Recording equipment to hear myself while singing?

A

AMicForMike

New member
Hi!
I'm a singer/songwriter. I used to practice by plugging a cheap microphone into my computer on playback with headphones in so I could hear how my singing sounded while practicing. However, there was often a delay in the playback while doing this. I'd like to do something similar again, but without any delay in the playback, and I'd like to get equipment of sufficient quality so that I can hear damn near exactly what my singing sounds like.
What's the best method and equipment for doing this? I'd prefer a fairly cost effective route if possible.

Thanks a lot! All suggestions are greatly appreciated. :guitar:
 
Hi,
The delay is called latency. It happens because your audio is going into the computer, being processed, then being piped out again and this takes time.

You should be able to run through some recording software and adjust the audio buffer settings to get a lower, acceptable, amount of latency.
If not, you need a device with direct monitoring.

You may even have something in your house which can do this. Anything that has mic input and headphone output, and isn't a computer, should give a zero latency playback.

A mixer, amplifier, old hifi amp, cassette recorder, keyboard maybe?....that kind of thing.


This is all based on wanting to hear yourself whilst practicing.
If you actually want to record it and listen back go with an audio interface or a handheld recorder. :)
 
Thanks a lot, Steenamaroo!
Would you have any advice on the most cost effective mic(s) to hear almost exactly what my singing sounds like?

Thanks again!
 
Steenamaroo said:
What's your final ambition?
Is it literally just real-time feedback or will you be planning to record?
Click to expand...

For now, I'm really mostly interested in high quality real-time feedback.
Something for eventual recording would be cool, too, if there's not a huge price difference or a sacrifice in real-time feedback quality.
Thanks! :D
 
Well, if recording interests you in the long run and you don't mind being tied to a computer, look for an audio interface with a hardware direct monitor knob.

The focusrite 2i2 has it. :)
 
Steenamaroo said:
Well, if recording interests you in the long run and you don't mind being tied to a computer, look for an audio interface with a hardware direct monitor knob.

The focusrite 2i2 has it. :)
Click to expand...

Awesome, thanks a ton! If I didn't want to be tied to a computer, do any particular recommendations come to mind?
 
No worries. Glad to help. :)

The little handheld portable recorders with the built in mics are great tools to have.
I have one on my desk here and it'd be perfect for what you want to do right now (+ batteries and headphones), but perhaps not so suitable for 'studio recording'.

Mine's a Tascam DR-40, but there are cheaper, more basic, ones available.
(I wanted 4 channel with external inputs.)


PS: I'm just thinking, for a quick and nasty solution your smart phone might actually be capable!
I'm sure there's a way to set up cheap mic, headphones and direct monitoring on my iPhone.
 
Steenamaroo said:
No worries. Glad to help. :)

The little handheld portable recorders with the built in mics are great tools to have.
I have one on my desk here and it'd be perfect for what you want to do right now (+ batteries and headphones), but perhaps not so suitable for 'studio recording'.

Mine's a Tascam DR-40, but there are cheaper, more basic, ones available.
(I wanted 4 channel with external inputs.)


PS: I'm just thinking, for a quick and nasty solution your smart phone might actually be capable!
I'm sure there's a way to set up cheap mic, headphones and direct monitoring on my iPhone.
Click to expand...

Awesome, I actually have an old Olympus portable recorder, so I'll have to see if I can do anything with that! And I actually have an iPhone too, so I'll definitely check into that too. Thanks again! :thumbs up:
 
AMicForMike said:
For now, I'm really mostly interested in high quality real-time feedback.
Click to expand...

Just be aware that what you hear coming back through headphones will not be a true indication of what you sound like while singing, no matter how high the quality of the equipment.

This is because what you hear when you are singing is partly what your ears pick up from outside, and partly what they pick up from inside, via your eustachian tubes.

You will get a better indication by recording what you are doing, the playing it back. That way your ears hear what other people's ears hear.
 
I answered your questions directly because you say you used to rehearse that way but

gecko zzed said:
Just be aware that what you hear coming back through headphones will not be a true indication of what you sound like while singing, no matter how high the quality of the equipment.
Click to expand...

true that ^^.
Recording and playing back is always a better representation of how you really sound.
 
Thank you all! I will definitely keep in mind what you guys said about the voice quality still being distorted. I was hoping to mostly get around this by cranking up playback volume with higher quality equipment. Oh well, at worst, it'll still be better than what I'm doing now.
Abd arcaxis, I'll definitely look more into that set up, thanks a lot!
 
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