hiss importing tracks

[monahawk]

Hi New to the site. I'm using an Akai 12 track digital studio and no matter what I record, voice through mic, live band through mic, instruments direct to the board, etc...whenever I transfer to my HP Pavillion computer, regardless of program I use, there is a hiss. I HATE hiss...have tried various settings on both ends of the set up, Nero, Rosoft gold, NCH and several other programs. I can't stand what 'noise reduction' does to the rest of the sound. Please, if there is a magic hiss bullet, shoot it at my machine before I am forced to get out some real lead...or the sledgehammer. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. BTW, there is no hiss on playback from the Akai, whether through headphones, speakers or the computer...only when I try to transfer the tracks to the computer does it all go hiss crazy...

mona

[sparqee]

How are you "transferring" recordings from the Akai to your computer? Are you converting to analog audio out of your Akai or are you staying digital? Which model of Akai are you using? The DPS12I?

[monahawk]

Originally Posted by sparqee

How are you "transferring" recordings from the Akai to your computer? Are you converting to analog audio out of your Akai or are you staying digital? Which model of Akai are you using? The DPS12I?

I Spargee Thank you for responding. I am using an Akai DPS12. I believe all of the methods I have tried do translate into wav files. I did try one program made by NCH (they make digital transcribing software, but I was desperate) and set the program to save as MP3 and still had the hiss.

So, coming out of the back of the Akai from the 'master out' red and white RCA jacks into the back of the computer (usual spot) with what looks like a mini phone jack...Rosoft audio recorder does save everything as a wav. I have different converters and they all replicate the dreaded hiss for me...

/|\

[sparqee]

Ok, if you're using the RCA outputs from the Akai then you're using the Akai D/A converters to convert to analog and then you're using your computer's A/D converter to convert that analog signal back into digital. If you can listen to the output of the Akai and not hear the hiss then it stands to reason that the hiss is coming from your computer. The most probably culprit is your computer A/D converter. If you're just using a standard computer sound card I'm not too surprised. Such sound cards are not known for their fidelity. If your sound card has a SPDIF input then you could hook up to the Akai's SPDIF out and stay digital all the way. Most consumer brand computer cards don't come equipped with SPDIF but occasionally you see it. If not then you're best bet would be to get a better sound card or better yet an honest to god pro level audio interface. They're not too expensive and you can go PCI, USB or Firewire. Check out the Sound Card Wizard on ths site to see what might meet your needs.

[monahawk]

Wow, thanks Spargee...very kind of you to take the time to make such an informed and concise response. I will look into the sound card issue, and you are probably correct, I doubt this computer (Media Center wonder that it is {not} has a truly decent sound card. You have my humble thanks, spargee!

Originally Posted by sparqee

Ok, if you're using the RCA outputs from the Akai then you're using the Akai D/A converters to convert to analog and then you're using your computer's A/D converter to convert that analog signal back into digital. If you can listen to the output of the Akai and not hear the hiss then it stands to reason that the hiss is coming from your computer. The most probably culprit is your computer A/D converter. If you're just using a standard computer sound card I'm not too surprised. Such sound cards are not known for their fidelity. If your sound card has a SPDIF input then you could hook up to the Akai's SPDIF out and stay digital all the way. Most consumer brand computer cards don't come equipped with SPDIF but occasionally you see it. If not then you're best bet would be to get a better sound card or better yet an honest to god pro level audio interface. They're not too expensive and you can go PCI, USB or Firewire. Check out the Sound Card Wizard on ths site to see what might meet your needs.

[sparqee]

No problem. We all hang out here pretty much to share our own experiences so that everyone else doesn't have to reinvent the same wheels. You should be spending your time making music not dealing with distracting hiss.

Good luck, and rock on!