Help Newbie to Home Studio to Setup and work on it..

[hktvb2001]

Hi guys,

I am new to recording studio, and I actually want to build a home studio in my house..and I got most equipement already. I don't want to make something really big, like playing instrument and stuff... All I want to do is, I got the beat in instrumental file, and I want to sing and match with my voice to the beat.. I got basic experience with Adobe Audition, but when I tried to mix everything, it still sounds like I just copy the voice and paste to the beat. Doesnt really sounds like REAL in studio.. When I hear a song recorded in a studio, I can make the difference with mine, which is only recording at home...

Here is the equipement Ive got:
1) Sounds card: LEXICON I-ONIX U-42S
2) Headphone: Sendheiser HD 280PRO 64 OHM
3) Mic: RODE NT1-A & the filter...
4) Laptop (for mixing)...
See attachment for pix of my equipement.

Actually, I dont know if I really need the speaker until I figure out how to really mix it good. For sound quality, I will move on later..

My question is:
1) Since I have the beat in wav file and with my low skill editing and mixing...shud I need a mixer to do the EQ directly manually..or I dont need one? I have try to edit my vocal with EQ Phanteon and from Adobe, but its really hard to use with my cursor 1 at a time. So I wonder if I need a mixer so I can adjust the vocal EQ, then record like that way directly to Adobe Audition?

2) Do I really need a speaker now... I dont mind getting a pair, but I want to make sure that I can mix like the way in studio before getting it.. around 300$ bucks..

3) My beat in wav is in STEREO, and when I record my vocal, is in MONO.. Shud I convert the beat to MONO and then record my voice to MONO, and when all done, mix them to stereo?

Please help me.. I dont know wut is missing in my equipement...or my skills..but I just need to be able to hear my vocal+beat and sounds like real music, and not kinda mixing that sounds like both are separate.. :s

Thanks!

 

[strangedayz]

I wouldnt worry about getting a mixer. Just try and get used to mixing in the laptop.

Seems like you have some decent gear there for a home studio but you really need some speakers. You wont be able to mix your stuff properly without them.

Keep your drum files in stereo and keep the vocal in mono. No need to change anything there. I find it useful to have seperate wav files for all the drum parts too.

 

[hktvb2001]

Okai..but how my vocal sounds like pure micro. It doesnt sounds acoustic.. Do I really need to put in a close room? Does the emplacement of the micro rreally makes a difference in the beat+vocal?

 

[strangedayz]

In my humble opinion, mic placement wont make a drastic difference in a home recording situation. As long as you're singing into the mic properly and generally getting the sound you want.

Do you have a decent preamp for the mic?

When I record vocals I usually get as close to the sound that I want on the way in to the computer, then use eq, compression, some delay and reverb to sweeten things up a bit.

 

[hktvb2001]

U said: "I usually get as close to the sound that I want on the way in to the computer"
What do u mean? Do u mean that u put the beat on speaker and sing at the same time, so it will record ur vocal+beat at the same time+remixing with the beat?

Or have singing the vocal apart..like 1 track for vocal only, and 1 other track for beat?

 

[strangedayz]

Oh yeah of course!

I usually have my tracks arranged seperately something like this:

Track 1: kick drum

Track 2: Snare

Track 3: Hats

Track 4: Tom 1

Track 5: Floor Tom

Track 6: Cymbals

Track 7: Bass

Track 8: Guitar

Track 9: Main Vocal

Actually thats just a basic arrangement. Usually I have lots more tracks than that but you definitely want to seperate all of your instruments on to seperate tracks - record the vocals seperate from the drums.

 

[hktvb2001]

Okai, I understand that becuz u have all the instrucment separate.. but how is I just get an instrumental beat on the net. Like karaoke instrumental and I jiust add my vocal..

Track 1: Instrument (All instrument is played cuz thats the wav track of the beat)

Track 2: My vocal

If I do like this, I wont ever get a nice combination of music? Combination means..get to hear the music+vocal as good as in studio..not kinda hear them as like being copy and just mix simple together..

 

[hktvb2001]

Im giving example..

Track 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plypPcVZ5e0
The beat of my track 1 is the one in youtube.

Track 2: My vocal...

Can I get a good sound that really looks like I record them in studio if I do like that?

 

[strangedayz]

Ok I see what you're doing now.

So the only way to do it is yeah, like you said:

Track 1: Instruments

Track 2: Vocal

You'll have a hard time getting it to sound good like that but oh well.

 

[hktvb2001]

Yeah, cuz even with EQ, I cant make it match the same type of sound.. The beat and my vocal is completely different..as room ambiance and all..so is there any way I can make it sounds the same?

Lets say, if I go to a studio, and I have the beat in the same as youtube and ask them that I want to sing it..so r they gonna be able to mix them to me..or they gonna remake the beat of each instrument and make it like the way u did?

 

[strangedayz]

You'd spend a lot of money doing all of that in a studio. I dont think it would be worth it.

What you have in that youtube thing has been mixed and mastered. It's a finished product and you'll be putting raw vocals on top of it. Thats the problem. But you may as well just try doing it at home yourself. Would be fun for you I think and you might learn some stuff about recording.

 

[hktvb2001]

Yes, thats why I post this in Newbie..and try to figure out.. I understand wut u said also and completely accept it..

It means that to have best sounds, need to play the beat by instrument and separate them all raw right?

So, by just mixing my method, the mastered one with my raw vocal wont work..eh?

 

[strangedayz]

You got it. Definitely need to seperate all the instruments to get the best quality.

BUT there's no reason why you cant put your raw vocal on that youtube audio. It can be done but just wont sound very professional thats all.

You should give it a go just for fun.

 

[hktvb2001]

I did already, and why I finally get to this forum is becuz it sounds really weird comparing to Eminem real version :s.. aha.. Im just maybe stubborn to myself.... so all my instrument r bought for nothing... :S

 

[strangedayz]

Try this:

Compress your vocal track - I dunno... 4:1, - 20 to 30 threshold, quick attack and slow to medium release.

Eq your vocal track - take the low midz out, take out eveything under 50 and then bring up the 2 - 4k a little, and maybe about 6 k as well.

Put a short delay - very low in the mix - on it then maybe a short, bright verb.

maybe compress all that again.

 

[RAMI]

To save others from further confusion in this thread:

"Beat" = Music.

I don't know where or how that started, but I'd bet $1,000,000.00 that the hip-hop "community" has something with to do with it.

 

[strangedayz]

To save others from further confusion in this thread:

"Beat" = Music.

I don't know where or how that started, but I'd bet $1,000,000.00 that the hip-hop "community" has something with to do with it.

Ahhh... you gotta be able to translate.

 

[RAMI]

These are the same people that made "producer" mean "any bozo who can pirate software".

 

[strangedayz]

No comment

 

[hktvb2001]

Try this:

Compress your vocal track - I dunno... 4:1, - 20 to 30 threshold, quick attack and slow to medium release.

Eq your vocal track - take the low midz out, take out eveything under 50 and then bring up the 2 - 4k a little, and maybe about 6 k as well.

Put a short delay - very low in the mix - on it then maybe a short, bright verb.

maybe compress all that again.

Aha, that is soemthing I dont know in Adobe Audition...Im too newbie to understand this.. :s