How to Resolve Background Noise and Low Output Volume with the M-Audio Fast Track USB with Pro Tools
I recently purchased the M-Audio Fast Track USB recording interface with Pro Tools so I could begin recording some of the music I've been writing ever since picking the guitar back up a few years ago. I was excited to have something I could plug into my laptop or desktop, record music played on guitar or bass, and add drum tracks using a MIDI sequencer. However, when I hooked the equipment up, all did not go as planned. I eventually solved the problems and am ready to start recording as soon as I have some time. The first problem I had was a horrific amount of background noise. I had plugged guitar directly into the specified input on the M-Audio box, with the M-Audio box plugged into the USB port on my laptop. I had the correct line selected on the box (using the Line vs Mic input button), but the background noise overwhelmed everything else. Doing a little research on the web, I found that if I unplugged the laptop and let it run on battery power, the noise went away. Some peopl...