recording - non-midi questions

[hmschlrof6]

Hi,
I'm wondering if there is a way to set up my cakewalk better for what I'm trying to do. I am using Cakewalk Professional 7. I figured out how to be able to use the microphone input rather than midi so that I can add voice, guitar, and violin tracks. When I press the record button, it does not play back the previous tracks but it does make the metronome beat. This brings about some slightly annoying results - the metronome is recorded along with the voice or instrument on each track so that there is a sort of tambourine beat in the final mix. Not awful, but not really what I'm looking for. Also, when I am laying down the voice harmony track for instance, I must rely on my memory of the melody and the timing of the words, hoping I'm still in tune with myself, since the previous tracks are not played back for obvious reasons.
So my question is, is there a way I can set this up so that both metronome and previous tracks are played back through headphones only while a separate microphone is used to pick up the voice or violin or guitar. (The headset type mic might work for voice tracks, but what about instruments?) Thanks for any help
- Heidi

 

[AlChuck]

You can do what you want, but just how depends on what your sound card is.

The problem you describe with the other tracks not playing back while you overdub might be an issue with the sound card. Older consumer cards were not capable of full-duplex operation; if you have one like this, you are basically hosed.

If your card can do this, full-duplex mode might just be disabled.

The metronome is created by the MIDI synth chip on the on-board card. It can be disabled in Cakewalk. It's being re-recorded onto each track probably because it's being picked up by the mic. Or, you might have your soundcard set to record everything that's passing through its audio pathways -- the so-called "What U Hear" setting on the soundcard. Or possibly you are experiencing both.

You can always route the sound to headphones instead of speakers -- that's how singers and acoustic instrumentalists typically record over pre-recorded tracks, to minimize any bleed into the new track of the previously-recorded material.