It is currently Tue Mar 17, 2020 4:46 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 9 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:27 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:29 pm
Posts: 924
Location: Louisiana, USA
I bought a new AKAI EIE Pro from Guitar Center a couple of months ago. I have tried this unit on 3 different desktops Vista, XL and Windows 7 machines. Tried two different recording software packages and neither one gets a signal that can be recorded. Guitar Center will not take the unit back for excahange or store credit.... I have ot get AKAI to make it good.

Anyone familiar with this type of hub I would appreciate your imput.

Thanks
OL

_________________
I remember when we were free!


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:47 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
You need to contact AKAI support. This thing should work as a USB device with just about any operating system. It is likely BROKEN. You need a REPLACEMENT. This is not uncommon with these units. Out of about 10 Amazon reviews 2 people got broken ones out of the box.

Mailing:
AKAI
200 Scenic View Drive
Suite 201
Cumberland, RI 02864
United States


Telephone: 401.658.4032

WEB contact:
http://www.akaipro.com/contact

Tip: Make sure you have the correct input selected in the recorder.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 8:27 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:02 pm
Posts: 1978
Location: Manchester
This can happen if you've not got the new sound device configured as the default input device for the software. Check in Windows control panel, sound & audio devices, make sure the device is listed. If it is, make sure it's set as the default.

If it's not listed, check Control Panel - System - Hardware and see if the driver is installed correctly. If it isn't you may see a yellow question mark next to the device in the hardware list. Read and re-read the instructions about driver installation, especially if there's a section about drivers that aren't digitally signed.

Check that the USB ports on your laptop (and any USB hubs between the laptop and soundboard) are USB2.0 compatible. This information should be in the owners manual for the laptop or online.

If all that's correct then make sure that the recording software is configured to use the correct device and make sure that the input source isn't either set to another input source or muted.

The device itself is extremely unlikely to be broken. The vast majority of "faults" with new equipment are down to drivers, installation and configuration issues.

_________________
Image
Image my stuff on soundcloud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 2:27 pm
Offline
Rock Icon
Rock Icon
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:51 pm
Posts: 25353
Location: Witness Protection Program
^ I tend to agee ^

Check your audio input and output preferences.

I use an Akai MPK Midi controller and have contacted the company with questions which they've answered - they seem
to care about their customers.

Good luck!

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 7:32 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:12 pm
Posts: 6355
Location: Albemarle, NC
Yes it does require USB 2.0 but that is about everything since Windows 98. Still it won't work right without USB 2.0. USB interfaces are almost always plug and play using the drivers in Windows such as the Akai RPM3 which I used about 2 years ago. I didn't have to do anything on my XP machine but plug it in and perfect in/out. No installs required.

I also gave the tip about checking the input select on the recording software and if that doesn't do it and there's nothing else to try in the user guide that came with it then a support contact is in order.

So is it powering up at all?

In case you need them, the drivers are HERE: http://www.akaipro.com/eiepro

Which driver to install depends on your operating system. There are also some firmware updates on that page.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 2:27 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:02 pm
Posts: 1978
Location: Manchester
That's what I thought about USB 2.0 until I spent an afternoon trying to get a sound module working before discovering it was plugged into a USB 1.0 hub! Just one of those rare events that can waste half your day.

_________________
Image
Image my stuff on soundcloud


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Fri May 24, 2013 9:56 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:29 pm
Posts: 924
Location: Louisiana, USA
Thanks all,

I will check out these afore mentioned points. I emailed Guitar Center and AKAI and heard back from GC support pronto. I will call them next week when I can be home on the phone.

I pretty much think the unit is defective. When you plug in guitar for input and run it to an amp or PA you can play through the unit, but no signal is sent to the PC, that could be a software or hardware problem. However, on top of that the VU meters on the unit do not respond at all, as though the unit, the akai hub, itself is not getting signal.

I had a bad feeling when I got this unit home from GC. Something made me suspect that is was not the first time the unit had been sold. I think someone bought it and brought it back, and GC put it back on the shelf for the next fool, which happend to be me. I have fought with it on an off for 2 months. With no experience at all with recording, and recording systems, I thought it was just not working due to something I was failing at. And that may yet be the case, I will update this thread as it unfolds

Thanks

OL

_________________
I remember when we were free!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 2:50 pm
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2009 1:29 pm
Posts: 924
Location: Louisiana, USA
Well after talking with AKAI rep. the answer is:

The unit was OK. However unknown to me, and not at all mentioned in the device information, is that due to the relatively weak signal furnished by an electric guitar the main volume and gain on the unit have to be turned up nearly to maximum for the unit to sense the signal. I had been using the unit with the setting near the "half way" mark. As soon as I cranked the main volume to near maximum the unit came alive.

I feel really stupid. But I think AKAI might mention this in their information with the unit. The design needs something akin to "phantom power" for guitar, as it does with microphones.

_________________
I remember when we were free!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help!, Anyone using AKAI EIE Pro recording interface?
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 3:10 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2013 7:02 pm
Posts: 1978
Location: Manchester
Well that explains a lot! Guitar pickups put out a tiny output voltage, nowhere near the level needed to drive a line input. If you need to drive a line input then you need a preamp or a DI box. If you don't have one of those then an effect pedal in bypass mode will often work if it's a buffered pedal (rather than a "true bypass" type).

_________________
Image
Image my stuff on soundcloud


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 9 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: