Subject:Vocals

Posted by: questions

Date:7/3/2008 9:45:22 AM

Recently purchased Acid Music Studio with intent to record some simple songs made up of mostly vocal tracks and some piano/guitar. After going through the manual and all the "Show Me How" tutorials, beginning to think I made a bad purchase. Is it possible to record vocal tracks (not just loops or bits that repeat over and over, but actual people singing entire verses and choruses, etc.) on this software?

Or should I just chalk this up to another bad purchase and move on to something else?

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:7/3/2008 10:57:01 AM

Yes (to the first question). How you go about it is up to your workflow and hardware.

Simplifying things to the extreme, you want to connect a mic to a preamp and then to your audio interface. You'd then arm the track in ACID and then record.

What exactly is tripping you up?

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: questions

Date:7/3/2008 12:20:02 PM

Thank you so much for replying....

To put it bluntly, I am completely clueless. I have been singing, playing piano, reading and loving music for most of my 36 years on this earth, so I thought it would be nice to actually record some of my stuff. However, when it comes to putting it on a computer...I don't understand 90% of the terminology used in this forum (preamps, audio interfaces, arming the track) this is all completely Greek to me.

All I have is my voice, my electric piano, the Acid Music Studio software and a $40 computer mic.

Honestly, I think I'm in way over my head. I was really just hoping to be able to sit down, play and sing into the microphone, and record my songs into the computer to save them and share them with friends.

If I need to take a couple hours of college in order to learn all the ins and outs of this software in order to just do that - I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of commitment for something that I wanted to do for fun.

Can it be easy, or do I need to move on?

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: jumbuk

Date:7/3/2008 7:21:35 PM

It's not difficult, and you don't need a college IT degree.

First thing you need is a microphone. Second thing is somewhere to plug it in!

Your computer sound card will have a place to plug a mic in direct to the computer - it will probably be a small pink socket next to the (green?) headphone socket. If you are just trying to get started, you won't need a preamp.

Next thing is to get some sound coming through the mic into Acid. I haven't got Acid in front of me right now, but there should be a red "record" button on the transport controls - like a tape recorder "record" button. Pressing this will "arm" a track for recording. You should be able to speak into the mic and see some activity. If you start Acid running and speak/sing, you should be able to get a new sound file appearing on the current track.

If you can't get this to work, post again telling us exactly what you have done. We should be able to help you get going.

PS If your electric piano has an output socket, you should be able to connect it directly to the computer sound card input and record to a separate track.

Don't give up!

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: thirdnostril

Date:7/4/2008 11:06:05 AM

By $40 computer mic, do you mean those ones they sell to use with Webcams? You might want a better mike than that.

There are also some really good tutorials online that can walk you through this.

Just to run through the terms you mentioned:

You don't need a preamp just yet, so let's save that definition.

You need an audio interface. Your computer has a sound card built in, so you can use the pink-colored 1/8" Mic Input jack for that. But you also might want to buy an interface that does a little more. All it is, is a box that connects to your computer, and has jacks for you to plug microphones and instruments into. It INTERFACES your instrument and mike (usually analog) with the digital innards of your computer. ("Interfacing" is just translation from one format, language, or current level to another). It offers a lot of convenience, usually comes with some useful free softawre, and don't cost much. Reading the descriptions of audio interfaces at an online store can be a good education on what they do. Try www.bhphotovideo.com, they write accurate stuff.

"Arming the track" sounds dangerous, but all it is, is when you're looking at ACID onscreen, and you have an audio track inserted (Ctrl+Q), there'll be a little red circle, much like the Record symbol on a tape recorder. Click that red circle, and the track is now "armed" to record. Nothing will record on any track that does NOT have the red Record Arm button pushed. It's there to make sure you don't record over something you want. Just "disarm" the track after recording, and your track is safe.

Please come here with any and all terms or processes you don't understand. It'd be a welcome relief from the usual forum fare to actually HELP someone, so feel free!

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: thirdnostril

Date:7/4/2008 11:08:16 AM

Just to clarify, jumbuk, the Record Arm button isn't with the transport controls. It's with the individual track controls, bwteen the green Effects symbol and the track name window.

If there are no tracks present on opening ACID, press ctrl-Q.

Subject:RE: Vocals

Reply by: jumbuk

Date:7/6/2008 6:35:18 PM

Thanks Third for that clarification.

Regarding the mic and interface - if he/she is having trouble just getting started, I'd be suggesting getting the existing gear to work first, no matter how poor the sound quality. Once you have tried out the recording process, you will be in a better position to decide whether to go down the track of spending more money on hardware. But yes, I agree that you would want better hardware for serious recording. A quality USB mic might even be worth considering.