When I record using either Kristal or Cubase VST, I play along in time with the "nice" clicking metronome and the track records. 

Great, no problem - well, not until I play it back and it's shifted slightly so the beats of the recorded part no longer correspond to those of the metronome.

Things only get worse when I add a further track.  I seem to spend ages trying to line up each of the parts so they sound the way I want - I've not been that successful!  

I expect that this is a latency issue, and is likely to be down to my sound card, but perhaps some nice kind person out there will help me get around it somehow. 

In the thread about "Recording Equipment" ( http://forum.bandamp.com/Recording/3678.html )Clevijoki wrote that he'd bought a Line 6 guitar port, and that seemed to solve his problems - I have the guitar port's big brother, but still no go.

Any thoughts anybody - is this just down to lack of PC recording experience, or do I go out there and spend some money?

Hi Jim
I had this problem some time ago - it was all about the soundcard and RAM. I suggest you do two things - reinstall your soundcard using the original install CD provided with your hardware, and get as much RAM as you can. I have 2 x 512 MB, plus a quick processor and after reinstalling the soundcard the problem almost vanished - almost, because I still get a newly recorded track behind the rest of the tracks but it's MUCH better now and I don't need to move them around anymore unless i record over 1-2 minute track.

Well, you (and me) need to get a much better soundcard anyway - one that supports recording music, and not one designed primarily for games and stuff.

I am planning to buy a new one some time in the future, and I think it's a purchase that will pay off immediately both in quality and performance.

Tell me how it went.
Good luck!
Jim

I'm not exactly an expert on this..... but perhaps just using an independent metronome near the microphone?

wouldn't this get the ticking of the metronome into the mic signal?
no point - this is not the problem here, oldies.

Yes, the problem was with the recording latency not a ticking metronome (that was just a taste of British sarcasm - doesn't always translate well across the Atlantic!)

I'm pretty sure that you're right Jim - although memory and processor speed is not the issue here, simply a poor sound card.  I will change it, possibly for a m-audio model, which I can pick up for about 100 euros. 

However, since posting this message I have discovered that my guitar pedal, when it's connected correctly and when the ASIO driver is set up properly, acts as a really excellent sound card for all input.  So I've managed to more or less get rid of the problem by having input handled by the effects pedal via USB, and the output handled by the PCI soundcard.

Jim