Noob with a few questions, Just starting =)

[ChrisGz]

Hi everyone! I'm new here... Finally i found a good forum about Home recording =)

Well, I'm 17, and besides of Time-consuming lessons in Highschool, i've always loved to Sing, it's one of my passions among Illustration. Last year i decided to start a proyect: Having a youtube Channel where i can upload my covers and videos (Much like goot, tsui and grimmie, for example) later original songs and everything. My biggest goal is getting a place on the itunes store. Don't care if i don't sell or i'm not popular, i would just like to feel what's like to have your own creations available for the world (and create a little profit to improve them). This is what keeps me going. I really like to compose and write, an my biggest dreams are being an Illustrator & a Singer/Songwriter.

Well, wanting to record songsi bought a Samson Condenser Microphone (The one i could afford) : C03U (USB), and i'm really happy with the quality of the recordings... But some questions have arised and i hope someone could help me answering them

1.- I would like to know about the cardioid "pattern" i should activate when recording vocals (I don't quite understand them yet, if anyone could please help me...), and which direction should i face my Microphone when doing so (In front? facing which part of the mic?)... (what's the distance i have to keep between me and the Mic?)

2.- My laptop is a Sony Vaio with 2Gb RAM. Software applications i own are Adobe audition, Soundbooth CS4 and Audacity... I'd like to know which of those is more useful for me (Just starting)...

3.- I would like to know about how to improve my recordings... (I don't want to use Autotune, btw.) I'm not talking about pitch correction, just how to make a smoother and softer vocal recording, without crackling sounds (That i usually get when adding +Db to the tracks)

Thanks for the attention, and hope that someone can help me. I'm from Chile, and there isn't much info about the topic here, and i'd really like to make neat recordings (acapella in this moment, later with instruments)

Hope that someone can help me, Sorry for my bad english..

- ChrisGz

PD: (Here are some recordings i've made.. if you could check them out and point me out on how to correct them, it would be awesome : Landslide Incomplete cover (LandslideIncompletaPrueba.mp3) Raise your Glass Incomplete cover (Tuft bubs arrangement) = (raiseyourglassincompleteacapella.mp3)

 

[arcadeko]

1.- I would like to know about the cardioid "pattern" i should activate when recording vocals (I don't quite understand them yet, if anyone could please help me...), and which direction should i face my Microphone when doing so (In front? facing which part of the mic?)... (what's the distance i have to keep between me and the Mic?)

See https://homerecording.com/bbs/equip...-polar-pattern-relate-mic-applications-27030/

2.- My laptop is a Sony Vaio with 2Gb RAM. Software applications i own are Adobe audition, Soundbooth CS4 and Audacity... I'd like to know which of those is more useful for me (Just starting)...

I have never used any of those (except Audacity and I wouldn't recommend it for mixing) - but I have heard good things about Audition - Reaper is a very popular and inexpensive DAW

3.- I would like to know about how to improve my recordings... (I don't want to use Autotune, btw.) I'm not talking about pitch correction, just how to make a smoother and softer vocal recording, without crackling sounds (That i usually get when adding +Db to the tracks)

Adding DB to the tracks how? I get the best results with my preamp gain at 80% or less - then use normalization or a compressor/preamp plugin to boost the volume in the DAW

Welcome to the forums C-Dog

 

[bouldersoundguy]

Well, wanting to record songsi bought a Samson Condenser Microphone (The one i could afford) : C03U (USB), and i'm really happy with the quality of the recordings... But some questions have arised and i hope someone could help me answering them

For recording music you need an audio interface. You need the input and output integrated into one device that provides for hardware input monitoring. Most USB mics can't do this.

1.- I would like to know about the cardioid "pattern" i should activate when recording vocals (I don't quite understand them yet, if anyone could please help me...), and which direction should i face my Microphone when doing so (In front? facing which part of the mic?)... (what's the distance i have to keep between me and the Mic?)

Aim the side of the mic with the Samson logo toward the sound source. The cardioid pattern picks up sound in that direction and rejects what comes in the back side, which is probably a good thing most of the time. Search around the internet for information on microphone pickup pattern.

3.- I would like to know about how to improve my recordings... (I don't want to use Autotune, btw.) I'm not talking about pitch correction, just how to make a smoother and softer vocal recording, without crackling sounds (That i usually get when adding +Db to the tracks)

We can probably help with that if we get more information on the problem.

