Vocals very soft

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geeetarem1
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2005/12/12 17:59:55 (permalink)

Vocals very soft

I am still trying to learn so please bear with me. I really am just using this for fun, but I would still like it to sound ok. I am trying to record two different inputs: my acoustic guitar and a microphone. When I record, two things are happening. First, the vocals are much softer than the guitar. I can hear the vocals, but they are very soft. The other thing that is happening is that there is a lot of extraneous noise when I record the guitar. I was wondering if this is a sound card issue or if I need a preamp or mixer or something. Right now, I am just using the input on my computer for both. I really don't have a lot of money and would like to find the cheapest alternative to make it sound ok...it does not have to be great. Any suggestions? Thanks again!
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    Robomusic
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    RE: Vocals very soft 2005/12/12 20:57:22 (permalink)
    On the vocal problem there are several things to try:

    1. sing louder
    2. place a compressor in the fx bin of the track
    3. play the guitar quieter
    4. Place a compressor in the aux buss
    5. turn up the volume on the track

    With regard to the extra-anus sound when recording the guitar, this is most likely in the signal chain, I.E. the cord, the computer noise, the room noise, the guitar pickups. something is introducing noise. Try to eliminate the noise or try to clean it up after wards with a wave editor.
    post edited by Robomusic - 2005/12/12 20:59:04
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    fanzzz
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    RE: Vocals very soft 2005/12/14 20:39:42 (permalink)
    How do you use the compressor in MC or MC2? Do you need to record with it on or just add it as an effect after you ahve recorded? What do you need to do to use that?

    I have read a good ratio for compression for vocals is 4:1 or 3:1. Can that also serve as a high pass filter and cut the noise?

    One thing you can try also is piling some pillows over the computer as it whims and hummms and makes noise, toss a thick blanket over it. This will reduce noise some. Turn off the heater/ac, fan whatever is making noise in the house.

    Make sure the gain is up at a good level on the inputs and not too weak. But watch out for noise. Try not to distort it over the baseline point-0 DBs or in the red....

    Mr. Oliver
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    Robomusic
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    RE: Vocals very soft 2005/12/14 20:57:55 (permalink)
    With compression, the trick is to allow it to boost the signal without coloring ot altering the sound to much, that is the trick, as for settings there is not a set rule, just trust your ears, the presets are just starting points if you can hear the music being compressed it is too much. I never record with any effects, i always record a "dry" signal, then process afterwards, this way i can go back if I over process and start over, if you record with an effect it is perminant.

    The trick with noise is to defeat it to start with, my tower sits under the desk and i close the door and then built a wall of pillows infront of the tower to block the computer noise from the mike, like fanzz says turn off the other noises.. then if it is still there i might run it thru a wave file editor like gold wave and do a noise reduction on some tracks..
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