Terrible playback and sound using rock band mic
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Audacity 1.3.x is now obsolete. Please use the current Audacity 2.1.x version.
The final version of Audacity for Windows 98/ME is the legacy 2.0.0 version.
Audacity 1.3.x is now obsolete. Please use the current Audacity 2.1.x version.
The final version of Audacity for Windows 98/ME is the legacy 2.0.0 version.
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rainhero18
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Terrible playback and sound using rock band mic
I was using a $10 cheap plugin computer microphone to record my covers of other artists songs, but the quality always came out terrible, low, and static-filled. I So I purchased a rock band microphone because I heard it recorded studio quality. I am now using a rock band microphone to record through audacity, but it has really low playback lower than the cheap microphone. I had a sound error problem with it at first when I tried to use it with audacity and now that I have fixed that when I record my covers the instrumental is practically covering my voice which sounds muffled. No matter how I try to fix it the sound won't record louder with or without instrumental. I can't really hear my voice after recording in audacity, but when I use wavepad sound editor without instrumental it works fine, but it still plays low in audacity. How can I fix this?
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kozikowski
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Re: Terrible playback and sound using rock band mic
<<<rock band microphone>>>
That is a USB microphone. The quality should be a lot better than your original microphone and the limiting feature should now be your room -- echoes and reverb and street noises.
However, if you have Audacity recording sliders all the way up and the microphone is still too low, you may need to go ahead and record the low voice and then fix it in post production with Effect > Amplify, Effect > Normalize, Chris's Compressor or one of the other amplify tools in Audacity.
Low recording volume is a very common complaint about USB microphones. The "sound mixer" that you always need with every microphone is built into the body of the microphone in this case and you can't change it. Low level sound can be fixed in post production, High level sound may overload and clip. That produces permanent damage and can kill a show.
It's also not unusual for first-time singer and recordists to try and create a final song in one go. You can do that if you get insanely lucky, but the rest of us record all the pieces, voice, guitar, drums, slide trombone, and then edit and polish and adjust them and then combine them into a final song much later in post production.
That's how the big kids do it, too. The recording session is usually pretty simple and straightforward and doesn't sound anything like the final song. The singer goes home and the producer sits with the mixer (or sometimes is the mixer) for weeks fine tuning the drum volume, echo, mix, chorus, equalization, etc, etc, etc.
Koz
That is a USB microphone. The quality should be a lot better than your original microphone and the limiting feature should now be your room -- echoes and reverb and street noises.
However, if you have Audacity recording sliders all the way up and the microphone is still too low, you may need to go ahead and record the low voice and then fix it in post production with Effect > Amplify, Effect > Normalize, Chris's Compressor or one of the other amplify tools in Audacity.
Low recording volume is a very common complaint about USB microphones. The "sound mixer" that you always need with every microphone is built into the body of the microphone in this case and you can't change it. Low level sound can be fixed in post production, High level sound may overload and clip. That produces permanent damage and can kill a show.
It's also not unusual for first-time singer and recordists to try and create a final song in one go. You can do that if you get insanely lucky, but the rest of us record all the pieces, voice, guitar, drums, slide trombone, and then edit and polish and adjust them and then combine them into a final song much later in post production.
That's how the big kids do it, too. The recording session is usually pretty simple and straightforward and doesn't sound anything like the final song. The singer goes home and the producer sits with the mixer (or sometimes is the mixer) for weeks fine tuning the drum volume, echo, mix, chorus, equalization, etc, etc, etc.
Koz
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rainhero18
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Nov 14, 2010 3:39 am
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Re: Terrible playback and sound using rock band mic
Thanks for the help and advice. I'll try recording in the low volume and enhancing it afterward. I don't really understand the technical terms in the compressor to know where I should move it to sound best so I usually just open it and click okay and trust that it's chosen the right quality for best enhancement. If you have any detailed tips on how to learn about using the effects to the fullest I would love that. I'll keep working with the amplifier tools and such like you have suggested. I am actually using already recorded instrumentals as the songs I am covering are not my own. I am singing a Jrock bands music so I just use there instrumentals and sing the lyrics so I don't really have to record each instrument separately because it's already together. Thanks so much for your help and I hope to hear from you again soon! I'll also post a song once it's done to get some pointers on how to improve the sound quality and plus you'll be able to get a better idea on what I mean about the low volume and muffled voice sound. ^__^
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kozikowski
- Forum Staff
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Re: Terrible playback and sound using rock band mic
<<<you'll be able to get a better idea on what I mean about the low volume and muffled voice sound. ^__^>>>
Yes, but those two are different. It should be possible to get perfectly clear, sparkly voice on a USB microphone, but not always at the right volume. Muffled can be you're using the mic wrong or there could be something wrong with it.
Directional microphones have "Proximity Effect" where the bass goes way up as you get closer and closer. This is the rock club effect where all you can hear in the parking lot is a very loud whomp whomp and mum mum mum as the performer gets way too close to the mic for the words to be recorded right.
In the case of a USB microphone, by the time you back off to help with the bass boost, the volume goes down.
The grown ups use a blast screen to separate the performer from the mic and eliminate "P" popping, mouth noises and bass booming.
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/wynonna2.jpg
Koz
Yes, but those two are different. It should be possible to get perfectly clear, sparkly voice on a USB microphone, but not always at the right volume. Muffled can be you're using the mic wrong or there could be something wrong with it.
Directional microphones have "Proximity Effect" where the bass goes way up as you get closer and closer. This is the rock club effect where all you can hear in the parking lot is a very loud whomp whomp and mum mum mum as the performer gets way too close to the mic for the words to be recorded right.
In the case of a USB microphone, by the time you back off to help with the bass boost, the volume goes down.
The grown ups use a blast screen to separate the performer from the mic and eliminate "P" popping, mouth noises and bass booming.
http://kozco.com/tech/audacity/wynonna2.jpg
Koz