FAST TRACK gtr/mic USB: GUITAR RECORD LEVEL VERY LOW

[patrickbrown]

I have a new M-Audio Fast track USB. I have set macbook pro audio input and output
to Fast track, and also set GB Preferences Audio/MIDI input and output to Fast track. Voice recording with XLR mic input is fine, but when I plug my Fender Tele
into the 1/4" jack with its volume on max, and GB recording level on max, the result is very low level... the GB waveform is almost imperceptible. Suggestions anyone?

[rcandrews]

It may be defective.

Also what kinds of guitars are you using and just how low is the input into the recording software?

[patrickbrown]

Thanks for thinking about this problem. My guitar is a Fender Telecaster. Voice recording through a microphone in the XLR socket produces normal levels up ... while the guitar is barely perceptible in the waveform or on the meter... therefore not loud enough to use with voice, or with drum tracks and other instruments recorded at normal volume...P

[patrickbrown]

Thanks for thinking about this problem. My guitar is a Fender Telecaster. Voice recording through a microphone in the XLR socket produces normal levels up ... while the guitar is barely perceptible in the waveform or on the meter... therefore not loud enough to use with voice, or with drum tracks and other instruments recorded at normal volume...

One further thought: I am using Garage Band '08... would '09 be any different for an issue like thisP

[rcandrews]

One further thought: I am using Garage Band '08... would '09 be any different for an issue like this

I don't think so. Your driver is current yes?

Maybe something is in here?

[patrickbrown]

I think the driver must be current...I loaded Mac OSX earlier this year and the Fast Track literature suggests it is Plug and Play with OSX.

The thread you pointed me to is interesting... several people with exactly the same issue, lots of different guitars... but no solution, regrettably.

One thing I have found is that level is quite good with some of the effects (New Nashville gives a reasonably clean rhythm sound, Scorching Solo and Super Fuzz both give distorted lead), but not so with all of them, and definitely way too low with 'no effects'

[Tall J]

I use the Fast Track too.

Go into your system preferences and check what the input levels are set at on your mac.

Also, I find it works better to record everything in mono. I get a stronger signal.

I haven't looked in a while, but the last time I checked, M Audio didn't have a driver for the Fast Track that works with '09.

[toots]

I think you mean no driver with 10.5.7, Jeremy, since the driver is meant to work in conjunction with the operating system, not the audio recording software. There wouldn't be a driver specific to Garageband '09.

But you're right, the solution probably is in the Audio Input preferences.

Though I don't have one, I have heard that the line/guitar input on the Fast Track is sort of low. If you don't have a way to boost the guitar's signal using some sort of preamp (and a guitar overdrive pedal would be sufficient for that) you could use the overdrive effect in GB to boost it. Just set the Gain low and the Output high on the Overdrive and it will give you a more or less clean boost of the recorded audio on that guitar track. You could also use something like FreeG, which is a free plugin that you can use to adjust the volume of any track. You can get that here: http://www.sonalksis.com/index.php?section_id=99