Can I karaoke with Lexicon Alpha and Cubase LE 4?

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vannadad

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Ok expert Cubase guys/girls... I need some serious help. Here's my delima. I searched the net on karaoke forums looking for a good home setup. I was encouraged to purchase the Lexicon Alpha which naturally came with Cubase LE 4. I loaded it all and connected, configure Windows to utilize the Lexi as the default output and input device for sound. Then I configured Cubase the same way, excluding my onboard sound card from the active output options. I open a new project, import a karaoke backing track (of which is an mp3 format). My output is through the Lexi via my headphones only (of course so that backing track sound does not come through the mic during vocal recording). Of course, input is via my mic. If I "play" the imported track, I hear it just fine and dandy as I should in my headphones. With all at a stop, I hear myself speaking into the mic throught he Lexi just fine into my headphones as well. So now I'm ready to record myself to the imported backing track loaded into the new poject right? Here we go... I click "Record" and the recording starts.... I'm waiting to hear the song begin so I can start sing to it, recording the vocal track. But guess what??... the backing track is nothing but a terrible loud hiss. I can still hear my voice (barely) over the loud hissing, but there is no song to sing to... just loud hissing. What the heck am I doing wrong. This is a possible feat with this program isn't it?... I mean to record karaoke using it? Please let me know if there is anyone out there who can fix this. It's driving me crazy. Some step by step instructions would be most welcome and appreciated.
Thanks a mil'
 
Ok let me get this straight:

- You import the backing track into the project (a stereo track I assume)
- Add another track (mono) for your mic
- when you play the project the backing track sounds ok
- when you 'record' the track it comes out as a hiss

Is this correct?
 
When TRY to record, the backing track is a hiss. Just nothing but hiss as long as that record button is pushed. And yes. Its a stereo track.
What do you think is the problem waffleness?
 
Wait... let me make sure I'm clear on this.
1). I import the backing track into place right?... The Cubase shows 2 visual tracks (I suppose this is showing me left and right?) At this point am I suppose to click record to record this backing track first before adding a second track (my vocals). Or is it that once I import the track into the project it is ready to record my vocals to??
2). Then, once I'd imported the backing track into the project, I click "record". As soon as the cursor tracker line reaches the audio track waves that loud hiss starts. This is what I hear in the headphones instead of the music of the backing track.

I've also noticed that there is unusually loud "air" noise in the headphones before I even load a backing track. I mean when I open Cubase and it initializes... boom, I hear this unusuallly loud "air" noise. Isn't it suppose to be really quiet in your ears before the backing track starts? I'm getting abnormal audio output feeback or something. And I know SOMETHING has got to be wrong with all this steady HISSSSSSS instad of music.
As a matter of fact, I tried again tonight. Now I can't even "play" the backing track without it being this HISS instead of the music. PLEASE... tell me what to do.
Thanks
 
The process to record audio is as follows:

1) Import your backing track
2) Create a new mono track (right click, new audio track, mono)
3) Press the record button on the new track (little red circle)
4) Make sure the record button is not selected on the stereo backing track
5) Reset the bar to the start of the track
6) Press record in the main control panel
7) Sing

This means you are recording your vocals into a new channel alongside the backing track. Ok? If this still causes hiss than its a problem with your backing track.

When it loads in, does it ask to be converted between 44.1kHz and 48kHz? This is the main problem with hissing when importing tracks, they arn't at the correct sample rates.
 
Ok Waffelness. Thanks. I am at work right now but I will try all that you said tonight and I will give reply on what occurs after following your steps. I do remember it prompting me with something right when I do the import of the backing track. But since I don't know the program well yet, I assume that what it is doing is default process. I will post the details tonight after I try what you've suggested.
Thanks again for giving me a little help here.
 
