Need Help Badly.. New To This..

  • Thread starter Thread starter darkclaw3000
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darkclaw3000

New member
HI everyone.. i don't know where to put this question exactly, so i thought i just try it here.. i apologize if i put it at the wrong place..

ok so i'll just start it off..

my friend want me to record vocals for a song that he want to me to sing to.
He did the music already, which just need the vocals to fill up. he sent it to me through msn..

now i already have a mic (Shure SM58)
a good pc with recording software (Adobe Audition)
a wire connector from my mic to my pc..

thats it. i have a sound card but i think its the one that comes with my pc/motherboard.. some Realtek HD sound card thingy..

so basically what im trying to do is just record my 'karoake-ing' session on my pc. with music playing on the pc, and me singing through my mic.

the problem is I cant seem to hear much when im singing into my mic. or my pc doesn't know that it have a mic plugged into it...

help pls..?
 
You might need to boost the sound that is going to the computer with preamp.
 
thats it? i just need a preamp??

well if thats the case...

what exactly is a preamp.. how does it look like..?? and which should i get..? im just a beginner.

im sory for asking such a noob question...
its my first time trying to record and im starting to learn.. thanks!!
 
darkclaw3000 said:
a wire connector from my mic to my pc.. i have a sound card but i think its the one that comes with my pc/motherboard.. some Realtek HD sound card thingy..
Click to expand...

If the wire connector from your microphone is the proper configuration --- cannon female to 1/8" balanced --- you should be hearing something and the fact that you are using a professional mic with a consumer grade soundcard shouldn't hold you back much.

Go to your local Radio Shack and if you can find a knowledgeable clerk who's not too busy pushing cellular phones show him the microphone and the microphone cable and explain that you need this to fit into a 1/8" balanced input on your soundcard. It will probably cost $20 for the cable adapter and the 1/4" to 1/8" adapter.


.
 
when i do that windows mic setting thing i can hear myself talking but at a very very low volume. and im almost shouting into the mic. the sound come out barely through my speakers..
 
You cant hear anything because you need a preamp. SM58s are dynamic mics and need a healthy amount of gain to be heard.
How much do you have to spend?
I suppose it all depends on how serious you want to be about recording.
I think this is about the bottom of the bucket:
$29.99
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ART-Tube-MP-Studio-Mic-Preamp?sku=180581
I hear semi ok things about this one, probably better than the previous "toob" pre.
$59.99
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-Audio-Buddy?sku=701104

beyond that , you need to probably invest in a better audio interface (whatever you use to convert analog to digital)
I bet you might be able to buy something at guitar center and return it when you are done if this is a one time recording, though you should check their return policy 1st.
 
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deadleafecho said:
You cant hear anything because you need a preamp.
Click to expand...

I have a headset with a dymamic mic that I hear just fine. Soundblasters and other similar stock soundcards have preamps built in. Not great ones, but preamps none the less.

Even if darkclaw did invest in one of the linked preamps he would still be lacking a good way to adapt it to the 1/8" balanced microphone input on his soundcard.

Darkclaw, take my advice --- even if it doesn't seem as glamorous as deadleafecho's --- and take a trip to your local electronics store or Radio Shack if nothing else is available.


.
 
I don't know what OS you're running, but I'll assume Windows.

Before doing anything, check out the volume for your input port.

Go to START -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices
Then click on Audio or Sound tab. In Voice Recording or Sound Recording section you should have a "Volume" button. Click on the Volume button and adjust Mic or Line In fader.
 
vadoom said:
I don't know what OS you're running, but I'll assume Windows.

Before doing anything, check out the volume for your input port.

Go to START -> Control Panel -> Sounds and Audio Devices
Then click on Audio or Sound tab. In Voice Recording or Sound Recording section you should have a "Volume" button. Click on the Volume button and adjust Mic or Line In fader.
Click to expand...


you're right about my OS. windows XP actually.

i did what you told me to, the volume are all up but cant be controlled. (slide up or down, its greyed out.) but i still cant hear anything from my speaker.

just curious, i just go through the steps that i did to start of my recording..

1st off i fix up my mic thru this wire, with a connector, plug it in to the Mic jack. (pink color). i test my hardware with that windows testing thingy. hope you guys know about it.. i speak thru the mic but the bar barely goes up. i have to really shout. so thats where the problem is exactly..
i think i don't actually know whats my problem.
except that i know i have to either get a new soundcard or preamp, or both..

need opinions on which to get.. with a low budget. thanks guys..
 
If its a desktop, you most likely have a line-in and a mic-in. If the SM-57 is going into the mic-in, you can't adjust the gain, and you can't hear yourself, you will need to get some sort of preamp. You can't just buy more adapters at Radio Shack and get the results you need.

A cheap pre will do the trick (to a point, and not with great quality). The Shure mic will plug into the preamp via a mic cable (XLR male -> XLR female), and then you would run the output of the preamp to the line input of the computer's sound card. The line-input is most likely stereo (the line-in on my Mac is, so I am guessing here). You don't want to run the balanced signal of the preamp out to a stereo, unbalanced input, trust me.

I would run the output using a simple, un-balanced cable (like a guitar cable), to a Radio Shack adapter (1/4" female to 1/8" male, both mono). You could use something like this guy on the cheap:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-TUBE-ULTRAGAIN-MIC100-Preamp?sku=182482

...and I only say you can use it because I have one that I haven't used in some time, since I've upgraded to much better preamps - but it is still functional, and honestly doesn't sound really awful. I've even run it straight into the line-input on my laptop in the fashion described above, and it worked all right. If you're interested in buying it used, PM me - I can send it to ya for 30 bucks shipped. Even if you don't opt for the one I've got lying around, it or something like it will suit your needs (and Ive got to make sure I still have it lying around somewhere :))
 
well i guess cusebassman answered my question... i juz need a preamp..

thanks to all that helped me! i've learned alot!

juz a final one.
im really a newbie at all this so with my future setup of:

shure sm58
a good preamp
software ( just downloaded Reaper )

can i get off good stuffs outta em??

what about soundcards?

btw i think im just gonna make do alot of just that 'karoake-ing' sessions on my pc.. so will the set up will serve me good?? or maybe better??


thanks thanks so many thanks
 
darkclaw3000 said:
well i guess cusebassman answered my question... i juz need a preamp..
Click to expand...


Hey!! That's the first thing I said!! Way to give people proper credit. Sheesh... *grumble, grumble* *mumble, mumble* :mad:
 
darkclaw3000 said:
hmm maybe i try that USB thing... so which one of those two is the better one?

i hope this will solve my problem. thx alot guys.
Click to expand...


I think I would personally go with Lexicon... But then I know quite a few people that use M-Audio...
 
vadoom said:
Hey!! That's the first thing I said!! Way to give people proper credit. Sheesh... *grumble, grumble* *mumble, mumble* :mad:
Click to expand...


woopps!! im sory!! well i did thanked everone didnt i?? ehhehe
u did gimme the ans but i was lookin for an explanation on why i need it.

but thank u vadoom! :D:D:D
 
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