The converters in your soundcard are what dictates the quality of the captured analog signal. Your soundcard runs at 24-bit resolution and 96 KHz sample rate. You could invest in a better soundcard with a higher samplerate (i.e. RME, Motu) If you're running your DAW at 48KHz it won't make that big a difference, but there will be a difference.

Re: Recording into pc to get the highest sound and quality

By djestouff Mon Apr 08, 2013 3:37 am
ThobRom wrote:
Metatron72 wrote:
Now a USB audio interface is likely to have SPDIF input and output though. But in that case the interface just happens to be USB.



^^
Yes, this is exactly what I had in mind.
(I didn't mean through the USB plug on the MPC. :P )

Could you point me in the direction of such a conversion box?

I looked around amazon and ebay and did not see an obvious SPIDF to USB converter.

I'm not sure how I'm missing it.

Also what would the 2 digital RCA's transmit?

Would that be the same as the analog main left and right?

Am I looking for a conversion box with 2 SPIDF inputs?

Metatron72 wrote: If you bounce your tracks internally you can drag/copy those to the computer the same as copying samples/folders.


^^
This is what I plan on doing initially,
(as soon as I get JJos figured out).

Maybe into Audacity.

But I thought that it would be a neat option to be able to track the MPC out synced to a DAW like Reaper or Ableton through a USBmidi cable if it could be done digitally without converting everything through analogue.

Thanks for the info.


what kind of computer do you have? most of the recent Macs have a digital audio input, however its an Optical (toslink) input. in that case, all you need is a SPDIF-to-Toslink converter like this http://www.monoprice.com/products/produ ... 1&format=2

You will also need a SPDIF cable to connect from the MPC to the coverter box, and a Toslink-to-Mini Toslink optical digital cable to connect from the converter box to the optical digital input on your mac.

The microphone/line-in jack on the mac laptops accept both a regular 1/8 inch headphone jack type connecter AND the mini toslink optical digital cable.
 Reply
Return to Production Techniques