Has anyone had problems with static when recording audio? I''m experiencing some static on audio tracks I record in Cakewalk Pro Audio. What''s strange is that I seem to get a small reading on the db meter in Cakewalk when a track is armed, even before I play something, almost as if there is a small signal to the line. This happens regardless of whether I have cords connected / disconnected to the sound card which leads me to think there may be a driver/hardware/Cakewalk issue. I''ve tried adjusting the input levels before recording, but I either get a weak signal with minor static (levels low), or a perfectly normal signal overlayed with loud static (levels high). What''s frustrating about this whole episode is that I did manage to record an .MP3 without any static at all just before these problems started, and it''s really pissing me off - I have eight audio tracks on my hard disk that are static free perfect recordings and now my audio sounds like it was recorded on someone''s cheap broken walkman. I haven''t changed my software or hardware setup. Please help if you have experienced a problem like this before. Thanks, Paulcoz.

I would guess its a hardware problem, particularly
bad cable connection.

Software problems don''t usually produce static unless
it''s *extreme*. If you can give more detail on how the
static sounds like that might give us more clues.

This is an issue with either my cables or hardware (my sound card has an external rack). I got rid of the problem by fiddling with the cables, but I don''t know for sure whether the problem is with the cables or the plugs the cables go into.

It''s a bit of a pain, being an intermittent problem (it''s happened to me again since) because I can''t demonstrate it easily to the shop I bought the card from if it is a damaged card. It''s likely to break for good one day, probably just after the card goes out of warranty.

Paulcoz.

Hmmm-

I''ve never had that problem with my soundcard itself- (esp. if its not cheap line-ins causing the problem!)

But try using a software gate/compressor chain. If you have or can find one that works in real-time, just adjust the level of your gate with no music playing, until the "fuzz" goes away. Then adjust your compressor''s threshold to boost the quieter sounds on your track that you wish to keep. I''m not positive, but I''m pretty sure if you put the gate first on the chain, you''d get better results than the other way around- don''t want to boost the noise you''re trying to get rid of- right?

Anyway, hope that helps in the short term until you can fix your card.

If you see the Buddha on the road, Kill Him. -apocryphal