Lexicon Omega Recording Studio

[dudlebug23]

I have been working with this equipment/software for a few months with some good results, but I was wondering if anyone had some experience with this stuff? My problem with the Lexicon interface is that when you plug in a guitar directly, I get a loud buzz that ends up in the recording. Using a condensor mic is fine though, no buzz.
With Lexicon, I'm just lost! I know how to add the Pantheon effects, but as far as hitpoints, scrubbing, etc. I have absolutely no experience. Any good place to research (in layman's terms) recording software and how to use it? The manual doesn't tell you much. thanks!

[steve V. johnson]

A friend asked me to help his son with some recording and they had a Lex Omega with a purpose-built fast PC. I didn't understand the software very well (I'm a longtime ProTools guy), and it didn't seem too intuitive, but the tracks the kid had already recorded sounded wonderful.

The preamps in the Omega are great. I think your direct signal buzzes because of a grounding problem of some sort, but I can't really be of much more help than that.

For getting around in the software, I can only suggest the manual. There was a time when recording software (sort of, generally...) conformed to a set of commands that came half from midi sequencers and half from ProTools (which was one of the earliest multi-track recording software pgms). In the last few years, all bets are off, and the more new recording programs I see, the less familiar they seem...

stv

[R_Parent]

Likely there is nothing wrong with the recording setup but rather your guitar pickups. Sounds to me like you have a guitar with single coil pickups. Try very short cords and turning off or move away from electrical devices which create noise to try and minimize the noise pickup. You will have to play around to find out where the noise is getting into the recording chain. Likely places are the pickups themselves, the guitar controls, or the interconnect cables.

[steve V. johnson]

As R_Parent suggests, the buzz is probably the guitar picking up some of the electrical junk in the air, broadcast from the computer system. There's a lot of stuff that comes out of computers and monitors, and a sensitive pickup can 'hear' it all too well. Try stepping further away from the computer...

It might also be a grounding problem, so make sure that all of the electrical devices you're using are plugged into the same circuit, esp if you're using a preamp or amplifier (any processing device between the guitar and the Lexicon).

All the best,

stv

[dudlebug23]

thanks guys, I'll be experimenting some more...I wish there were seminars or camps (ala mando camps) that I could go to to learn basic recording and editing techniques. I need to try to find someone local that will help me learn more, I learn faster that way rather than reading manuals! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[Smyers]

Eric,

Those inexpensive (Cheap?) computer recording interfaces do have some sensitivities to be sure. #I have used a few of the low end ones myself and they do a decent job, especially when considering the crazy low price. #If you have something like a Lambda, which doesn't have an isolated ground via a good power supply (uses a "wall wart"), you indeed might have that problem with the buzz on the instrument input. #There are a couple of possible solutions. #The easiest and cheapest one that comes to mind is to try to interface the instrument into one of the mic pres (instead of the instrument direct in) by using a passive DI box. #You can get a decent one for $40-50, or a lesser one for $25 or so. #This will allow you to take advantage of what is known as CMMR (common mode rejection) which should take care of your hum. #Do try to get a DI box that has a ground lift switch, as this too can help under certain circumstances.

Cubase LE (which is pretty much Cubase SE under an OEM label) is about the same. #LE does have a pretty good manual on disk, if I recall. #You might also want to go to Steinburg's web site and look for help on the SE version. #There will be nothing there under the LE version, as support for this is suppesed to come from the hardware manufacturer, although most don't really give you much support.

I hope that helps.

[bjc]

I have a buddy who works for CuBase and he suggested going to:
www.steinbergusers.com

Give it a shot...:cool:

[GregOndo]

Check out the video guides at http://www.steinbergusers.com/cubase/cubase_vguides.php

All the best,

Greg