Signal to Noise issues

[ajs]

Hey everyone,
So I'm having a problem with a very low signal/noise ratio, and most of my recordings have a background static to them which really makes the recording seem low quality (which it is!). I essentially have a cable connecting my synthesizer to my PC, and the sound is imputted into mixcraft. What is the most likely cause? Crappy sound card? The quality of the cable? Crappy computer? Crappy program?

Also I'm not sure if it would make a difference, but my cable runs into the 'line in' jack of my laptop, not a USB jack, but in theory I could plug my cable into my tascam, which would then indirectly go through a USB port. Is it the port that's the issue?

Any advice would be appreciated.

[garww]

You have to experiment, but it could be the keyboard and/or the a/c power

[earsnfingers]

Hey everyone,
So I'm having a problem with a very low signal/noise ratio, and most of my recordings have a background static to them which really makes the recording seem low quality (which it is!). I essentially have a cable connecting my synthesizer to my PC, and the sound is imputted into mixcraft. What is the most likely cause? Crappy sound card? The quality of the cable? Crappy computer? Crappy program?

Also I'm not sure if it would make a difference, but my cable runs into the 'line in' jack of my laptop, not a USB jack, but in theory I could plug my cable into my tascam, which would then indirectly go through a USB port. Is it the port that's the issue?

Any advice would be appreciated.

You don't give a lot of information about your total connection capabilities, but from what you have mentioned, if it's a normal instrument cable, I doubt if that's the problem. And unless you have a faulty keyboard, I wouldn't think that is the problem, either. Incorrect matching of your instrument output and your recording input could be one possible cause of your signal/noise problem.

In your post, you mention your Tascam. If that's a recording unit or mixer, why don't you plug your keyboard into that? I could be missing something, but you might have more control over your signal/noise issues that way. Is there a reason you prefer the input you use?

[ajs]

You don't give a lot of information about your total connection capabilities, but from what you have mentioned, if it's a normal instrument cable, I doubt if that's the problem. And unless you have a faulty keyboard, I wouldn't think that is the problem, either. Incorrect matching of your instrument output and your recording input could be one possible cause of your signal/noise problem.

In your post, you mention your Tascam. If that's a recording unit or mixer, why don't you plug your keyboard into that? I could be missing something, but you might have more control over your signal/noise issues that way. Is there a reason you prefer the input you use?

It is a Tascam recording unit, and although the signal to noise ratio is in fact better through it, the latency is so large that it's not even worth it. I have tried offsetting the latency in mixcraft, but I'm already on the minimum number of buffers without it sounding like a broken record. I think, overall, the problem is essentially the 'line in' jack on my computer. Does sound card have anything to do with anything?

[garww]

ya, since that is were sound is generated. It can get electrical interference form the computer components, from the a/c line, and electro magnetic interference as radiation - like from a TV or even a power cord.