This topic provides general guidelines to help you get sound from an external source into Expstudio Audio Editor. Your specific hardware may vary. Please refer to your hardware documentation for more information.
1.Connect an audio source to your sound card's input
2.Adjust record and playback levels
Connect an audio source to your sound card's input:
Basic setup
In this setup, an audio source is connected to an input on your sound card, and your powered speakers are connected to a Line Out output. You could connect a computer microphone to your sound card's Mic In input, or you can connect line-level outputs from a tape deck, turntable, or other source to a Line In input.
Basic setup with mixer/preamplifier
In this setup, your speakers and audio source are connected to a mixer or preamplifier. The mixer/preamplifier is then connected to Line In and Line Out connections on your sound card.
Digital input/output with MIDI synchronization
In this setup, an audio source with digital input/output is connected to a sound card with digital input and outputs. Dashed lines represent a sync connection from your audio source to a MIDI timecode converter to a MIDI card.
Adjust record and playback levels:
Expstudio Audio Editor does not control your sound card record (input gain) and playback (output volume) levels directly. However, you can adjust these levels with the mixer application that came with your sound card or with the mixer built into Windows. You may need to do this if your recordings are too quiet (which adds unwanted noise), too loud (which leads to clipped, distorted sound), or if you can not hear them when you play them in Expstudio Audio Editor.
Here's how to adjust levels with the Windows Volume Control (a.k.a. Mixer) applet:
1. Find the icon for Volume Control in the Programs section of the Windows Start Menu. (In many systems you can double-click on the speaker icon in the system tray to access the Volume Control applet, which somewhat resembles a small mixing board with vertical sliders.).
2. To adjust your sound card's playback (output) level, turn up the Master and the Wave sliders on the Windows mixer to the desired volume. Make sure the Mute box underneath the Wave slider is not checked.
3. To adjust your sound card's record (input) level, select Properties from the Options menu in the Windows mixer. From the Properties screen that appears, click on the Recording button in the adjust volume for... box and press the OK button. Be sure that the select box is checked for the input source you want to use (such as CD Audio, Line-In, Microphone, etc.) and adjust the appropriate slider to the desired input level.
For example, if you want to record from an audio CD in your CD-ROM drive, the CD Mute check box should not be selected, and the CD and Master Record Volume faders must be adjusted so Expstudio Audio Editor receives a strong signal without clipping.