 

[arcadeko]

Yeah bouldersoundguy is right - an interface will make a huge difference


USB/Firewire Computer Interface:
https://homerecording.com/bbs/gener...ltitrack-computer-interface-recording-323561/

 

[ChrisGz]

@arcadeko:

Adding DB to the tracks how? I get the best results with my preamp gain at 80% or less - then use normalization or a compressor/preamp plugin to boost the volume in the DAW

With Audacity :$ Next to the tracks being recorded there is a Db gain/loose adjustment... I used that to give more volume to the first voice and less for the backups... A preamp... :S I don't know what are those... Could you explain it to me :B? -Sorry For the newbie-ness

Welcome to the forums C-Dog

Thanks

@bouldersoundguy / @arcadeko :

For recording music you need an audio interface. You need the input and output integrated into one device that provides for hardware input monitoring. Most USB mics can't do this.

Yeah bouldersoundguy is right - an interface will make a huge difference

And in which way does the interface improves the recording? How the interface affects the recording? - And there's a way i can use the USB mic with an interface (maybe an adapter?)

We can probably help with that if we get more information on the problem.

I posted the links to the recordings, i think they speak by themselves about the problems (i mean, the "mic" sound in the background, the cringling in some parts :S, the un-smoothness of the recording, etc)

 

[arcadeko]

With Audacity :$ Next to the tracks being recorded there is a Db gain/loose adjustment... I used that to give more volume to the first voice and less for the backups... A preamp... :S I don't know what are those... Could you explain it to me :B? -Sorry For the newbie-ness

If you still have the original tracks try using normalize instead of Db Gain - see if it gives you a better track - I don't use Audacity very much. You might wantt o download the Reaper free trial and import your tracks into that and try using the plug-ins (like a compressor, noise gate and pre-amp) - a preamp is just the first amplification of the signal - Most mic's require a preamp because the level coming from them is very low.

I only heard one pop at the beginning of the track (raise your glass). that should be easy to edit out manually just select the portion of the wave and silence it (delete it). Interesting stuff BTW - sounds pretty good

If you are only doing these acapella recordings then you might be able to get away with just the USB mic. You wouldn't use a USB mic with an interface - you would plug a standard mic into it. Pops can come from several places -

1) try a pop filter on your mic (foam cover or real pop filter)
2) CPU overload when recording - make sure you quit all other apps
3) clipping - recording too hot (this is a very common problem - record with low volume and normalize)

 

[ChrisGz]

If you still have the original tracks try using normalize instead of Db Gain - see if it gives you a better track - I don't use Audacity very much. You might wantt o download the Reaper free trial and import your tracks into that and try using the plug-ins (like a compressor, noise gate and pre-amp) - a preamp is just the first amplification of the signal - Most mic's require a preamp because the level coming from them is very low.

Oh, i see. I'll surely try that, thanks for the advice! Downloading Reaper.

I only heard one pop at the beginning of the track (raise your glass). that should be easy to edit out manually just select the portion of the wave and silence it (delete it). Interesting stuff BTW - sounds pretty good

Oh, yeah, I putted that Pop there to help me determine the tempo for the voices (Everything actually starts at the same time, so i use that as a "guide") Thanks I'm glad you found them interesting! Means a lot to me

If you are only doing these acapella recordings then you might be able to get away with just the USB mic. You wouldn't use a USB mic with an interface - you would plug a standard mic into it. Pops can come from several places -

1) try a pop filter on your mic (foam cover or real pop filter)
2) CPU overload when recording - make sure you quit all other apps

Oh, forgot to mention, i have the pop filter installed, but i don't know which distance should i keep It from the Mic, and Me from both... About the acapella, i think it's a great way to start for now, i'm still learning more songs in keyboard and guitar, so while i get better at those the acapella arrangements could help...

3) clipping - recording too hot (this is a very common problem - record with low volume and normalize)

How this affects the sound in the recording? So, i have to record with a low mic volume?

 

[arcadeko]

Clipping = the audio signal exceeds the capacity of the recording device and distorts

Distance for Pop Filter - I'm not an expert on pop filter distance but I keep the filter about 3 - 6 inches away from the mic depending on how hot the mic is - then i get as close as I wantt o the filter

And if you are going to be adding guitars and keyboards then you WILL want to look into an interface - see the link above (its basically a mixer that bypasses your soundcard)