Karaoke Forums

I just bought a really good Sony laptop. I want to record my singing.
There are two ways I could do this.

1. connect the mixer to the laptop and record live both kararoake music and my voice

2. Just recording my vocal to the laptop using a "recording" microphone. use a software to mix my vocal with the premade karaoke song in the laptop.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I think the second way produces a much more professional and better quality recording. Am I right?

If I want to record this way, What software do I need for this simple
type of recording? I'm looking for a software also allows me to change the key
of the premade karaoke songs when I mix it with my vocal. Most of the recording/mixing software out there do not have the key changing feature. Which means I have to record the karaoke song separately through a mixer that changes the key, then record my vocal later and put them together.  

to get really good vocal recording, do I need an external soundcard or something to connect my "recording" microhohone to record my vocal or I can just hook the microphone straight to my laptop and use the special effects software(if there's one out there) to enchance/change to vocal before mixing it with the music?

# 2

I forgot I had a registred Cakewalk Homestudio 2004. Its what shifted me to sonar3.  But I installed it and I forgot all the features it has. It has the multitrack bounce down and mixing same as sonar3.. I forget what Fx plugins come with it but there is enuff..

After you record your vocal bounce down to stereo.. Experiment with all the fx rember you have edit undo..Add 2 or 3 audio tracks..Delete the midi track..

Here is another trick... Import the karaoke mp3.. ..Arm one of the audio tracks Solo the mp3 track . Record back from your system with efx set the way you want...
Then unarm, play both audio tracks...(remember the recrded track is wav)...It makes !00 % difference...

Then play all tracks with original vocal and vocal with,efx. At this time set levels either with envelopes or normalizing...Normalizing doesnt change the quality that much if you have a decent level to start with...Export to wav for cd or mp3...

And you can get Homestudio 2004 on ebay now for 30-40 bucks...  Have fun..

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Love Will Keep Us Alive is an example of a recording I did by using your example #1.

The choice is yours. If I agree, or disagree, I will be stoned by one group or another.

Try KaraWin. It does what you need regarding on-the-fly key changing, and it's free!

You're new at this right?
Read Bare Essentials for Your Home Studio for more information, or do a Forum Search on this topic. You will get all the answers, but will have to make your own choice on what to do.

One of the first things I discovered when I started to hook up and run sound equipment is that there are a zillion different ways you can do things, and, consequently, there are a zillion and one different opinions about which way is the best. The extra one is for the inevitable know-it-all.

"Bare essentials for your home Studio"


Thanks Allstar,  I never got into using a computer for any aspects of music either. Still in the analog "Do it all yourself days".  This is my first exposure to the link you mentioned too.. I never got into cakewalk, so I'm at the same loss of knowing what to buy, etc to get into midi computer interfacing.  Full extent of my advancement into this area is learning how to use my synth workstations, Boss DR-5, and Tascam MK 424...




I hadn't a clue about any of this,  I have ALOT of reading to do,  thanks again !  I'm antiquated I suppose. OK, I know, not suppose  :(

I need to know of a decent DI, audio interface that a multiinstrumentalist would wish to own.

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Steven, nothing wrong with the synth workstations, Boss DR-5 and Tascam MK 424. Darn good systems! But............times have changed (not that it matters) but doing it on the computer is so much easier. You can get software polug-in's for effects, at a fraction of the cost if not for free. I use Cakewalk (http://www.cakewalk.com/homemusicians.asp) and am loving it. Editing is a dream and so is recording. If you need more info, feel free to contact me.

Thanks Again Allstar, this week, I want to have an interface/DI type unit ordered. Keith suggested M-audio.  I know nothing about M-audio vs Edirol vs Tascam, nor do I know the importance of firewire and other technology. I noticed M-Audio has interface unit's from $99 (such as their Fast Track USB), on up. Are they generally better than Tascam units ?                                                        

I've carried this over to the mixer/compressor thread because this type thing is touched on, and I don't want to hog several threads with like content.
                                                                     


                                                                                Much Appreciated

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Please feel free to contact me via mail here, or elsewhere.  I know this isn't "karaoke related" but get's more broadly into music recording areas, therefore  I don't wish to take up too much space in KS, and get castigated  LOL .... Thanks alot, Basic purchases is where I am currently at.... Options in terms of buying DECENT hardware, not poor quality, yet also not $$$$$$$...other expenses too of course..

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

The best freeware for doing multitracks of a single track recording would be, Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Karawin has a wave recorder if you wish to record while you read the graphic and the Pro version let's you read a cdg from most cdr-rw/dvd-rw drives, convert files from wave to mp3 using Lame, great key changer and of course the best sound engine call Bass!

Thank you Micky,  I'm still in the early stages of reading some shoot-out's and trying to understand whether I pay less for just the audio interface, or a little more for a digital multitrack recording studio/ mixer with the USB2 out..  I've expressed my confusion in an adjacent thread where someone else was inquiring about mixer/compressor etc...

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Northeast United States runner up for the "Singing Hall of Shame".

Very interesting reading...enjoyed this discussion. Happy new year all.  Stan

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Music is my love. Having Fun!!!