# Can't calibrate soundcard



## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

Hello all. I also have a problem calibrating my soundcard. It always indicates the error "very low signal level". I have a built-in audio from the motherboard. Is this not good enough? The motherboard is the GIGABYTE GA-MA78GM-S2HP

I appreciated any help. thanks.

Manny


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> It always indicates the error "very low signal level"


Hopefully you have the loopback cable in place and are using the correct splitter adapters.

Are you observing any input VU meter level at all?

brucek


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

brucek said:


> Hopefully you have the loopback cable in place and are using the correct splitter adapters.
> 
> Are you observing any input VU meter level at all?
> 
> brucek


Yes I have the loopback cable in place and have the correct splitter in place. 

I don't know how to include the picture of the VU meters but on the "out", the level says -4.0 on top and -7.0 on the bottom. I have a left and right VU meters on the right side of the "out" meter and it averages -65 on top and -75 on the bottom.

I have placed the out splitter on both speakers out and line in slots but still no success.


Manny


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

Any more ideas? Is my sound card not good enough?


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> Is my sound card not good enough?


No, it should be fine.

You're not getting any signal into the line-in.

When you examine the Windows Record Mixer (assuming XP), is the line-in selected and unmuted? I'm not referring to the Playback Line-in (which should be muted).

brucek


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

I'm using windows vista.

Line-in is selected, unmuted and on max. I do not see a playback line-in. Tried every combination out there.
I followed the instructions to the letter. One thing I don't see is the wave volume setting. Don't know if this matters.
I also tried the "use left channel for calibration setting". Same results.
My soundcard is functioning well as I watch movies on the HTPC.
When I try to calibrate, I only use the stereo settings.
Is there any settings within the REW that I missed?


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

So you are linking the green output jack to the blue input jack on the rear panel connections? If you leave the green output jack connected to your front speakers can you hear signals if you use the REW signal generator?


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> I'm using windows vista.


OK. 

Usually Vista won't allow REW selection to the soundcard (as in XP) and so you must have the card selected as Default in Windows.


The Windows devices menus for Record and Playback should show the line-in muted for playback and unmuted for recording as show in the example jpgs below.

*Playback Mixer*








*Recording Mixer*









If that's all fine, then you have a problem likely with the cabling or stereo adapter you are using to break out the right and left channels.

Can you show me a jpg of your REW Settings page?

brucek


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

JohnM said:


> So you are linking the green output jack to the blue input jack on the rear panel connections? If you leave the green output jack connected to your front speakers can you hear signals if you use the REW signal generator?


Just tried it and yes, I can hear the signal.


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

brucek said:


> OK.
> 
> Usually Vista won't allow REW selection to the soundcard (as in XP) and so you must have the card selected as Default in Windows.
> 
> ...


Checked the settings and they're ok. Changed the cables several times. same. Should I be using mono jacks instead?
Having a hard time uploading pics. Sizes are too big. will do it again later.


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> Should I be using mono jacks instead?


No, you need a stereo adapter that splits the signal into its left and right channel, so you can calibrate and use the right channel.



> Sizes are too big


Just use a graphics program to reduce them to ~800 wide for posting.

brucek.


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

brucek said:


> OK.
> 
> Usually Vista won't allow REW selection to the soundcard (as in XP) and so you must have the card selected as Default in Windows.
> 
> ...


Here are the pics.
What software do you use to capture the screen images anyway? Thanks.

Manny


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## brucek (Apr 11, 2006)

> What software do you use to capture the screen images anyway?


Windows Paint is the easiest. Simply select whatever application you want captured on the screen with your cursor and then press Alt plus PrtScr keys. This saves the image on the Windows clipboard. 

Start Paint and paste the clipboard into it and save as a jpg file.

Well, everything looks fine, so you've stumped me on this one. It simply looks like the line-in is not working, for some reason. I have no idea.

brucek


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

brucek said:


> Windows Paint is the easiest. Simply select whatever application you want captured on the screen with your cursor and then press Alt plus PrtScr keys. This saves the image on the Windows clipboard.
> 
> Start Paint and paste the clipboard into it and save as a jpg file.
> 
> ...


Thanks. For the help. I really wanted to make this work. I guess I will just try one of the USB soundcards.


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## ifeliciano (Feb 14, 2007)

FWIW- When I tried on my system, selecting "Default Output" and "Default Input" in the settings, I could not get a reading. I had to select "SPEAKER" and "Line_In". Also every time I brought up the settings screen, for some reason it would disable the Line_In input on the Windows Mixer.


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

ifeliciano said:


> FWIW- When I tried on my system, selecting "Default Output" and "Default Input" in the settings, I could not get a reading. I had to select "SPEAKER" and "Line_In". Also every time I brought up the settings screen, for some reason it would disable the Line_In input on the Windows Mixer.


Yep I tried every possible setting combination on that too. I tested my line-in with a signal from a CD player. REW and windows both acknowledge the signal. Used the same cables too. Unbelievable. Still nothing.:gah:


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## JohnM (Apr 11, 2006)

hanggaw said:


> I tested my line-in with a signal from a CD player. REW and windows both acknowledge the signal. Used the same cables too. Unbelievable. Still nothing.:gah:


So if you can hear the test signal on your speakers from the green output connector and you can get signal level on the blue line in with an external source, the problem has to lie with your breakout cables. Are you sure they are stereo breakouts at the jackplug end, not mono?


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

JohnM said:


> So if you can hear the test signal on your speakers from the green output connector and you can get signal level on the blue line in with an external source, the problem has to lie with your breakout cables. Are you sure they are stereo breakouts at the jackplug end, not mono?


Yes they are stereo...and these breakout cables were the same ones that I used to test the CD player from the RCA outs. I'm really going nuts with this.

Anybody has a similar soundcard or motherboard? Maybe one of these (realtek alc889a) does not support loopbacks?


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## Fujak (May 2, 2008)

Hi, 
perhaps there is a monitoring option which is activated/inactivated. Look at your Sound-Configuration Record -> LineIn -> LineIn-Properties -> Advanced (or General). Maybe there's the reason why...


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

Fujak said:


> Hi,
> perhaps there is a monitoring option which is activated/inactivated. Look at your Sound-Configuration Record -> LineIn -> LineIn-Properties -> Advanced (or General). Maybe there's the reason why...


There is a setting in the LineIn enhancements titled " DC offset cancellation". I tried using with this on/off to no sucess. In fact, i tried all settings possible here.


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## rcase13 (Aug 30, 2009)

I have the same problem using my 6910P HP laptop. Did you ever get this fixed?


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## jean (Aug 31, 2009)

look into the choice of device. I have a trace pro soundcard which is the default device, but i have to select it instead of default device. Not sure of that for you, but try it anyways, it seems like REW doesn't see the card.


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## hanggaw (Apr 10, 2009)

Yup, I have tried all of the devices available in the pull-down menu. Still not working. I tried the software with Windows 7 just in case it might help. Nope. The only work-around left is to get an external soundcard.


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## jel (Dec 31, 2009)

I've just had a similar problem, with hours of head scratching.

It finally dawned on me what I had done wrong.

I had cabled it up to use the left channel as a reference, but unchecked the box so i could try to get a soundcard calibration.
I eventually realised I needed to select the left channel in the input channel section, in addition to all the other suggestions mentioned above.


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