Hi everyone! I just found this awesome message board, and I feel I have a bunch of questions to ask. I've been singing for about 5 years, mainly karaoke and trying to record on the computer. I've been just messing around using a headset mike (heh, the ones you play games with) while using various programs like Sound Forge & Gold Wave to just "mix" the vocals into the backingtrack/karaoke/instrumental. My main interest is only vocal recording. I just love recording myself singing to an instrumental or karaoke. But now, I really want to step up to the plate and buy an ACTUAL mike all these years, and anything else necessary like a sound card. But I just have a whole bunch of questions (sorry if it spans multiple subjects) I don't know really where to start or post it, but here it goes:
1. Which microphone should I buy? I know this will differ from many people, but my budget is about $70 for a max microphone and for vocals only. I don't know much about microphones... all I have heard are the Shure and Audio-technica brands.
2. Do I need a sound card of some sort so that I can plug the microphone into my computer? My computer just has onboard sound with regular small hole jacks. My headset mikes (heh!) were I believe just regular 3.5mm or those smaller jacks (the red circle). I'm think there are XLR and 1/4" jacks that my computer certainly doesn't have, and perhaps I need a sound card or external accessory of some sort. Or a adapter converter maybe? Anyone know what's the cheapest one available? Will the sound also be affected if you use one of these converters (like XLR to 1/4" or vice versa or even one to 3.5mm)?
3. What's the proper way of mixing vocals into sound files? I never knew how. What I do is try to record the vocals in MONO format (this is somewhere I read) instead of STEREO. Then add some EQ to it like deeper bass and reverb, or whatever sounds good. Then I just go to SoundForge/GoldWave and click "mix"... I think I might need a multi-track editor instead of just pressing "mixing" it like this because it becomes one whole track. Multi-tracks with sound, vocals, and perhaps even background voices, would be so much easier to edit and change. But what is the actual way of mixing just vocals? What programs do you recommend?
4. What online retailers or even offline places do you recommend purchasing these equipment in terms of reliability, pricing, and inventory? Sorta like the newegg of audio-equipment, if you will (!)... ? Thanks.
That's about all the questions I have... I might have more in the future. I'm just learning right now trying to step up the game with only vocal recording. I just love singing anything and recording it down, but I don't know much yet. Hehe, thanks!
1. Which microphone should I buy? I know this will differ from many people, but my budget is about $70 for a max microphone and for vocals only. I don't know much about microphones... all I have heard are the Shure and Audio-technica brands.
2. Do I need a sound card of some sort so that I can plug the microphone into my computer? My computer just has onboard sound with regular small hole jacks. My headset mikes (heh!) were I believe just regular 3.5mm or those smaller jacks (the red circle). I'm think there are XLR and 1/4" jacks that my computer certainly doesn't have, and perhaps I need a sound card or external accessory of some sort. Or a adapter converter maybe? Anyone know what's the cheapest one available? Will the sound also be affected if you use one of these converters (like XLR to 1/4" or vice versa or even one to 3.5mm)?
3. What's the proper way of mixing vocals into sound files? I never knew how. What I do is try to record the vocals in MONO format (this is somewhere I read) instead of STEREO. Then add some EQ to it like deeper bass and reverb, or whatever sounds good. Then I just go to SoundForge/GoldWave and click "mix"... I think I might need a multi-track editor instead of just pressing "mixing" it like this because it becomes one whole track. Multi-tracks with sound, vocals, and perhaps even background voices, would be so much easier to edit and change. But what is the actual way of mixing just vocals? What programs do you recommend?
4. What online retailers or even offline places do you recommend purchasing these equipment in terms of reliability, pricing, and inventory? Sorta like the newegg of audio-equipment, if you will (!)... ? Thanks.
That's about all the questions I have... I might have more in the future. I'm just learning right now trying to step up the game with only vocal recording. I just love singing anything and recording it down, but I don't know much yet. Hehe, thanks!
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