Is it possible

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jeramaine

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I am trying to record songs but i need to be specific. I need to play a song. Record on top that song. Erase the original vocals. What do i need to do this. I appreciate any help. If that option is unavailable. I need the song the instrumental match the beats per minute. So i can erase the original after finish recording.
 
The simplest path will be to get a basic recording setup. Computer, audio interface, DAW software (digital audio workstation), a microphone or two and a pair of speakers and headphones to monitor the signal will be the basic starting point for most people.

The DAW software is the core of the system. That's where all the work is done. It acts as the tape recorder of old. Once recorded, you can record another track, or another 20 tracks. As many times as your heart desires. Delete tracks, rerecord them. Mix them.

There are hundreds of videos on Youtube on how to do basic recordings. A DAW that is often recommended is Reaper. It's free to try, cheap to buy, and had a huge library of video tutorials and big support community. Ardour is a free open source program. Cakewalk by Bandlab is also free. Sometimes an audio interface will come with a limited version of a DAW.

The hardware part (computer, interface, microphones) will be determined somewhat by your budget. You can go cheap, but it usually means limiting your abilities and limiting the quality. You can use a USB microphone into a computer if you want to go cheap but I don't recommend going for the cheapest USB mic on Amazon. Many are more toys that quality mics, ok for on the fly podcasting, gaming or using Facetime. If it costs $20 and comes with a table stand, it's probably not designed for music recording. Set your sights higher.

A Rode NT1 5th Gen mic has USB and XLR connections so you can do recording without the audio interface if you want, but go with a standard XLR if you get an interface and more mics. Audio Technica makes a AT2020USB version. It would get you started.
 
This would be an example of recording with Reaper. Kenny has an entire collections of videos demonstrating almost every aspect of Reaper.

 
Don't record vocals that you need to replace. Overdub the vocals later. Problem fixed.
 
Why? I do it all the time. I find that having any vocals is better than no vocal for getting a feel for the song. As an example, im recording one for a singer at the moment. She is only going to come in at the end where my scratch vocal will vanish and hers will be put on. However, i need to keep sending her progress rough mixes, otherwise she presumably at home has to imagine how it will work like a karaoke track? I find it also helps decide how the little solos, or instrument pushes fit. If in my head a sung note hangs on a bit in my arrangement of the track, when perhaps it did not in the well known original, it creates the correct space for the drums not crashing in over it, stuff like that. My voice is male and not wonderful, but it is a voice.
 
Hi Jeramaine and welcome. Rob has given you top quality info on what and how to to what you want. I would like to give you some ideas about hardware.

The interface: PLEASE! Don't buy THE cheapest one you can find with just one microphone input. You will regret that mightily in just a few weeks.
Probably the most commonly mentioned is the Focusrite 2i2 and yes, it is a fine piece of gear but you would be paying for "a name" IMHO and there are AS good AIs around for a lot less money. One such is the Presonus 24C, I favour the MOTU M2 (have an M4) Native Instruments KA6 M2 if you can find one.
The Behringer UMC204HD is really very good for the money if you are really strapped.

The microphone: I have no idea of your voice or genre but a Large Diaphragm Capacitor (aka "condenser') mic does pretty much everything. AKG Perception 220 but even the very cheap Behringer mic will give decent results. Or you can go for the Old Favourite the Shure SM58 but you will need to work that pretty close, ~50mm say. Don't forget an XLR mic cable and A STAND!

Speakers: The Presonus Eris 3.5 are OK for lowish volume work if budget is really tight.

Headphones: You need CLOSED back types that do not 'leak' sound into the mic. They start at about $20 US and at this starter level are just there to tell you what is happening, not really good enough to judge sound quality.

The DAW: Cockos Reaper is free so long as you can stand the nag and is very powerful and so well known and used that you can find help everywhere.

All up you should be able to put a rig together for $300-$400. The important thing in my book is to get a modest system together and start to learn. Do not handwring about "this or that interface or mic" At starter level they all have their failings. Even if you could buy a $2000 AI and $5000 speakers the choice of microphone would STILL create arguments!

Get the kit. Get stuck in. And keep coming back here!

Dave.
 
GainBrain said:
Don't record vocals that you need to replace. Overdub the vocals later. Problem fixed.
Click to expand...
It is digital. Nothing wrong with a scratch track. But, if I understand the intention, don't fix something that you can record over and it be better.
 
DM60 said:
It is digital. Nothing wrong with a scratch track. But, if I understand the intention, don't fix something that you can record over and it be better.
Click to expand...
I meant to also say that digital recording gives you near infinite saving, i.e. you never need to get rid of anything. You can save your recordings in a specific folder(s) and if the hard drive is getting stuffed, move them very easily to a backup drive (as you should with everything really) Backup can be a small USB drive*, 500G is dirt cheap or just memory sticks.

The computer: this can be almost anything running Win 10 or later or indeed a mac.

*I am not a fan of Cloud Storage it is killing the planet.

Dave.
 
GainBrain said:
Don't record vocals that you need to replace. Overdub the vocals later. Problem fixed.
Click to expand...
I usually have a scratch track, just to use as a placeholder. I don't worry if I have all the words or have to stop singing to do a tricky passage. It's a guide to keep track of where I am in the song. Then I build from there.
 
Having a guide vocal can help but I've never used them personally. I write the song to completion, including vocals and lyrics, I then record the basic tracks and then overdub the vocals on top of that. I never start recording until the whole song is written. It's just the way I've always done it so I've never used scratch vocals.

I did record a band once tho....where we used a scratch vocal to help with the interplay between electric guitar solos fills and the vocals. It worked good as far as a I can remember.
 
jeramaine said:
I am trying to record songs but i need to be specific. I need to play a song. Record on top that song. Erase the original vocals. What do i need to do this. I appreciate any help. If that option is unavailable. I need the song the instrumental match the beats per minute. So i can erase the original after finish recording.
Click to expand...
You need DAW software of some kind - I use Logic on a Mac - but there are many others for PC and Mac - need a decent interface _ Foucrite Scarlett 2i2 is inexpensive used (less than a $90) - You need a monitoring system i.e…Headphones and Speakers - but you could use Headphones at first - then you should dump the idea of old school recording - there is no need to erase tracks anymore - if you don’t want to see the tracks you simply hide them - then the skys the limit - play with it to your hearts content - Demos I've done capture a feel that the recording doesn’t always - I often just embellish the Demo rather than erase it.
 
As you can see Jeramaine, you are getting lots of different, often rather conflicting advice.
The best way to cut through all that is to get some gear and start the process. I don't know the extent of your computer knowledge (mine is FAR from great!) but some notes on "saving" might help you?

I use Samplitude almost exclusively but I am betting most DAWs* work in a similar way.

You have made a 3 min say track. Now save it. Good, bad or 'mere' just save it. If you gave it a title when you set it up I think going "File>Save will save it under that title. If you did not title it you will be asked to do so before saving.
Now, make another take. If you just try to save that in Sam' it will ask if you want to REPLACE the original. You don't so change the title " Ballard of Nickynocky B" (then "C" as many time as you like) The "Save As " function lets you save the song to a different location. Desktop say or a USB stick.

*stands for "Digital Audio Workstation" Took me AGES to find that out when I started!

Dave.
 
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