Recording Vocals on Computer

  • Thread starter Thread starter DivaRae
  • Start date Start date
D

DivaRae

New member
This question spans both the computer recording issue and the microphone issue, so I'll be posting it to both boards, I guess. Here's my problem: I'm using Cakewalk to do all my recording, and I have a keyboard hooked up using regular MIDI cables. I want to record vocals, but my sound card only has an 1/8" jack, and all good mics have a 1/4" plug. Right now I'm using a $10 mic that happens to have an 1/8" plug, and it's surprisingly working okay, but when I sing high notes, it doesn't work. The only suggestion I've heard so far is to get a $150+ MIDI connector that also has mic jacks, like a Midiman. It just seems awfully pricey to go that route, and I was wondering if there's any thing else on the market to allow me to plug a good professional microphone into my computer? I tried a regular 1/4" to 1/8" converter, but that didn't work at all. Help!

Thanks,
Rachel
 
If you are forced to use the 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch adaptor...be sure you use the line input on the sound card, not the mic input
 
What sort of good mike do you have DivaRae, if it's a dynamic like a 57 a 1/4" to 1/8" adaptor should be plugged into your mic input and it should work. What do you mean it won't record when you sing High???
cheers
john
 
The mic I'm currently using is a crappy $10 Sony. When I sing high notes (I'm an opera student, if that explains anything) it records a screechy static over the vocals. When I tried using a 1/4" to 1/8" adapter, the recording came through, but it was barely audible. You had to turn the volume all the way up to hear anything. I'm hesitant to buy a good mic until I know that I can use it to record onto my computer, so maybe the adapter didn't work because I was using a cheap microphone, but I'm more inclined to think it was the adapter. So are you guys pretty much saying that a regular adapter should work?

Thanks,
Rachel
 
Could be that the mic can't handle the range of your voice.

As far as the adaptor, make sure the adaptors match as far as being mono (single ring) VS. stereo (double ring).
 
Hi,
if you want get quality in your computer you have invest some money first. But nowadays it is really affordable to get pro quality equipment.

You will need a condenser mic, like e.g. the NT1 and at least a good preamp, like the mindprint envoice.
Best thing would be to use external ADDA converters with 24 bit, the critical step is to get the signal into your computer, once it´s digital it´s safe...

see also the microfone forum
 
still confused

Okay, let me whittle this down to a very basic question. Keep in mind I'm inexperienced with the hardware, so please explain in as basic terms as possible. How do I plug a "professional" microphone into my computer?

Thanks.

~Rachel
 
Even crappy mics have XLR connectors. The kind with 3 little pins..? Anything I can think of with 1/4" ot 1/8" will be crapola.

xoox
 
Hey Rachel,

The 1/4" 'professional' mike you refer to probably will work. It likely has a lower sensitivity than the crappy $10 variety. You simply need to boost the gain setting on the preamp in your sound card.

Click on the 'Volume' control on the task bar - (the little speaker in the lower right hand corner of the screen.)
This should bring up the play control window.

Pull the microphone slider down to minimum.

If you have a soundcard with a built in pre-amp, (soundblaster live variety have this) click on the advanced setting below the microphone slider.

This should bring up the 'advanced controls for microphone' window.

Under 'other controls' there is a mic boost check box.

This will give a 20 dB boost to the microphone input when checked.

Now bring up the slider to see if this gives and acceptible record level.

As for why your voice sounds poorly on the high notes
(assuming, unlike myself, that your voice sounds good normally singing high notes), my bet is, being a soprano, you are probably belting out those high notes and overdriving (or clipping) the input. Try singing the same high note more softly and see if the problem is pitch related, or loudness related.

As to what to buy, the people on these boards are loaded with info.

The Rode NT1 - ART Tube Preamp combination is great, but may stretch your budget.

Rode NT1 ~ $175
ART Tube Preamp ~ $100.

Once you've done that you'll want to get a better sound card. The sky is the limit with this gear.


