I am recording through an Alesis Multimix 16 Firewire mixer into my Windows Vista PC into Audacity recording software. I can record the vocals no problem, but the thing is that it bypasses the effects that I have on the mixer. So if I have headphone on the mixer, and hear myself as im speaking, the effects work, if I record during that same session, I hear the effects through the headphones, then playback on computer and it is just clean voice. Please help!
Recording vocals with effects, please help
- Thread starter Schism
- Start date
Jim Lad
New member
Sounds like you're doing just fine.
Do you really want to record your vocals with the effects rather than add the effects later?
Not trying to be funny but most often, you'll find novices asking how to do exactly what you have just accomplished.
By adding effects as you sing, you get a better performance.
By recording the vocals clean, you now have the option of, over dubbing, punching in and out, cutting and pasting and.... adding the effects that you want.
Just a thought.
Thank you for your advice, I am new to recording vocals so all advice is greatly welcome. I would like to do what you are saying by adding the effects later, do I need specific software to do this? Or do I need to record into a software other than audacity for options like that?
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
I'm not familiar with that mixer, but in general, what's happening is that the signal going to the PC "pre"--or before FX, EQ, etc. There might be a setting to switch it to "post" in which case everything would be included--and what you're hearing in your headphones is what you'd record. But (and there's always a but in life) that mixer might be hardwired to send a "pre" signal out to record. Like I said, I'm not familiar with that one.
Something to consider though--what's happening right now with your setup is what a lot of people actually want to happen. For a lot of singers, it's easier to sing when their voice is "wet" so they like to hear some reverb or maybe even some compression in their headphones. But it's cool to have a dry signal in your PC so you can add the verb and compression or whatever else in there. That way you're not stuck with the mixer settings. You can tweak it to really fit the mix.
I do this with my guitar. I just can't do a solo without the big 80's rock star sound. So I split my mic's signal and send one through a multi-effects box with reverb and stereo delay. I only listen to this one in my headphones. But I record the other one--a completely dry signal. Then I add my effects with plug-ins. For one thing, my plugs are actually better than my rack unit, and I invariably end up using less FX in the mix. If I'd recorded the guitar with the FX, I couldn't edit them.
So use your mixer's FX to sound right in your own head. But then you can use your software to get it even righter. Is that a word?
Good luck.
EDIT: One minute too late. I'm really not that redundant. He posted while I was typing. That's what I get for being so long-winded.
Something to consider though--what's happening right now with your setup is what a lot of people actually want to happen. For a lot of singers, it's easier to sing when their voice is "wet" so they like to hear some reverb or maybe even some compression in their headphones. But it's cool to have a dry signal in your PC so you can add the verb and compression or whatever else in there. That way you're not stuck with the mixer settings. You can tweak it to really fit the mix.
I do this with my guitar. I just can't do a solo without the big 80's rock star sound. So I split my mic's signal and send one through a multi-effects box with reverb and stereo delay. I only listen to this one in my headphones. But I record the other one--a completely dry signal. Then I add my effects with plug-ins. For one thing, my plugs are actually better than my rack unit, and I invariably end up using less FX in the mix. If I'd recorded the guitar with the FX, I couldn't edit them.
So use your mixer's FX to sound right in your own head. But then you can use your software to get it even righter. Is that a word?
Good luck.
EDIT: One minute too late. I'm really not that redundant. He posted while I was typing. That's what I get for being so long-winded.
Jim Lad
New member
You'll find the effects right there in Audacity. I tried that DAW when I was brand new to this too but found it far too complicated for me. I'm in my fifties and that was a couple of years ago.
Have you looked at "Kristal Audio Engine"?
It's free and much more intuitive (I think).
The effects in there come with Presets. A great way to learn.
Keep it fun!
Have you looked at "Kristal Audio Engine"?
It's free and much more intuitive (I think).
The effects in there come with Presets. A great way to learn.
Keep it fun!
I know. I could hear you typing and hit "Post Reply" real quick like!
http://www.amprofmusic.cl/catalog/images/alesis MM-16FWIRE.jpg
that is the mixer i use, you should be able to read everything on it. I just use the first input for the mic. The effects are all handled on the right side. I do see a pre/post button, pushed it and it did not change the outcome.
I am interested in trying the recording both ways.
A) I feel like I can 'tweak' the vocal effects more in the mixer so I would like to be able to record from the settings I have on the mixer
B) I would also like to experiment with recording clean and adding the effects afterwards.
Right now I am concentrated on Problem A.
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
Yeah, you're gonna have to go the manual and look up pre & post as it relates to the recorded signal. That pic doesn't help me...
WhiteStrat
Don't stare at the eye.
I do type rather loudly, don't I?
Well I started using Adobe Audition which seems to be a very nice recording software. I have it setup to playback through the mixer in the headphones, and can also record and hear yourself through the headphones while the song is playing through the headphones. Seems pretty typical but I'm glad I got that much figured out.
As for adding the effects after they record clean, it seems very complicated. it seems to me that there is A LOT that you can do, and I do not know where to start. The terminology in the effects settings have me confused, I dont know what does what, so its hard to say what I want it to sound like. I guess its a lot of trial and error, and making sure you remember what sounded good right?
As for adding the effects after they record clean, it seems very complicated. it seems to me that there is A LOT that you can do, and I do not know where to start. The terminology in the effects settings have me confused, I dont know what does what, so its hard to say what I want it to sound like. I guess its a lot of trial and error, and making sure you remember what sounded good right?
kcearl
I see deaf people
no offence, and its a nice mixer, but really they have very little place in the home studio other than as a replacement for an audio interface, which i take it your using this for....
do all your mixing and effects tweaking in your DAW...you should record your signal dry where possible as thats the beauty of digital recording...its flexibility when it comes to changing things..
I have no experience of alesis mixers but Im pretty sure that the effects on board are meant for live scenarios and they will not the same quality as most of the plug ins available, let alone the ability to go back and change things...
dump Audacity and download Reaper..take some time to learn it...its free until you are ready to pay for a license, then its only $60...for that price it really cant be beat
all imho and of course at the end of the day its whatever you're comfortable with
do all your mixing and effects tweaking in your DAW...you should record your signal dry where possible as thats the beauty of digital recording...its flexibility when it comes to changing things..
I have no experience of alesis mixers but Im pretty sure that the effects on board are meant for live scenarios and they will not the same quality as most of the plug ins available, let alone the ability to go back and change things...
dump Audacity and download Reaper..take some time to learn it...its free until you are ready to pay for a license, then its only $60...for that price it really cant be beat
all imho and of course at the end of the day its whatever you're comfortable with
Mr Clean
AKA Teddy Wong
Best advice yet!!!!!
Chili
Site Moderator
+1 for everything KC just said. You don't want to be tweaking on your tracks before recording them. You're not going to know how they will sound until you get all the tracks recorded and put together.
Cool.
Dogbreath
Im an ex-spurt
Thought that was worth repeating.
Cuz it doesn't matter so much how it sounds when solo'd...it's how it sounds in the mix.
I use the mixer for both, live and recording. I wanted a versatile mixer and this was perfect, and ive been fine recording instruments on it, im just new to the whole vocal scene (other than clean vocals) so it seems pretty popular to record it clean then add some effects. And like I stated im not using Audacity anymore, im getting used to Adobe Audition, it seems like really nice software, it does everything that I need so far