Stereo Vocals?

[flourish]

When recording vocals, don't you want a stereo sound? I am trying to get left and right channels for vocals with this:

Microphone Cable
-> M-Audio DMP3 Mic In
-> DMP3 Balanced Output
-> Analog Reference Guitar and Instrument Cable (not stereo)
-> 1/4" Stereo Jack to Dual Phono (RCA) Plug Y-Cable
-> Audiophile 2496 Analog In - Left and Right Phono (RCA)
-> N-Track 4.0
-> Arm 2 Audio Tracks: one to record left channel, one to record right channel

When I record live, it only records on the left channel. The right channel has no sound data. What do you think is wrong with my chain? Or maybe it's my approach...

 

[Dracon]

I would check cabling first.
I'm not sure about your recording chain. The 2496 analog in - are those the only inputs you have. If not try another pair.

Also, unless you are recording with two mics, you really just want to record mono, then split or copy the vocals to another track and pan left and right on each.

If you are recording with one mic, you are not recording stereo. For a true stereo signal you need to record with two mics at 110 degree angle and have the singer or whatever sing in between the mics as one. Also you can buy one of those stereo mics.
Just an FYI.

 

[scrubs]

When recording vocals, don't you want a stereo sound? I am trying to get left and right channels for vocals with this:

Microphone Cable
-> M-Audio DMP3 Mic In
-> DMP3 Balanced Output
-> Analog Reference Guitar and Instrument Cable (not stereo)
-> 1/4" Stereo Jack to Dual Phono (RCA) Plug Y-Cable
-> Audiophile 2496 Analog In - Left and Right Phono (RCA)
-> N-Track 4.0
-> Arm 2 Audio Tracks: one to record left channel, one to record right channel

When I record live, it only records on the left channel. The right channel has no sound data. What do you think is wrong with my chain? Or maybe it's my approach...

Well, to record in stereo, you really need 2 mics connected to the DMP3, and there is rarely any benefit to doing this for vocals. The signal coming from your mic is mono (unless you are using a stereo mic, which it sounds like you aren't), so it will be routed to the left channel by default. You could arm two tracks to record from the left channel, but that would take up 2x the hard drive space for nothing (plus you could just as easily record it once and copy it to another track). The exception would be if you were going to process the vocals with different effects. For example you could heavily compress one of the tracks and/or add a different reverb or delay. You could also add distortion to one of the tracks and leave one clean for a cool effect. In general, though, I'd stick with one vocal track.

Now, doubling is a different deal. If you record the vocal track twice, onto two separate tracks, making sure you phrase everything exactly the same on both takes, you can use that. You could pan each one hard right/left or keep them in the center, but have one at normal volume and one substantially lower, just to beef up the sound. Doubling vocal tracks is common practice on a lot of recordings.

 

[maestro_dmc]

When recording vocals, don't you want a stereo sound?

Usually the "stereo" sound is achieved at mixdown time by using reverb, delay, chorus, double or triple tracking the vocal, etc.

As has been stated, you do not need to record a single mono source (mic) into a stereo track. You just need to make sure you pan the mono track to center so that you hear it on left and right channels.

But if you really want to do it anyway, you could get the sound into left and right input of your Audiophile if you replace that
1/4" Stereo Jack to Dual Phono (RCA) Plug Y-Cable with a
1/4" MONO Jack to Dual Phono (RCA) Plug Y-Cable