Karaoke Forums

EDITED: I just realized the top half of my pasted text didn't show up. That's odd.

New house, new music room..... moved the karaoke right next to the desktop so I can record directly onto it. Did a trial last night, sounded like shyt. (other than the singing, the mix was awful too, Lol) This is the first time I've tried to run my karaoke into my desktop pc, and I'm having *issues*. I need a bit of know-how.... that I don't-have;)


I've got a decent mixer (Behringer PMH2000... no negatives there please, I'm not in the market to replace it with any other brand right now) and I've got a decent sound card in my computer.

I'm just... way... too much... of a hillbilly... to know how to hook all this stuff up. I need baby-beginner language. (seriously)
*Karaoke Recording for Dummies* <--------- Anyone seen that book on sale?;)

Is running my mixer "tape/line out" directly into my sound card the thing to do? I almost ran it into my small desktop mixer (the way I multi track record)... then thought "what's the point in THAT?"
My karaoke machine goes into "tape/line in" , I guess that's normal right?

Here's the way I usually sing (not record, just sing at home) - My vocal channel (s) and the channel the karaoke comes into I leave the volume very low, and use the master volume to raise/lower everything in unison. (dunno if that's right, but
that's the way I've always done it.. always meaning the 2 years or so since I've owned this, Lol)

I tried setting my sound card volume this way and that way.... but that's not the prob. My "main volume" on my mixer will NOT control how loud the recording is picking up- I'm having to use the individual channel volumes. Why is that?

And why is it that if I turn my FX up to where they *just* start sounding a bit overkill while live.... in the recording it sounds almost as if I'm running a dry mic? I can't find a good balance. (on ANYthing... )

Does anyone want to just come do this for me? (I'll pay.... or barter?)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

After looking at the block diagram I can give you a few hints. The tape outs are routed prior to the main level adjust hence it has no effect. The preamp outs come directly off the main level adjust.

You will want to use the tape out but your individual channel levels strictly determine your record level. I personally like to go thru a limiter off the tape outs to get better control of levels but you can still set levels. Sounds like you are way low on the channel levels. I would start off with FX all the way down. Experiment with your music level and get a good level for recording. If you have a level indicator with your software, set levels for -6DB. Then get the FX levels even.

Now the mic. There is no inserts so I would consider using your small mixer for a mic preamp. That would give you the capability of adding a compressor or multi tracking (vocal only). You will want to run low on your main speakers so room acoustics wont have that much effect.

That's a start, let me know what happens and we will progress from there.

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Do you WANT to do a live 1 take recording? Is that the ultimate goal?
Otherwise if it's at home, just continue to use the multi tracker. This way you can fix spots that need fixing instead of having to re-record entire songs. If possible record the karaoke tracks first in stereo, then come back & add your vocals. Unless you HAVE to have the swipes in front of you. When I did studio recordings for karaoke singers, this is how we did it. They had a printed sheet of the lyrics. Then they could go back & fix spots that were out of key or time without having to re-record the entire song. Then add your special effects later. This way you can change them as well, instead of being locked into your live final.

Now to answer the question, yes the tape out on the mixer to the line in on the sound card. Exactly how I run mine at the shows & it works fine - like Ollie & run the entire mix through with a slight compression & limiting. Use Audacity for the recording track.

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Sorry Blue - I have no experience in this. I'd ask these guys one question at a time though. If they use terms you've never heard of let them know. They are smarter in their tech knowledge than they know.

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Yes........ I don't like to multi track. I don't like the time you have to invest in it. I'm too picky, I will re-record over and over, add effects then delete them, then add other ones and delete them, raise and lower the volumes, try it in a new key.... god, it drives me NUTS multi track recording. I never EVER like the end result. I'd rather just sing it, get a clean single track, and be done.

I have no probs with the "how to" of multi tracking, though I'm not pro at it, I can make that work. I just don't want to. I hate the headphones, the mixing, all that blah blah. And this IS only for home, but it's just the way I'd prefer to record.

Okay, so maybe I'm hooking it up right, but I'm sure doing SOMEthing wrong, cause the recording sounded really bassy and muffled.

I'm gonna try Babs' suggestion, since any suggestions here could very easily get way above my head.



What?



Huh?

Okay, software.... I'm just recording directly into Cool Edit Pro, it's all I have, just putting it on one track. There are TONS of settings in there, but I really don't know how to use much more than the effects and the volume. (yikes, what a tard)



The mic? Ollie, I don't know what inserts are... sorry. I have an SM58, but unfortunately it's in need of repair. I have an SM57, but aren't those used primarily for instruments? What I'm using right now is a Sampson something or other, kind of an imitation of an SM58. (looks alot like one) Odie got them for me, perhaps he has more details on them, cause I don't know.

I don't know anything about compressors or compression ( i mean, i can run a compression test on your Ford truck, but i'm clueless about mic/music compression ) Sorry to seem so dense, but, well..... I'm dense about this stuff. I will try and send you a few recording samples tonight, then you can *hear* what I mean.

My mixer I already listed. I only have "mains" hooked up. Is that not right? Let me see if I can google up a pic of the back of my mixer and tell you what I have. My speakers.... are dumb, but I can't afford new ones at the moment, so they'll have to do. I don't think they can affect the recording anyhow, so that's a mute issue. My karaoke machine is the RSQ 333 triple tray.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Its hard to tell what level you are outputting thru the tape outs. With a limiter even with a cheapie such as an Alesis nano cpmpressor you have bar led's that indicate the level You can monitor either the input or output. It also has a gain cntrl output which you can get the right level to your soundcard. Its not mandatory but makes things easier.



