Recording MIDI music with vocals....help....

  • Thread starter Thread starter MikeJ
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MikeJ

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I would like to know some real basics on recording, i.e. what plugs into what!

I want to record MIDI music with vocals.

I'm currently using a P200 PC running Cubase, a Yamaha tone generator and a dodgy AWE32 soundcard.

I know I can create WAV files for the vocal parts and mix them with my MIDI files in Cubase, but the instrument audio output comes from my tone gen and the singing audio output comes from my soundcard, does it not? (I haven't tried yet!) Do I need a mixer or should I create WAV files from my tone gen and mix them with my vocal WAV files? That way I could record straight from the line-out on the soundcard?

I desperately want to upgrade my soundcard so I can create high quality WAV files. I would love to create CD's in the future, if I bought a soundcard with a digital output would it be a simple case of linking the soundcard to a CD burner?? Also, could I buy a soundcard nowadays with equivalent or better quality samples than my Yamaha MU80 Tone Gen?? I wouldn't like to see the back of my MU80 but could I then record music completely in the digital domain??

Thanks for listening (you can stop laughing at my ignorance now!)
 
Hey Mike....no question is ignorant....maybe I can help clear some things up.
First off , the MU80 should have pretty good sounds for you to use. Staying in the
digital domian is not always the best thing. I have comparable sounds in my
Yamaha QY70 and I use them all the time. Infact, I'm almost done with my first CD and
the sound quality is not bad at all. I do recommend an external mixer. Peavey has
an RQ200 mixer that is fairly inexpensive and compact, however, I would personally
go with something bigger like their RSM mixers.

As for hookup... run your module into your sound card's line input and your
mic into your sound card's mic input (if you don't have a mixer).
Record them both as "audio" tracks. Apply the proper effects and mix them
as needed paying attention to L-R panning. Combine them into one stereo track (l-R).
Then you can go to a CD burner either in digital or analog. Note... some burners
do not have digital inputs and some sound cards do not have digital outputs so
be choosey here.
 
I would highly recomend getting a mixer. When shopping for a mixer, I would get one that has at least 2 XLR inputs (w/phantom power if possible). With a mixer you can connect your audio and MIDI gear to it along with outboard gear. For a low budget studio, I would go with the Alesis 12R, the Mackie 1202, or one of Behringer's small mixers. When you decide to upgrade your PC interface, get something that has a break-out box if you want good, clean signals. The system; it's multiple outputs give you more Gina is a very good system for a small flexability.
 
Thanks for replying Peter. You've confirmed a number of points I was unsure about.

I feel my next purchase is a soundcard with a digital output (for link to CD burner in future) which can record nice WAV files. Any suggestions???? The good one's mentioned on this site all seem to have about 6-8 audio outputs, it this overkill for my needs or should I consider this? I assume the extra outs are for external mixing, what are the real advantages of this technique???

Cheers,
MikeJ.
 
"I feel my next purchase is a soundcard with a digital output (for link to CD burner in future) which can record nice WAV files."

" in future " says to that you havent bought a cd burner yet... why worry about linking to an external ? why not just get an internal ? if you get an internal cd r , you dont need the s/pdif i/o's , unless you have a DAT... and internals are cheaper..and you dont need s/pdif ...you save cash both ways...

ps...try to avoid your computers mic input...get a mixer..or a silly little dj pre amp just to get some sort of sound if your strapped for cash...

- eddie -
 
Thanks for all this.

Having an internal Cd-R would certainly meet my current needs, but what would happen if I wanted to do external mixing from multiple outs on a soundcard? Could I then feed the mix back into the internal Cd-R??? Would I then need digi connections from my soundcard to the mixer and then from the mixer back to the burner???

(These questions become obvious once you've bought lots of expensive gear and get hands on experience, but I'm trying to learn before wasting any cash! Thanks again.)

MikeJ
 
run out of your soundcard outs into your mixer and back through your soundcards inputs... theres no need to worry about s/pdif digital outs unless you have a DAT or another digital recorder... the sound card does the analog to digital and digital back to analog conversions for you..

- eddie -
 
"run out of your soundcard outs into your mixer and back through your soundcards inputs"

I take it in this case the soundcard outs will not send what it's receiving from the soundcard ins? else a loop would be created? (This is getting confusing!)

MikeJ
 
first off.. an internal cd r has nothing to do with your soundcard.. once the audio is in the computer ( recorded .wav files ) .. you can burn it with your cd r... there is no direct connection from your soundcard to the cd r.. the connection is from your motherboard to the cd r..

Eddies Simplified Steps to Music Recording
by me...eddie :D

1 ) record your music into your soundcards inputs to recording software of choice from your mixer

2 ) listen and be proud

3 ) run your tracks out of your soundcards outputs through your mixer and back into your soundcards inputs for your prefinal or final mixdown... and dont forget to uncheck the " monitor " box , otherwise youll get nasty feedback... adjust mix and add effects as desired and rerecord into recording software of choice...

4 ) order a pizza , drink a beer.. and watch jeaopardy...

5 ) render a wav file from your mixed tracks , and burn onto cd r

6 ) go impress your friends with your nicely produced master cd...yay !! :D

( results may vary , children under 18 get your parents permission before calling )

2 final points...

if you want to mix midi with vocals you need a soundcard with midi capabilities.. or separate soundcards..

running out to your mixer and back in to your soundcard is basically pointless unless you happen to have analog effects processors laying around ( which i dont think is the case ) .. your better off using direct x effects alongside your recording software.. ( if you dont know what they are , use the search , actually..just use the search anyway )

use the search..read the site...use the search.. read the site again..

hope this unboofoozled you a little bit..

- eddie -
 
Thanks Eddie, I owe you a beer and a pizza! (Jeopardy? Is that the quiz where the questions are answers and the answers are questions?? Weird sh*t. Luckily we don't get here in good ol' Blighty!)

Once I've tried out a few things, I'll probably have more questions for you!

Cheers,
Mikey.
 
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