Kwitderber, for any kind of recording, mixing or mastering, you should always use ".wav". That is the uncompressed wave file format.

".MP3" is a " lossy" compressed file format that compresses a .wav file an average of 10:1 for the FM quality 128 kilobits per second specification. That setting provides for a 15,000 cycles per second frequency response, Internet oriented file format and should NOT be used for any kind of mastering. It's fine for I-pods and file sharing across the Internet but not fine for quality recording.

It's quite easy and smart to purchase a preamp to plug into your sound cards "line input", instead of trying to get an adapter cord and the problems associated with unbalanced versus balanced microphone circuitry along with the incredibly dismal quality of most inexpensive sound cards. Your local music store or mail order supply Co. have numerous inexpensive quality microphone preamplifier's. They average from about $50 US to $5,000 US depending on what you seek? It's a very good decision on your part that you have already realized what an advantage a reasonably priced microphone preamplifier can provide. A perfect combination to go with your Adobe Audition!

I might even suggest an inexpensive hardware oriented compressor/limiter to go with your new microphone preamplifier? Why, if you can do that in Adobe Audition? Because I find the extreme dynamic range of the human voice is better complemented in recording with a compressor/limiter than trying to accomplish that in software alone. Plus it can make better use of the 16 bits of resolution, found in most inexpensive sound cards by allowing you to somewhat optimize the level to keep it from getting too low in the recording level, which lowers the effective bit rate to as low as 4 bit or less resolution in the soft passages.

The learning curve starts here now! Good luck!
Ms. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD wrote: Plus it can make better use of the 16 bits of resolution, found in most inexpensive sound cards by allowing you to somewhat optimize the level to keep it from getting too low in the recording level, which lowers the effective bit rate to as low as 4 bit or less resolution in the soft passages.

a friend of mine and i have been discussing this over and over again.
do you know at which point in the recording levels that it starts to lower bit rate?

I think you'll find that anything below 0 DBfs just adds up to less? In this one case, er....um...... LESS IS MORE really DOES NOT add up. Kind of like a 91 IQ? (Dubahya)

Bad with math
Ms. Remy Ann Doedoe

Well, what can I say ?
I didn't expect a response so quickly !
And such great advice from you - Thank you for taking tim to reply with such detail.
I'm buying a preamp this week from a reputable supplier here in Sheffield. I think it's priced around £25. I'll let you know how I get on with it.
I'll assume thar WMA format is pretty much the same as MP3 regarding bandwidth and quality ?
OK - Well, thanks again. I'll carry on experimenting.
Cheers
Chris

try recording at 24 bits, 96 kHz sample rate (.wav of course)

i think you will like the results.

when you are all done, down-convert to 16/44 for pressing to cd, don't use the default dithering, triangular pdf at about .5 bits deep will give you some ok results

if you are sending for mastering forget the last part, just leave the tracks at 24/96 and leave the rest up to the mastering engineer, don't normalize or mess with the sound to much or even at all after final mixdown in that case, you can only cause harm that way.

Thanks Brandon - i'll get the settings down and see how it goes from there. Got a session with my artist on Friday - I'll apply everything I've gathered from these tips on here.
What a great source !!!
thanks to you both for this. Really great help
Cheers
Chris
:D