Cakewalk Sonar Voice Recording

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bhammer

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Hello folks,

I've got Cakewalk Sonar 2 XL and it works fine. But: I try to record voice with my Shure Micro, and my Terratec sound card, I have no amp or anything like that.

Recording rather deep and soft voice works and sounds great! When I sing higher and louder though, it is of course too loud, sounds horrible and the speakers crack.

Both, moving away from micro and lowering the recording volume (level) does not work: Then, voice is not "present" and sounds terribly unrealistic. (Highs are much too present).

FX Eq has not really worked out yet.....

Any idea? Thanks,
Benjamin
 
If you are going straight into the card from your mic then I would put some compression or limiting on the vocal track to tame the transient signals you are getting.

If you are going through a mixer into the sound card then make sure all the channel settings are flat. Still add some compression. Better yet pick up an RNC for around $179 and put the mike into this prior to going into your sound card.

If you are feeling very adventurous put a parametric EQ on the vocal track, sweep to find the annoying frequencies. Cut those annoying frequnecies until you have a more balanced signal. You will have to make sure input monitoring is turned on in Sonar to do this..

There are some other ways to approach the problem but it's best to get it sounding right on the way into the computer versus later.
 
Thanks a lot. Since I am a newbie, plus no native speaker, would you underline your information by "where to click and what to click" details?

For example, I don't know how to put on compression.
If "limiting" means lowering the recording level, i did that, see first post, but it did not really help....

i don't have an amp, the mic is directly connected to the sound card.

thanks man and greetings from europe to CA!
 
Where to click and what to click would involve a lot of typing, and since there really isn't any rules, I suggest you read here for more information...

You really should invest in maybe a small mixer or something. Behringer has some small, affordable mixers. Since you have invested a lot of money in Sonar already I mean... ;)
 
Moskus snuck it in under me.

Without assuming any knowledge on your half, I'll tell you what I'm thinking.
You are working without a proper mic preamp and, not surprisingly, getting an unflattering result. As a fellow Sonar user, I'll tell you a standard signal chain. mic->cable->micpreamp->cable->soundcard->speakers/headphones.

For starters, think about a standalone mic preamp unit like a M-Audio's Audio Buddy. Also, I don't think your soundcard supports audio above 16bit/41KHz. That limits the dynamic range of your microphone, hence, funky bad sounds at extreme input levels.

Unfortunately, when you buy a serious package like Sonar, you half expect the buying to be done when it's really just beginning.
:( It's worth the $$ to hear yourself get better though.

Miles
 
Regarding compression on the tracks, go to the Mixer View then go to your vocal track in Sonar, right click in the black square at the top of the track just below the word Audio. A pop up menu will appear. Go to Audio effects, select Cakewalk and you will see where all of your audio effects hang out. Select compression or limiter. These will control the data on an existing track.

However, moskus and stonepiano are correct; you need to build the proper chain prior to recording. I recommend the audio buddy too for someone starting out. It provides great results.

You will have two choices when you record. 1. Recording a dry vocal and adding effects later. 2. Trying to tame the signal with a limiter or compressor prior to coming in the computer.

If you utilize choice 2, the preferred method, then you need to read up on "Input Monitoring" in your manual. This is not recommended if you have less than 1Mhz computer.
 
Middleman said:
This is not recommended if you have less than 1Mhz computer.
Click to expand...
I presume you mean 1Ghz :D

Also, compressing the signal prior to recording is not necessarily the recommended method - since you are then stuck with whatever you record, i.e., no turning back. Generally, good mic techniques would be preferable (assuming it's vocals we are talking about).
 
Yes, 1GhZ, but I disagree on the compression issue. Light compression on the way in transfers to a fatter sound on vocals.

Although, nothing is cast in stone when it comes to recording. One man's paradise is anothers hell.
 
Middleman said:
Light compression on the way in transfers to a fatter sound on vocals.

Although, nothing is cast in stone when it comes to recording. One man's paradise is anothers hell.
Click to expand...
Well, you could use light compression when done recording, right? ;)


Well, the art of mixing has many paths, decide your own! ;)
 
Not to beat a dead horse but the vocal results I am getting are more natural sounding when I let a hardware compressor do the work upfront vs a software plug in after the fact. This shows up in the mix when I am doubling tracks and adding effects. Going external tends to control excessive transients better for me. These are harder to control after the fact with limiters and compressors without either sounding too fuzzy or too hard.

One way or another you are generally going to be compressing a vocal signal.
 
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