Monitor volume while recording

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SOWM

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I'm trying to record a vocal track against a previously recorded guitar track. Can hear the guitar through the phones, but can't hear the vocals as I'm recording them (very difficult to stay in tune this way!). Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?
 
If the vocals are recording OK, but you just can't hear them while recording, then my guess is that you need to change the settings in your software mixer (this should have come with your soundcard). It's difficult to give any specific instructions because each soundcard is a bit different.

Look for a patchbay page in your mixer software and see if you can change the setting from Wav Out to Hardware Out.

If you're still having trouble, please provide some specifics regarding your setup. What equipment, how everything is routed, etc.
 
I'm using Cakewalk Pro Audio 9.03 with a Wave/496 soundcard. My soundcard does not seem to have a software mixer. Instruments and vocals go through a Mackie 1402-VLZ Pro mixer into the soundcard inputs. Phones are plugged into the soundcard outputs. Cakewalk Tracks are set to Port: Ch 3/4 out, Wave 496. Can hear the vocal just fine once it's recorded, but can't hear it as I'm singing.
 
I'm not familiar with the Wave 496 card. If it didn't come with software, then I'm guessing it uses the Windows mixer (the speaker icon in the bottom right hand corner). You can look around there to make sure nothing is muted. Check both the playback and record setting (Options -> properties).

The other thing I would try is the track properties settings in Cakewalk. Try to use a different pair for the source and port settings. In other words, if your source setting is set on 1 Left or 2 Left (in other words anything in the 1/2 pair) then make the port settings 3/4.

Also, if you are plugging your headphones into the soundcard outputs (strange to me), your ports settings must be set to the outputs that the phones are plugged into. Is the port setting for the guitar track the same as for the vocal track? If not, try and set the vocal track to the same port settings as the guitar track.

I run my soundcard outputs back into unused tracks on my Mackie and plug my headphones into phone plug the Mackie. You might want to try that if you have some extra channels.

You'll need some trial and error here, but the fact that it's recording OK says it's probably a very simple problem.
 
Yeah...I think I'm gonna have to get a different mixer. The Mackie has lots of stuff I don't need, and not what I do need. At this point I'm really only using it as a mic preamp. Would be nice to have something that could EQ on the way in, also could take signal back from soundcard and mix individual channels into multiple sets of phones. Anyone got any suggestions?
 
you have a good set up why would want to sell the mixer, i think you have your setup wrong why would you mointor through the sound card outputs run the outputs into the mixer and plug your headphones in the mixer now you have 4 outputs or two stereo outputs.
 
I agree with 33 1/3. Why get rid of the Mackie? I have a 1642VLZ that's great.

The way I would set things up is to run your sources (mics, etc.) into the Mackie, and then run each of those channels into the sound card using the channel inserts (I think you need to plug the cable just halfway into the jack to use them the channel inserts as "outs", the manual should tell you how to do it). Remove all those channels from your Main Mix.

Then run cables from your soundcard outputs into your unused channels in the Mackie. Assign those channels to your Main Mix and plug your headphones into the Mackie.

This will allow you to monitor just what is coming back from your soundcard (i.e., exactly what is going to disk). Also, your main faders will now give you control over the volume level of the playback. The faders for the channels handling your sources will control the recording volume.

Your equipment sounds OK. You just need to get the setup correct.
 
OK, this is helpful info, but still a couple questions:

I am using the channel insert jacks. These are pre-fader, in other words the channel faders and EQ have no effect on the output. That's why I said I'm really only using the mic preamps.

"Remove channels from Main Mix", "Assign channels to Main Mix" - how? Can't find this in the Mackie manual.

Phone jack on Mackie just monitors the Control Room Mix, right? So main faders have no effect on phones, or am I mixed up?

Thanks for the help, guys, I feel like a dummy - but hey, I'm a musician, not a techie!
 
hey dachay2tnr i think iam going to change my stage name to 331/3 i like it really. thx
 
SOWM -

I was assuming the 1402VLZ was similar to the 1642 but with less channels. The 1642 has direct outs rather than channel inserts. The direct outs are effected by the faders, I'm not sure about the inserts.

Also on the 1642, next to the channel faders, are several switches (solo, 1-2, 3-4, and L-R). These switches allow routing of the signal to the main mix, or to sub-mixes. Depressing the L-R switch assigns the channel to the main mix. Depressing 1-2 or 3-4 assigns the channel to a sub-mix. If you don't depress any of them, they are not assigned to anything, but you can still pull the signal (post fader) to the sound card through the direct outs. I thought (but now I'm not sure) that the inserts worked similarly, except they are unbalanced whereas the direct outs are balanced.

You may need to route things differently to accomplish your needs. Maybe, for example, assign your source channels to the 3-4 submix and then route the submix to your soundcard. My unfamiliarity with the 1402 limits my ability to help you much. Sorry for the misleading advice.

Hey 33 1/3, I want royalties on the name. :)
 
I'm only renting the 1402, so no big commitment there. Maybe I need to take it back and try something closer to what I need. The 1642 sounds like it might be a good bet. As I said, though the Mackie mic preamps are great, (no noise) the rest of the board seems unusable in my situation.

Thanks for the help, dachay2tnr.
 
I figured it out! Simple really, and I feel like a dolt.

The Wave 496 has a setting called Input Monitor which must be enabled to allow the card to play back as it's recording. Now that I have this enabled, I can plug phones into the card and hear both previously recorded and current (now being recorded) tracks - or I can run Wave outputs back into my Mackie and plug phones into the Mackie. Of course this last option gives me the ability to mix relative volumes.

Thanks to all who offered advice, help, and suggestions to this (rather clueless) newbie!
-- Ron Campbell
 
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