Common Issues
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Soundcards compatibility/installation issues
Common Soundcard problems
FAQ for Digital Audio Workstation & Home Studio Issues
Is it OK to break the rules?
OK, this isn't really a frequently asked question. But I want to point out that most rules about recording are really guidelines or rules of thumb. It's OK to break them and see what happens.
The best approach is to understand the reason for the rule: then you'll know when breaking it might be a good idea. If you don't understand a rule (and it's a complex subject, so there are always lots of things we don't understand), then it serves as good guideline to keep us pointed in the right general direction. But rules are not rigid dictates, and feel free to experiment!
Note that the rules for how many speakers you drive from a single amplifier is not just a guideline: if you put too many in parallel, it's likely to ruin your amp unless it has special protection circuitry (and I don't mean just a fuse). Above I'm talking about rules of mixing, not rules about how to plug gear together!
My DAW isn't working right -- what's wrong?
FIRST STEP for almost all DAW problems is to update your soundcard drivers!
If you're using a built-in soundcard, this probably doesn't apply to you, unless it's a Creative SoundBlaster chipset (not just "Soundblaster Compatible"). If it's an SB, see below.
If you're using any kind of aftermarket or high-end soundcard, most likely the drivers that came in the box with the hardware aren't the latest or best. Download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website.
Note that this is less of an issue lately than it was just a year or three ago, when manufacturers were updating drivers quite often. Regardless, it's always best to start with the latest drivers. It's OK to install from the disk that came with the soundcard -- that way you also get any other software that was bundled in. Just be sure to visit the manuf's website and download the latest ones.
Tip: Save all downloaded programs and drivers in a safe and convenient spot. Then, if you have to reinstall everything, you have them all right there. Did anyone mention backups? ;)
Drivers for SoundBlaster cards?
Someone please put stuff here about SB and KX drivers, etc. Thanks!
Should I use an outboard (hardware) compressor?
In general, I feel that an outboard compressor is unnecessary and counterproductive when recording digitally with a decent 24-bit soundcard. As usual, there are significant exceptions to this.
There are 2 reasons to use compression:
1) Aesthetic reasons: because it makes the track sound better, disregarding technical issues like S/N ratio. 2) Technical reasons: to keep the signal in the green range while recording, to maximize the S/N ratio.
The first purpose can be served by either outboard compressors or plugins -- but you can't undo what an outboard compressor does, so generally it's better to do this using a plugin. The second purpose can only be done using an outboard compressor, but it's no longer necessary in most situations (especially for the home studio, and especially with 24-bit recording).
Long ago in the earlier days of tape recording, where a 65dB Signal-to-Noise ratio might be the best your recorder could do, outboard compression was very important to get a good S/N ratio in the playback signal, especially for parts with a wide dynamic range (e.g., piano solo, or vocal part with both very loud and very soft passages). Folks who recorded back then and for the next few decades often used outboard hardware compressors because they were necessary, and by the by learned that some compressors, when set up correctly, also imparted a really lovely tone to the recording.
As a result, there are a number of engineers and home recordists who like their outboard compressors even when recording in 24 bits -- they LIKE the sound of their compressors, and know how to use them. I have no argument with these people: they know what they want and how to get it.
But with today's recording S/N ratios of 100dB or so, compressors are just not necessary to preserve the detail in a dynamic performance. Compressor/limiters still serve a very useful purpose in recording, to handle cases where the engineer didn't leave enough headroom -- to save a great performance that would otherwise be a "do-over", or to record a live act.
These days, in the home studio especially, outboard compressors can be handy but they're not necessary by any means -- and they can cause problems. Proper compressor setup can help avoid this. But for the beginner to intermediate level home recordist, I recommend avoiding the compressor while recording except in special circumstances. Learn to recognize situations when it would be helpful and use it then.
This is especially true if you're recording yourself: you should learn to control and use dynamics in your performances in a way that records well, as well as techniques like "working a mike", and then adjust as desired using plugin compressors for aesthetic purposes. When recording others, especially untrained vocalists, it's another matter, and judicious use of limiting can save a good performance. But use of an external compressor shouldn't be a matter of habit. (Except, of course, for those folks who know & love their compressors and know -- by experience -- when to use 'em and when not to, and how to set 'em up for a given purpose.)
