Input, record, playback

Hi Newbie:

I think I hear what you are saying and I'll try to go through the steps to make sure you can a) input and b) hear your output.

1) You can't monitor in real time as you go into record mode. Don't even bother with the live recording functions in Kristal. For example, make sure that you have selected the correct sound card first off. Let's not worry about ASIO drivers at this time (that's the latency discussion, but we don't need to get into it just yet.) In all actuality, you don't even need a USB interface device to record, you could use that old TASCAM, RCA out down to stereo mini-plug and connect that to your computer's line in jack (on the back panel). You could monitor as you playback via this method:

a)*Output the TASCAM to a powered mixer via tape input or two of the 1/4" phone inputs and then set levels. Use the speaker outs to a set of decent speakers and then use the tape out from the powered mixer to the computer's line in jack (x2 RCA plugs to stereo mini-plug).

*I am sure your Behringer device has a headphone monitor jack. If you input into your computer via USB, you should be able to monitor your source in that manner via the Behringer. I have an M-Audio that I can monitor my source via headphone.

b)"Raw" monitor from the computer speakers as you listen to the tape, but make sure all of your computer audio controls are correct, i.e., nothing is checked MUTE -- see below.

2) Most low-price and mid-level PCs come with a MME integrated sound card. Simply go to the ENGINE > PREFERENCES > DEVICES Menu in KRISTAL and select (check) the sound card and driver set you wish to record and playback by. There's probably only one. The one that came with your PC; unless your Behringer came with a driver set and you installed them properly. Simply select the Behringer for record and perhaps your computer's sound card for MME playback. That's it.

3) Make sure the record engage button is "engaged" on the Waver window with regard to the appropriate channel prior to starting your record process. Be VERY careful with your levels as it is easy to overdrive the sound card from your source. You should also go to START > CONTROL PANEL > SOUNDS, SPEECH, AND AUDIO DEVICES and then click SOUNDS AND AUDIO DEVICES. Under the AUDIO tab you can see your sound card and set the volume and additional parameters there. (I stupidly assume your are using a PC and some version of WINDOWS XP).

4) Make sure that your LINE IN volume is not checked MUTE (I'm sure it isn't since you are getting an audio track), and make sure that none of the AUDIO volume control channels are NOT muted on the computer's sound control panel: Volume Control, SW Synth, WAVE, CD PLAYER and LINE In.

5) If you start to overdub, i.e., multi-track, you would disengage the first track's record button, and then engage Waver two. Here's where the ASIO sound card comes in. Most of the calculations for record and playback are done on your computer's CPU. If you use and ASIO sound card, (you can get some very good entry level ones for about $190.00) or look at Sweetwater's and pay upwards of $500.00 or more) the processing burden is placed on the ASIO sound card, thus virtually eliminating playback latency (your second track is a few seconds off from the initial track) and the audio sound clearer as well.

5 a) If you are recording old stereo tracks from cassette, then make sure, that you have the stereo button engaged on the Waver. If, for example, you are recording a new instrument, i.e., an electric guitar from your guitar amplifier out to the Behringer device, you would want to record that in mono -- if you did not use a 1/4" stereo phone plug from the amp's stereo out. BTW, you can get a very cool sound if you use a mono 1/4" plug just by not pushing it all the way into the headphone jack. I prefer this tone anyway. If you did use a 1/4" stereo plug/split, then you can record the guitar in stereo, and the same goes for stereo out keyboards.

6) Alas, if you do not have an ASIO sound card to plug into your PCI slot on the motherboard, and you're going to multi-track (open the computer's case and you'll see the slots on the motherboard just waiting for sound cards and other stuff), you can simply drag and align your recorded tracks via mouse click. It's a pain, but you'll notice the neat little drop down box that says "snap to grid". You can adjust that to 1ms or greater. Remember, the less milliseconds, the shorter the time window. The ASIO download is a P.O.S. and DOESN'T WORK. When you're ready, buy a decent ASIO sound card.

7) You can playback by selecting the TRANSPORT bar and hitting the play button. Remember that the "rewind" process is slow. If you wish to isolate a point in the audio, simply expand the "rubber" window in the track monitor box and slide the window to the point on your audio you wish to modify.

8) It is best to record at 44.1 in 24 bit. EXPORT your mixes to a new file (right click, new folder). It's OK to export in 24 bit. However, CD audio is traditionally saved and burned at 16 bit. Remember, a MIX is NOT the same as a PROJECT FILE. You would OPEN project files to work on your compositions etc.

9) I recorded my entire last CD on Kristal. You can too. Just be patient and experiment. You'll get better as you use the software.

9a) There are some great VST plug-ins for Kristal that are more versatile than the stock ones. Check out Steinberger Hello Kitty Brick Wall Maximizer; Digitalfishphones Endorphin (for finalizing -- great low-end/hi-end compressor/de-compressor); Kjaerhus Audio free plug-ins. Go to these sites, download and SAVE to your desktop. Click the WINDOWS icon key on your keyboard and HOLD and press the E key at the same time. Expand the C drive and then open PROGRAM FILES > KREATIVES.org > KRISTAL > Plugins. I can't recall, but I made a new Plug-Ins folder in the KRISTAL folder. You can unzip the downloads either by dragging the downloaded folder to the plug-in folder, right clicking and then unzipping the plug-in, or do that on your desktop and then copy the plug-ins associated dll and read me to the VST folder. The best thing to do is unzip and drag the whole folder to the plug in folder under Kristal. Restart your PC, and then, voila, you'll have a host of new processing software, all for free, showing up in the mixer effect slots when you click there for the drop-down.

10) I found that I needed AUDACITY (another freeware DAW) to help clean up mixes further.

11) A word of caution. PLEASE, PLEASE -- make a back up disc of your KRISTAL projects as you approach the final stage. As a person with fast fingers, I found out the hard way that Windows Media Player,{ (hate the darn thing) when selecting the "delete file from library and computer" option} that this command will continue to "scrape" anything associated with the .wav mix and continue to proceed to delete files from your KRISTAL media folder unless you close WMP -- quickly. You can always use File Scavenger to recover deleted files post recycle bin, but it isn't easy or pretty.

I'm happy to help. I hope this helped. Feel free to ask additional questions.

Z