Its not that hard Go here

Read page 3 and 4.. Lets get the music and mic levels set then we will worry about FX and compression...

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Okay, going there now. (if my work computer allows me to... dang these security settings) If not, I'll check it out soon as I get home. Thanks for being so patient with my ignorance.

I owe ya a beer.

And a hug.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Dang, cool link. I printed the whole 8 pages... I'm sure I can use that.

(guess i owe ya a whole 6 pack)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

My mixer:

Front: http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/qualit ... d29f21.jpg

Back: http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/qualit ... 712664.gif

I just have 2 speakers, hooked up to left and right, nothing plugged into that middle plug in place. (nice technical terms, eh?)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I never could sucessfully use the bridge mode on my peavy mixer/amp that looks similar to that

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"Be who you are and say what you feel... Because those that matter... Don't mind...And those that mind... Don't matter."

quote]My mixer:

Front: http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/qualit ... d29f21.jpg

Back: http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/qualit ... 712664.gif

I just have 2 speakers, hooked up to left and right, nothing plugged into that middle plug in place. (nice technical terms, eh?)[/quote]Yea Ive researched it..

With the monitor/main switch on the front in the main position that's the way to hook it up. In the monitor position the left speaker is hooked to bridge and a stage monitor can be used on the other. It's similar to Bab's 808..

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The tape out jacks are not wired through the equaliser so if you have the equaliser sliders set at anything but 0 you will definitely get a different sound from the tape output as opposed to the main output.

I see there is a stereo pre-amp output with it's volume controlled by the main mix slider. If you are not getting enough volume to your sound card from the tape output, you could try using the pre-amp... but start with your main mix volume set to 0 and slowly increase while viewing the audacity waveform while recording.

Unfortunately the pre-amp is still not wired through the equaliser, so the only equalisation control you have is with the 'high' 'mid' and 'low' controls.

I use a Behringer 1222FX mixer for recording straight to an mp3 recorder. I use the headphone output in preference to the tape output because this does enable me to use the eq if I want to. However, I tend to use only the input faders and 3-band eq (hi, mid, lo) while recording. That way I can preset all the levels for vocals and backing tracks and when I want live sound, I just connect the speakers to the main output and adjust the main eq to suit the room.

Thanks.... that suggestion did tell me something I didn't know, and helped... a bunch. The main equalizers are now set to 0, and I'm using just the hi, mid, & low on each (voice & music) channels, so that what I'm "hearing" is actually what's "recording" as well. Makes sense, and I did not know the equalizer didn't go to the tape/line out, that's what I had been adjusting.

I've been doing samples of songs with different types of instrumentation, sending them to both karyoker and odie (poor guys, Lol)... and they are patiently helping me get the mixer (individual EQ settings) set right.

Thanks for the help:)

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

I'm just... way... too much... of a hillbilly... to know how to hook all this stuff up. I need baby-beginner language. (seriously)
*Karaoke Recording for Dummies* <--------- Anyone seen that book on sale?

Sorry Mandi,just today every time I think of this thread. But I can because I am exactly the same way. Check your compression, yeh, I can do it blindfolded, rebuild your engine in my sleep, and maybe even turn your truck into a limo! Digitally challenged, thats us. When I saw your "What", "Huh", that did it for me today,and I'm still laughing every time I think of it. Anyway glad you started this thread, cause I already copied it on my thumb drive for use in the very near future.
P.S. Let me know if you find a copy of that book, Ok.......

Well, glad I could make ya smile;)

Don't ever come to me for techie advice, but if it's a laugh you're wanting, or a friend to hear your woes, well... I'm usually good for that:)

(i'm good for other things too, but probably shouldn't mention them here) hahaha

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

- Bumping this back up to ask one more *duh* question...

The room I'm recording in is a converted garage. It's been carpeted, panelled, and the garage door sealed shut. It has a back door, a door leading into the kitchen, a side window, and the small windows on (what was) the garage door.

Is there something you can do to make it where people outside the garage can't hear what's going on inside the garage so much? My neighbor is pretty close to the garage area... I don't want to have a lynch mob coming to my front door to insist I leave the neighborhood.

Foam in the windows? Carpet the walls? Anybody know where to start? I don't need it to be "soundproof"... just mute it where it's not quite so loud to neighbors.

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

Behave mister!!

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♥ Laugh your heart out, dance in the rain. Cherish the memories, ignore the pain. Love and learn, forget and forgive. Because you only have one life to live. ♥

From the days I helped my brother-in-law drywall. In townhouses the wall between adjoining apts was called a party wall and we had to hang double 5/8 sheetrock. This prob is not applicable in your case. You can put drapes over the windows which will help. I assume when they converted they put insulation in the walls. Any type of second wall will act as a sound baffle. Drapes work but at a certain point become a fire hazard. Other than a complete recording studio type remodel I'm trying think of some practical ideas.Actually bass will penetrate more In the corners hang a drape so as to eliminate the 90 degrees and make 2 45's. Those are just off the top will have to think on that.

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Well, obviously make sure the speakers are aimed towards the back of the house or maybe towards the kitchen area. You can put up thick blankets (sheets wouldn't help much) or try putting up some of the soft cardboard-like egg cartons on the walls. The plastic/styrofoam cartons won't help though. Austin could probably get you a bunch of egg cartons from his job. These are some cheap-route ideas. I'm sure there's more expensive acoustic, sound proofing tiles that you could buy too.
If all else fails, turn that noise down Charmin!!! Actually it's quite beautiful noise!