The OP said he uses his grand piano as a table for his computer.

Not sure if he wants to mic it.

Well we probably scared him off... LOTS of assumptions here about what he has, what he hasn't, what his skill level is and very few people trying to directly answer his questions. There were a couple others. Hopefully he sees those posts and ignores the noise that was generated here in response to people giving direct honest answers to his specific questions.

Some of the noise is valid and truthful, but just not helpful in this case.

redbaron,

Do you have any music recorded that you can post? Actually hearing a recording you made
will likely lead to suggestions about how you record, before you spend a dime.
For example, one person might notice a background hum, and be able to recognize the source.
Another person might hear some non-optimal resonances, and know how to fix it. And another person
might be able to suggest mic placement...and so on.

just to be irritating lol... any decent cable is fine imo... but length has a LOT to do with quality (strength of signal). if you need long go long and deal with it. but if you use them short distances... as was said... get the appropriate length needed. NEVER use cables coiled or lapping over each other... even shielded you can pick up unwanted interference. i also agree any interface of reasonable quality is far better than they used to be (pre and DAC related). as for mic's there are tons of great mics but if you are recording a piano per se i would agree in using a stereo set for the best quality if you can afford a set.. if not... use what you got. that is a big instrument and the whole thing sounds/rings out. but in the end... there are no rules... do what is good for you. everyone will have an opinion

but the biggest thing from what i have said is... don't cross your cables or use them rolled in a coil (or overly long cable piled up over short distances) your only asking for trouble. cables work like antennas and can 'receive' radio frequencies (RF) hence why they are shielded mainly to fight RF interference but they also act like resistors which can detract from signals over long distances cheers


jay

Here's the take-away: none of what you should be concerned about has anything to do with your Realtek drivers. If you've got an interface, that's doing all the work of moving sound back and forth through your system.

Beyond that, there are things you can do to improve the sound. But first, you have to determine whether you already have a good sound, or whether you need to upgrade to a better mic or something else in the chain.

That's pretty much it. Forget all concerns about the Realtek / motherboard internal sound feature because you're not using it for recording, from what you're telling us.

Good luck.

Hi  redbaron1,
Look for a good interface though, as mentioned. An Audiobox, or on par a Focusrite Scarlett certainly are not low on the quality list. However, there certainly is crap to be had with some audio interfaces, so look for a reputable one. Preamps, along with the DAC quality are key, and a number of mfr's cut corners that don't make the grade, if you're truly looking for pristine quality. I could name some real dogs, but I won't. No, Audio interfaces are not equal and you'll need to look into that. You won't have to spend a pile of dough, but know prices vary (as also mentioned) and it's just not due to someone's imagination. Darren provided a nice and affordable audio interface option as well.

Secondly, all the supporting input of looking at those other things are complimentary such as some descent yet affordable large diaphragm mic's. Also the whole gambit of good recording practices. Your DAW largely won't limit quality in any way, and on the other hand will reveal any garbage in/garbage out of other equipment, or you. The Realtek drivers are a non issue. A good interface and with good mic(s), and good recording habits should be the target.

One good way to quantify "good" or "good enough", is to provide a sample of what it is you're hearing.
Good luck! Hey, we all have our budgets, so you can get great help from "our friendly staff".

Lokeyfly wroteHi dcumpian,
Look for a good interface though, as mentioned. An Audiobox, or on par a Focusrite Scarlett certainly are not low on the quality list. However, there certainly is crap to be had with some audio interfaces, so look for a reputable one. Preamps, along with the DAC quality are key, and a number of mfr's cut corners that don't make the grade, if you're truly looking for pristine quality. I could name some real dogs, but I won't. No, Audio interfaces are not equal and you'll need to look into that. You won't have to spend a pile of dough, but know prices vary (as also mentioned) and it's just not due to someone's imagination. Darren provided a nice and affordable audio interface option as well.

Secondly, all the supporting input of looking at those other things are complimentary such as some descent yet affordable large diaphragm mic's. Also the whole gambit of good recording practices. Your DAW largely won't limit quality in any way, and on the other hand will reveal any garbage in/garbage out of other equipment, or you. The Realtek drivers are a non issue. A good interface and with good mic(s), and good recording habits should be the target.

One good way to quantify "good" or "good enough", is to provide a sample of what it is you're hearing.
Good luck! Hey, we all have our budgets, so you can get great help from "our friendly staff".

Agreed. Too bad I already know that stuff. The OP does not.

Dan