I just got a model samples a while ago, and now I want to record some audio into my MacBook (because it has no line-in). I got a M-Audio M-track solo midi interface. It has two stereo inputs.
When I connect the headphone-out of the Model-Samples to the M-Track Line-IN, the sound is truly awful. The sound is very far away and seems to leave out many frequencies.
Do I need to adjust some setting in the Model Samples for recording? What is the best way to connect to an audio interface? Is there an example somewhere?
Besides that you can indeed use the M:S as its own USB soundcard, you don t want to plug a stereo headphone output into a mono line-in like you did. That’s why sound is messed up. Use 2 jack cables to go from the left and right main outs to line in 1 and 2 on the audio interface.
If you must use the headphone out then you have to use a cable that splits it to 2 separate jacks.
The headphones out on the M:S will be stereo, using a tip-ring-shield (TRS) jack. The instrument/line input on your M-Track, which your photo shows connected to the M:S, expects a mono signal on a tip-shield cable. If you’re using a cable with TRS jacks, It’s possible the sound card is summing the L and R signals. If you’re using a TS cable it’s possible the signal from L and R is being summed at the connection to the M:S. If the L and R signals from the M:S are getting summed together, they might phase cancel one another, leading to the distant sound with missing frequencies.
If you want to record a stereo signal, you’re better off using a two cables with TS jacks at both ends, connect the MAIN L/R outputs of your M:S to the inputs on your M-Track.
I had a quick look at the website for the M-Track and it suggests there’s also a stereo line input on the device. That combi-socket at the Ch1 input on the M-Track will accept a balanced XLR jack, or a TRS jack in the centre hole. It MIGHT work with a stereo TRS source, and thus you MIGHT be able to feed it a signal from the stereo headphones output. You’ll need to check the manual for this.
Thanks for all the replies! I got the recording working by using two separate cables for L and R.
I have not got the stereo line-in of the M-Audio working, none of the two LINE-ins seem to be recognized as stereo inputs. I have sent a support mail to M-audio about this.
I think the confusion here is that those are balanced line inputs, which use a physical ‘stereo’ TRS socket, but don t provide left and right input channels. See: Balanced audio - Wikipedia
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