Losing guide vocals, recording proper vocals....

Audacity Help Forum Windows
1

Hi all, I’d really appreciate any help. I’m trying to record a medley of kids songs for our grandkids to listen to in the car (assuming their parents can stand it!). So, I’ve put together the medley structure / order of songs, worked out how to get from one song to another without stopping and with key changes etc. I’m going to play acoustic guitar, then sing over the recording. So, the idea is that I’d sing guide vocals whilst playing as it’s easier to do that than sing in your head! I’m using a vocal mic and a condenser mic, connected to seperate channels on a Behringer PMP4000 analogue mixing desk which in turn is connected to my laptop via usual output sockets and mic input.

I’m not good at the technical stuff! The two mics are producing a stereo track of guitar and guide vocals. Quality of recording is fine, no hiss or other background

Is it possible to either:

  1. Overlay “proper vocals” on to the same track?

OR

  1. Record vocals and guitar on two seperat tracks so I can very easily record over the vocals afterwards whilst keeping the guitar track?

Thanks in advance

Mike

2

This can be done very easily. In the mixer you use 2 channels. In the first channel you turn the PAN knob to extrem left side, in the second channel turn the PAN to extrem right.

In AUDACITY you select to record a STEREO track. Now record your song. At the end you should see two different signal in the two parts of the stereo track.

Now you divide the track into two MONO tracks: In the track control Panel…

…click on the TRACK MENU, then select SPLIT STEREO TO MONO

Now you have two independent tracks.

To overlay more track you have to change the settings at MENU- EDIT- PREFERENCES - RECORDING

CHECK at “Play other tracks while recording”
CHECK at “Record on a new track”

You can read this multi track tutorial:
https://manual.audacityteam.org/o/man/tutorial_recording_multi_track_overdubs.html