How to alter line-in sound (with an external equalizer??)

[narayan]

I want to convert a home-recorded tape to MP3. Problem is that the line-in sound quality is poor, and I would like to correct the frequency response of the incoming sound before dMC records it. My walkman does not have a frequency-correction mechanism (e.g. equalizer controls)

I think a software equalizer will do the job, if only I can connect it like this:

1. Connect the Walkman's "phones" output to the "line-in" port of my PC (using a cable)
2. Install an equalizer utility on my PC.
3. Set up the equalizer input to "line-in"
4. Set up dMC to take input sound from the the equalizer's output (but how?? )

I am stuck with points 2 and 4 here: I don't know of a stand-alone equalizer (it has to be freeware), and I don't know how to make that dMC setup at #4.

To sum up, my questions are-

1. Can you recommend a standalone equalizer software (freeware) ?
2. How should I set up dMC, so that dMC records the modified sound, instead of the raw sound?

[Spoons]

Re: How to alter line-in sound (with an external equalizer??)

does your sound card come with any utilities? soundblaster live! has options you can setup to alter the sound of the input recording.

and your doing this using dmc auxiliary input?

[narayan]

Re: How to alter line-in sound (with an external equalizer??)

Yes, I am using dMC's "aux in" plug in. No other utility came with my sound card; especially the equalizer.

After I posted my first message, I came across a great equalizer utility called "RTEQ" (freeware). It is a stand-alone equalizer and also a plugin for WinAMP (both in a single installer).

This utility has programmable number of bands and also a range of -infinity to +92 dB gain! It has even dynamic gain.

Unfortunately I don't know how to integrate it with dMC, because I don't have knowledge about the different inputs and outputs available.

(When you double-click on the speaker icon in the system tray, you get selectable lists of inputs ("recording") and outputs ("playback"). Windows help is not clear about when to select which input/output; how to use these inputs and outputs; and how they are related.

Although I imagine the soundcard is essentially a chain of amplifier stages and waveshapers; and different inpputs are fed to it at different stages and different outputrs are tapped out between these stages. What we need a block diagram that shows how these inputs are processed and how to use these inpouts and outputs to couple dMC with different utilities.

Some examples:
1. Where can I feed my "phones" output of my walkman? To "Line in", or to ""Microphone"?
2. What is "Wave out"? How is it related to the other inputs and outputs?
3. How to insert an equalizer between the input (Line-in/microphone) and dMC?
4. How to insert RTEQ between dBAMP's output and speakers? (I know dBAMP has a nice built-in equalizer, but then some user might prefer RTEQ's power)

I think the Spoon's Audio Guide needs a section on sound card basics. That will definitely help most users.

Besides, if RTEQ can work as an official plugin for dMC, it would be fantastic!! If only the two authors got together!

[Spoons]

Re: How to alter line-in sound (with an external equalizer??)

that's just the thing. you don't need to intergrate it into dmc for it to work when using auxialary input.

you simply start the EQ.

connect from your walkman to the line in of your sound card.

then in dmc options select your sound card from the drop down menu. then select your input source and tick line in.

now click on test recording. now press play on your walkman to see the level input indicator and now adjust your seperate EQ software to your liking.

basically the EQ is filtering the incoming sound so wehn your ready to record it will record what you hear.

[narayan]

Re: How to alter line-in sound (with an external equalizer??)

Thanks! I will try that out and share the results.

(For a long time now I have been using the "aux in" without the equalizer; and it works well. Integrating the stand-alone software equalizer was difficult to figure out.)