Cakewalk, Aardvark & Alesis Vocal Recording ISSUES!!!

[mshea]

Hello All. I'm BACK! Thank you so much for your earlier help in getting my stuff running. And now that it is running. I'm suffering from "dowhatitwantstowhenitwantstoitis". Meaning. That when IT feels like it. Cakewalk and my Aardvark will allow me to record vocals and when it doesn't. I can't. I have 2 songs where i successfully got a signal and recorded. THAT'S IT!!! I've got 13 to go and MORE on the way and I can't remember all of this. HEEEELLLPPP!!!

What do my settings in Cakewalk need to be in order to pick up and record using my mic plugged into the Aardvark!!!! I've got the Alesis keyboard plugged in through the MIDI ins/outs and the 1, 2 Audio plugs. Which leaves me 3, 4 to plug the mic into.

I've got my monitors plugged up to the 5, 6 monitor plugs in the back. So...please tell me what's wrong. I pick my track, Source should be: 3,4 Direct Pro stereo.... Port should be 5,6??? NAWWW!!! I know i'm messing up somewhere. I've tried using the EXACT same SETTINGS on the songs I recorded Audio on in the songs it wouldn't work in and it STILL DIDN'T WORK!!! I don't get it. And actually. Now that I'm thinking about it...maybe i broke something. Cuz i can't get that DARN MIC to pick up ANYTHING!!! HEEEEELLLPPPP!!!

Also. Does ANYONE know of a "Cakewalk Tutor" in the Chicago area. I'm so frustrated right now. I'd PAY someone to come in a few days a week and teach me how to use this crap to it's and my full potential. I'm sick of ISSUES!!!

[Tekker]

Welcome back,

I just (literally) got the got Aardvark Direct Pro (I've only had it set up for about 2 days, but I think I got it figured out for the most part.....we'll soon find out won't we ) so I'll see if I can help you out here.

What do my settings in Cakewalk need to be in order to pick up and record using my mic plugged into the Aardvark!!!! I've got the Alesis keyboard plugged in through the MIDI ins/outs and the 1, 2 Audio plugs. Which leaves me 3, 4 to plug the mic into.

So you can hear your keyboards "audio inputs" playing in your monitors, but not the mic's input, correct?

And actually. Now that I'm thinking about it...maybe i broke something. Cuz i can't get that DARN MIC to pick up ANYTHING!!! HEEEEELLLPPPP!!!

Nahh, that can be a pretty complicated card to set up, so you probably have it patched wrong. Read the following and see if you still feel that way......or was that a joke.

I've got my monitors plugged up to the 5, 6 monitor plugs in the back. So...please tell me what's wrong. I pick my track, Source should be: 3,4 Direct Pro stereo.... Port should be 5,6???

Not necessarily, your port (output) in Cakewalk doesn't actually correspond to the output on the Aardvark, it only responds to the "playback" channel on the Aardvark mixer.


Set up:
Plug your mic into the 3 input on your card and set your input source in Cake to "left 3 & 4 Direct Pro". Now set the mic's output (in Cake) to "1 & 2 Direct Pro" and set your keyboards to that too. Then in your Aardvark mixer's patchbay, set the "playback from application 1 & 2" to the "analog out 5 & 6", (your monitors) and you should be ready to go.

Let me know if that doesn't work or you need more clarification on something.
But if that doesn't work, then your card MUST be broken.

Hope that helps.

-tkr

[mshea]

Gotta run to guitar center to check out gizmos. Thanks. Will try that configuration upon my return.Thanks for the quick reply. Wish me luck

[mshea]

OK. I kindo of did EVERYTHING like you said. However. I ran into an issue. When it didn't run through my monitor when i set my keyboard to the settings you gave...as i did not record those tracks both MIDI and AUDIO, so it was kind of useless. Although now i do have a problem. Because i'm getting to the point where i want to save these bad boyz as MP3s but from the information i've received from other users...they state that i must re-record my midi tracks to Audio. How do I set up Cake, my Synth and the Aardvark to do that.

I know i should of done it earlier in song creation, however, i do so MUCH tweaking after i lay down the initial melody that it's faster for me to tweak first then go back when i'm happy with the whole batanga. Any info on that?

[Tekker]

...they state that i must re-record my midi tracks to Audio. How do I set up Cake, my Synth and the Aardvark to do that.

I know i should of done it earlier in song creation, however, i do so MUCH tweaking after i lay down the initial melody that it's faster for me to tweak first then go back when i'm happy with the whole batanga.

What they meant was you need to re-record the MIDI "within the program" as an audio file, not that you have to "redo everything" and record it as audio (don't you feel relieved that you don't have to do all your parts over again? ). So you can still do your tweaking first then mix it all down afterwards. And you don't have to worry about your Synth or the Aardvark, you can do it all within Cakewalk. Check out this site to see how to do it.

Good luck

-tkr

[mshea]

Advice worked like a CHARM!!! Life is great!!! THANK YOU!!!!