Ok Waffleness.... I followed your instructions. When the import of the backing track is executed it is set between 41 and 48 khz as expected. Didn't see where I could actually change anything at the prompt either. Anyway, I tried changing sample rate witin the program too... still all the same - HISS. Funny though when I do all this in Audacity, I can hear the backing track to sing to it but it very poor quality even to the point that it is dragging.
I'm frustrated, but I know there has got to be a solution here.
 
You say when you import the backing track it is an mp3. Try turning it into a whatever your project is setup for - e.g. a 16 or 24 bit 44.1kHz or 48kHz wave file and then import it.
 
NYMorningstar,
You know... I was thinking just this morning that that might work. I know there are programs out there that can convert from one format to another. Any suggestions on a particular program to use? And yes, it is currently mp3 format. Just wondering though... will converting it to wav actually uncompress it? Or will it just be changing the format only? Always wondered that.
Thanks... I'll give this a try. Let me know if you have any converter programs you'd recommend. :)
 
Cubase will convert MP3's to wav when it imports them.

What rate is the mp3 encoded at? I remember I had an insanely high encoded mp3 at one point, and it gave me a few hissing problems.
 
Waffelness,
Oh really? Didn't know Cubase did the convert. Of course I am learning it. How do you know how to check what rate the mp3 is encoded at??
 
Well first of all, when you import an mp3, Cubase gives you a few options in the popup window. This is effectively it asking you how you want it to decode the mp3.

You can check the encoding rate by right clicking on the file and going to properties. Common encoding rates are 128, 192, 256, 320, etc
 
Sounds simple enough. So whatever rate I find that it is encoded at... what should I be selecting from there?... Like, How WOULD i want to decode it? I don't know for sure yet but I think the mp3 is at 192.
Thanks for helping me on this.
 
Update...
Last night I checked the encoding of the mp3 backing track. It was 128 at 16 bit, 44.1 kHz. But here's something I found. Since I have been configured for all output and input though the Lexicon Alpha, I figured I'd re-configure the output ONLY to come through my onboard sound card. This is strange - The sound card does not have the hissing or poor audio sound output as did the Lexicon output. Keep in mind that that is output using the headphone output only. Not using monitors/speakers on the rear "outs" at all right now. That is, the Lexicon "headphone" output (poor/hissing) when clicking record, verses plugging the headphones into the audio/speaker "out" on the PC sound card - works fine. Only difference is, now I can't hear my voice in the mic. I am assuming this is due to input and output configured to 2 seperate sound devices. (Output from the PC sound card/ input to the Lexicon Alpha.) However, the program IS getting input from the mic as I can actually record vocals to a backing track. I just can't hardly hear myself singing with the headphones on and the audio backing track playing. I would have tried mic input to the PC sound card but it is XLR. But then I would have purchased the Lexi for nothing almost.
Could this be a driver issue for the Lexicon? There's only one driver installed to choose in the VST (device setup). Its the duplex one that came on the disk with the Lexicon Alpha. Sorry if I type too much to have to read, but I'm trying to provide as much detail as possible to be understood in this problem. Thanks for reading it all.
 
Ok I have mis-understood you. I thought the hissing was coming from a badly decoded mp3. I didnt realise it actually was fine.

Right - reinstall all the lexicon drivers. See what happens.
 
I'll re-install the Lexicon drivers and post back my results. Thanks!
 
Well, I downloaded the most recent drivers (v2.5) for the Alpha. It WAS v2.0. For some reason, it didn't want to recognize the Lexicon hardware. So, I did a force by New Hardware install, found the driver.inf file and installed. I still saw no recognition that the hardware had been recogniized, but looking at the USB devices, I now have Alpha I/O in the list. BUT!... Cuebase still does not give me the option to choose ASIO Alpha instead of the ASIO DirectX Full Duplex driver. The ASIO Alpha is still not a listed driver.
Go figure :(
 
My common response in this kind of situation would be to install ASIO4ALL. Google it. Its a great peice of software. Will reset your ASIO drivers and should at least make cubase recognise the alpha.
 
Thanks Waffleness. I'll give it a try and post later if I've gone insane yet.
 
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