You may also want to read this app note at shure. It tells quite a bit about this very problem.

http://www.shure.com/support/technotes/app-soundcard.html

Good Luck.
 
maybe i missed something...

why not replace the 1/4" jack with a 1/8"jack...

but then again, i'm dumb...

greetz guhlenn
 
guhlenn,

'cause you still have to preamp the mic signal, and no preamp that I know of (except the crappy ones in the cards) accept a 1/8" plug.
 
I can't disagree with anything said, it's all good advise. However knowing what it is like to be on a budget, here is the best way I can think of to get decent sound for as cheap as possible:

1. Buy a Shure SM-57 mic with cable. You can find them on sale with cable for about $80. I agree a condenser mic would sound a better for more money and a Rhode NT-1 would be a good one. But a SM-57 will be more than good enough to start, and if and when you buy a better mic the Shure will still be useful for years to come.

2. Buy a Behringer 602 mixer. This is a very small mixer that sells for about $80 also. It has two mic pre-amps (needed to make your mic work) and I am almost sure has phantom power also (needed to make a condenser mic work). Like the sure mic, you will find this little box useful in many ways - plus it gives you control on volumne levels and EQ.

3. Buy a good quality 1/4 line cable plus a 1/4 to mini plug adaptor. Run it from the mixer's line out into the line in on your sound card.

Now for about $200 total you have gear that will allow you to do cheap but respectable recording onto your sound card. There is lots of better gear out there for more money, but that is the cheapest way I could recomend someone getting started.
 
Yeah,
that´s a good solution, much better than using the soundcard´s crappy mic pres. But for good vocal recordings try out other mic pres/channelstrips like e.g. the mindprint envoice. Some years ago you had to spent several thousand bucks, now it´s affordable to get professional quality on your recordings - at home!!
That´s why I started doing audio recordings and not just midi.
 
sorry, i didn't read the post as well as i should have. Thaught there was only a connector problem...
But come on if you do want to change a plug that's not hard...

sorry though...shame on me shame on me shame on me

guhlenn;)
 
Thanks for the advice

Thanks for all your advice! I decided to follow RWhite's advice, and I ordered a Shure SM 57 and I'm bidding on a Behringer 602. Once I receive these items, I'll see if I can figure out how to hook it all up and make it work. :-)

Thanks for all the help!
~Rachel
 
here goes another try...

I posted this in another thread, but this one seems to be popular lately, and related. I like the idea of going with a Shure and some sort of mixer (the other replies fall in the vein of a-grand-ain't-too-much-to-spend), but what I don't like is the idea of sticking with the pain-in-the-rear 1/8" line-in jack. For one, I can't seem to get mine to work (but never mind that), but for another, this very site says this:

"Well, guess what, 98% of the time there's a MIDI interface hidden in this connector. You need a special $20-or-so joystick-to-MIDI conversion cable to access it, but then you can hook up keyboards and all kinds of stuff right to your sound card."

OK, if this is true, why hasn't anyone suggested this? I'm having serious doubts to its validity, because I can't find any such thing...and I'm having a hard time knowing what it is I'm looking for. Is this a MIDIMan or just a cable/adaptor type thing? Will it work with 1/4" or XLR? Will it work with my Creative SoundBlaster AudioPCI 64V?

Any ideas or help would be much appreciated...perhaps it will help both me and DivaRae...
mike d
 
MIDI is not audio. That's what no one has suggested it. MIDI ports send MIDI messages. Not audio. You can't send sound into a MIDI port. Period, the end.
 
yeah, alchuck's right. but it's true mostly your joystick connector has a midi capability.

greetz guhlenn
 
ok....

hmm. Well, looks like I'm barking down the wrong alley with the MIDI port, huh? I still don't understand why it's mentioned on the homerecording.com site the way it is, but maybe I'm just reading it wrong. I don't mind eventually forking out the bucks for a new soundcard, but I just didn't want to do it if I didn't have to. I'm not doing pro-quality work, I'm just experimenting at this point. And I've loaded up stuff into my soundcard via the 1/8" jack before and it sounds OK. But I'd rather be able to go directly from 1/4" or XLR, obviously. Oh well, guess I've just gotta bite the bullet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top