Another n0ob needing help! LoL!

  • Thread starter Thread starter cgneedzhelp
  • Start date Start date
C

cgneedzhelp

New member
Ok first off...my name is Charles. I started from scratch about 1 year ago with home recording. As of now i have...Compaq Presario 1.8Ghz 80gig Win XP Sp 2 box with 1024mb RAM and a 40gig HD running Ubuntu Linux. As of now..for music software. I have Ableton Live 5....but have not yet mastered it yet. Don't even know where to start with recording with it lol. Shame on me i know i know. But i am using a fairly quite easy n0ob program. Acoustica Mixcraft V2. I have quite a few VST plugins for it that i am using. Classic bundle..got an EQ,compressor,reverb,delay,master limiter and chorus.

As of hardware...i have a Behringer UBB1002 mixer...which from 2 1/4" jacks runs into RCAs which then runs into a RCA to 3.5mm headphone jack into my pc. My microphone is a Marshal MXL 990 condenser mic.

My Vocal booth: LMAO LOUSY! Quick 4 hour put together....insulated in walls with pink panther acoustical insulation...2 walls and roof. 3rd wall is a cinder block wall. As i live in a fairly old house. No insulation inside. The floor is concrete with some old hotel style looking carpet.

My questions:

Is the hardware I have and currently hooked up(as detailed above) good enough to produce good quality sound?

What is a good size handi home (whatever tool shed blah blah lol) is good for just a vocal booth? As I am just recording vocals for hip hop.

And how many sound panels,bass blockers, whatever they are called do I need? And also how big should i need them for the size pointed out above from the question?

As I will most likely be putting the vocal booth in a very rural place with no background sound besides birds..and the occasional dog barking in the distance.

Any information would help. The sound i get now is just blan! I want to beef it up and sound ALMOST professional...as does everyone here! lol

Thank You Very Much!
 
You're plugging into what socket/plug at your computer?
If it's the mic in of the generic soundcard you'll have probs.
If it's the stereo line in of same it'll be a little better ...
You will need, eventually, to upgrade to either a proper audio recording soundcard or a USB/firewire interface of some sort.
For the moment though the line in will get you by though the A/D/ D/A/ conversions will be "less than optimal".
 
Ahhh

Yes i just found out to plug-in to my line in on my soundcard. This whole year or so ive been using mic-in lol. WoW! Learn something new everyday aye? I also forgot to mention im using a SoundBlaster Live! 24 soundcard. And on my Linux HD i have Ardour...a music creation software for Linux...supposed to compete with Protools. So yeah...anymore pointers folks?:eek:
 
If your focus is vocal recording you might consider buying a good preamp & interface as vocals show up equipment shortcomings more than anything else.
Vocal booths are difficult to get right & if they aren't right you've wasted your time. Go to the studio construction forum for serious ideas. Otherwise you need to create a dead zone with traps, absorbers etc all of which are, again, in that forum.
there's also a good hip hop/rap forum for r'n'b specifics.
 
Thanx

I plugged up into my line-in on my soundcard. And i tell a huge difference. I might buy an interface when I get my income taxes back. I'm not sure if I want to spend that much money and then not have too good of a difference of sound.

And about the isolating a vocal booth. Could anyone point in the direction of a thread that explains it very good?
 
Thanx

I plugged up into my line-in on my soundcard. And i tell a huge difference. I might buy an interface when I get my income taxes back. I'm not sure if I want to spend that much money and then not have too good of a difference of sound.

And about the isolating a vocal booth. Could anyone point in the direction of a thread that explains it very good?
 
get yourself Adobe Audition 3, then get at me , aslong as your room or whereever u record has carpet. no echoing, shouldent have a problem, I also recomend the new soundblasters, xfi or something, perfect for recording, new softwares etc dont really need high quality hardware anymore, you dont need no preamp or non of that nonsence, pm me if u want to know more, i gota bounce quick lol.
 
Software will not compensate for poor AD conversion.
Soundblaster is OK while you're sussing things out BUT you'll end up like a lot of people whishing you'd upgraded because you can't go back to a project and fix the quality of the signal - I have a bundle of projects I did on s.b that I have to live with or rerecord.
You can get a usb or firewire interface for about the same as a new s/b card.
Remember MP3s aren't good sound quality nor is a comp speaker system - listen to a good recording on a good stereo and aim to achieve similar.
 
cgneedzhelp said:
I'm not sure if I want to spend that much money and then not have too good of a difference of sound.
Click to expand...

going from the line in on your soundcard to an actual interface is going to be worth the money. You can get small mixers (USB/Firewire) for around $150 and you will see a big improvement over the line in.
 
Ok guys...after researching up an interface. Im using my mixer as an interface right now. So basically you guys are telling me to trash the mixer and get a REAL interface?? Cause ok..here it is.

Mic 1--------[MiXer]:----(RCAS)-------|(turns into 3.5mm)---{Line In on SB Soundcard}

Thats how i have it right now. So basically you guys are saying to ditch the mixer and make it like this.

Mic---(interface):----(RCAS with 1/4" jacks on < side)----to (3.5mm jack)----into soundcard line in on PC?

If not..then would someone please try to draw out what they are talking about lol. Sorry for being so no0bish.
 
Nah, the mixer's fine & dandy - it'll contain a preamp I presume as well as some rudimentary stuff like EQ that you MAY twiddle with a TINY bit just to compensate for any degradation due to mixer/preamp to get a decent basic track which you can tweak in the software.
BUT the mixer is going into a SOUNDBLASTER card. THAT'S the weak link.

Reasonable MIC -> mixer (preamped to sufficient level) -> Good soundcard -> software.
or
Reasonable MIC -> OK preamp -> interface of some sort-> USB/firewire port -> software.
 
Ahh ok. Yeah the mixer is preamped but i dont think theyre good enough to piss on you know? So what do i need to put in the line going from the mixer to my SB soundcard?
 
Mic - Preamp - Mixer - PC interface/soundcard (line in)
(the preamp and mixer can be the same thing.)

Your mixer isnt an "interface".
the soundcard is.

Im personally a fan of hardware.
So, id buy a cheap compressor and EQ to put in after the mixer.

Ive always wanted to convert one of those single person standing room only
showers into a vocal booth.

Do you have the software set to record in 24/96? or 16/44?
It matters i suppose...ive recently came across some software
that doesnt support 24 bit.Of course its left over from YEARS ago.
But still, you never know.


i dont know what the f*** im talking about.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top