i cant help you with your sound card hiss but the reason that audacity makes it louder when you record is that you have to go to the preferences and uncheck both the options uoder that audio I/O tab or at least uncheck "Software Playthrough (Play new track while recording it)" that should ...

its just clips of songs but their are gobs of sitar goodness

http://www.kindakinky.co.uk/SoundClips/Sitar.htm

My first two unfinished works

Round Fly Ing Disk (finished but not complete)(comp crashed while saving
http://www.mediamax.com/mobeetieblues/H ... 20Disk.mp3


Huggey Bear (very basic)

http://www.mediamax.com/mobeetieblues/H ... _2%203.mp3

sam