Lots of problems with stuff I hate

[NDiener]

Things I have and hate right off the bat:

1) Windows -- freakin'-- Vista. I could rant and rave about how much i hate this program, but its what came with my laptop and i don't have the cash to fork out for a new OS, so i have to live with it.

2) Soundblaster Xtreme Audio Notebook. Yes, I know SB is for games and that it's just a lame toy when it comes to home recording, but I figured that it was better then the intigrated soundcard.


What I'm trying to do:

Run Cubase SE (first version) through my laptop so I can do home recordings. I don't need it to sound professional, I just need it to work.

Why it's not working:

When Cubase is started, it doesn't recognize the SB or the intigrated sound card. It doesn't recognize MIDI (I have an Uno Sport MIDI --> USB adapter). It won't give me sound, it won't record sound. Sometimes it freezes up, whenever i try to run the sync test, it stops running altogether. If I skip the sync test, it "loses connection with the sound card."

What I've tried to do to solve my problem:

I installed ASIO4all and it hasn't helped any. I've uninstalled/reinsalled Cubase. I've uninstalled/reinstalled the SB drivers. I've tried updating everything I can think of and I"ve started killing chickens in Voodoo sacrifice to get this damn thing to work.

Any suggestions?

WTH is MME? Will switching to MME help any?

Do I need to get a different version of Cubase? will I have better luck with Ableton Live? Should I try praying to Buddha instead of relying on hoakey Voodoo spells?

Well, thanks in advance for any advice/help you guys give.

--Nick

[Electriclight]

Well, Here's so advice, no guarantees.

ASIO4ALL should work but will need some tweaking. In the mean time you can use the MME (Windows Multimedia drivers). Cubase LE is compatible with MME and I thinkyou will have these same issues with other audio software, not just Cubase. This will be a higher latency situation but without ASIO what can you do?

I would definitely go into device manager and disable the integrated soundcard. Then reinstall the Soundblaster drivers if you have them....


OH HELL FORGET ALL THAT!!! DID YOU SAY VISTA???

I was doing more research while writing this and I think I'll give it to you straight. I spent all of last summer fighting with Vista with drivers and hardware and software more compatible than those you are using. I went back to XP.

You've got too many strikes against you here: Vista, Soundblaster, and a version of Cubase that is not Vista compatible. Hey, Maybe the fish are biting???

[NDiener]

Thanks for the info. I'm gonna try one last manuvere of desperation: I"m going to seek help from Microsoft, Soundblaster, Dell, and Steinberg. Doubt I'll get anything worthwhile (if i get anything at all), but it's worth a shot. Then I've been in intense negotiations with my girlfriend's mom.... She might give me her old desktop so I can have a dedicated music machine. That, coupled with an external hard drive to save the audio files should be more than enough for my needs. But I'm still looking for a program that will let me record MIDI on my laptop for live performances... Does Reason work well with Vista? or is Vista just a piece of crap wrapped in poo to make it look good?

[jclampitt]

Originally Posted by NDiener

is Vista just a piece of crap wrapped in poo to make it look good?

i think it is, at least when it comes to recording. i think it's pretty fucking ridiculous that after all this time, vista still doesn't work for recording. what if it never does? what if whatever os they come out with next doesn't work either? are we all going to be using macs in 10-15 years because windows won't work for recording? imagine... trying to work on stuff, but not being able to right click on anything...

[brandondrury]

) Windows -- freakin'-- Vista. I could rant and rave about how much i hate this program, but its what came with my laptop and i don't have the cash to fork out for a new OS, so i have to live with it.

2) Soundblaster Xtreme Audio Notebook. Yes, I know SB is for games and that it's just a lame toy when it comes to home recording, but I figured that it was better then the intigrated soundcard.

Yup. Vista and Soundblaster suck. I'm confident that all the problems you are having are the result of using substandard gear.

Brandon

[foundexodus]

Maybe I'm one of the only people who don't have problems with Vista, but i actually really like Vista. I use it for recording everyday with my Motu, so I would think it's just compatibility with drivers etc. with the other gear your using.

[brandondrury]

Wow! So the Motu HD192s work well with Vista? I'll keep that in mind.

Brandon