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Playing synths through a PC.


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I'm wondering what I've been doing wrong that the PC doesn't like me. I connected my synth to my stereo and played for a couple of minutes - I loved it.

 

Then I played it through my laptop, the synth connected to MIC IN and the laptop's out to my stereo. I pressed the keys and what I heard was slightly different from what I played. Some keys reacted immediately and some with varying delay. It wasn't very obvious but enough for me to notice that it wasn't exactly what I played (wrong timing). I was using the latest ASIO4All, 128 samples buffer, 96KHz sample rate. I can't feel any latency at these settings and the sound comes out clean but I can't control the timing in fast passages this way.

 

I've got a very nice freeware reverb in my laptop that sounds mediocre at first but can be programmed to sound stunning. When I switch back and forth between VST and direct to amp, the difference in feeling the keyboard is very clear. Do you experience this or I am trolling?

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I've got Realtek HD built in sound card. I'm using 96KHz 'cause I've read somewhere that it helps lower latency, not sure if it's true. 44.1 doesn't help.

 

To be honest, I can't hear any "poor quality" from my built in soundcard, can anyone explain what I'm missing? The problem is with playing the keyboard which seems sluggish and unresponsive when using VST. It's not me because the synth feels perfect when played directly through the amp. The difference is best seen when switching from direct to VST after some longer playing.

 

The best solution so far is to bypass VST altogether and use the natural room reverb ;-) I'll probably stick to that and build from there.

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can anyone explain what I'm missing? The problem is with playing the keyboard which seems sluggish and unresponsive when using VST.

 

That's what you are missing.:lol:

 

An onboard realtek card will have latency issues. Get something like an M-audio for 100-150 bucks and you'll see a big difference.

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Huh, the balance of the universe would collapse if I cracked and bought "a *cough cough* dedicated audio interface", but if you're saying it makes playing and recording through the not-so-cpu-hungry software reverb rock solid at 128 samples, 96KHz, I might consider the risk.

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Huh, the balance of the universe would collapse if I cracked and bought "a *cough cough* dedicated audio interface", but if you're saying it makes playing and recording through the not-so-cpu-hungry software reverb
rock solid
at 128 samples, 96KHz, I might consider the risk.

 

 

Computer specs matter too, but I'm using an older 1.8ghz Athlon with a gig of ram, so unless you have something lower I would assume you will be fine.

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Then I played it through my laptop, the synth connected to MIC IN and the laptop's out to my stereo.

 

 

Off topic, but if you mean a synth as in a keyboard, the keyboard's output will definitely overload your laptop mic input. The two levels (mic vs keyboard outs) are different electrically in terms of voltage and impedance.

 

Many computer sound cards (or sound chips) have AGC on the mic inputs that will wreak havoc with the levels if you overload.

 

Just a thought...

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No, it's fine with the levels. The input says MIC IN and that's what you can usually find on laptops. I think the audio software makes the input more universal so it accepts synth signal but I know nothing about it for sure tbh.

 

The synth sounds ok with it until I try to connect it directly to my stereo. Then you can hear how flat the sound was in comparison with the raw, rumbling, multidimensional goodness I get when I do not go through the laptop and it's a digital synth.

 

This impresion is either due to the fact that the keyboard responds with zero latency (physically there must be some but it's rock solid and consistent unlike on the computer) or the sound gets flattened and neutered while passing through the laptop. I don't know which cause it is but I have decided which sound I like better.

 

I think, I'm not ready to invest in an audio interface now. I'll miss the possibilities and neat features of VSTs but there is something that tells me to extend the synthesis of my synth in the hardware realm instead. I believe it's my ears.

 

Besides, I'm on Windows Vista and I've read horrible things about Vista and DAW combination. And I thought Vista and Vst look so similar that they would go well together ;)

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Well, another thing to consider is that the mic input is MONO. How are you getting two channels of the synth's outputs into the mic input? Please tell me you're not using a "Y" adaptor and combining the L and R outputs from the synth. That will cause your stereo image to collapse as well as phase cancellation.

 

In all honestly, if you're remotely serious about doing music on your computer, invest in an audio interface. They're not that expensive (especially used).

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My synth has only one mono output. I agree about getting the interface but I'm not that inclined to make music with computer. I think it would help but it would also create a lot of new problems. What I like about the computer is sampling, drums and reverb. But I can't love it if every time when I switch my audio directly to the amp it sounds noticeably better. Never mind, if I haven't gotten to seriously using a computer yet, it probably means it will never start clicking with me.

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