backing track present on new recording track

[paulsintes]

Hi I have downloaded an MP3 piano backing track (track 1) but when I try to record voice on another track (track 2) the piano track records on it as well as my voice. How can I prevent this?

[Trebor]

see ... viewtopic.php?p=347537#p347537

[paulsintes]

Hi Trebor. I tried that but it doesn't work. I still get both the backing track and the voice on the new track. Is it something to do with the backing track being an MP3 format?

[kozikowski]

Is it something to do with the backing track being an MP3 format?

No. Audacity doesn't edit MP3. It converts everything to its own internal sound format.

What do you have for a recording device? You have to be recording directly from your microphone or soundcard, not a made-up, fake device such as Stereo Mix or What-U-Hear.

Screen Shot 2018-07-19 at 04.02.13.png (9.37 KiB) Viewed 582 times

You get crosses like this if you like to record internet audio. The settings for that are different from recording overdubs.

These are the settings you don't want.

https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/tut ... puter.html

Koz

[paulsintes]

The recording device is a cardiod microphone plugged directly into the PC mic input. It sounds fine. The backing track is a piano track laid down by a friend and recorded in MP3 format. If I select "Other tracks while recording (overdub)" it records the microphone onto the vocal track but also the backing track as well. If I deselect "Other tracks while recording (overdub)" I can hear the mic through the headphones but not the backing track.

[kozikowski]

How are you listening? Many laptops only have one connection for everything.

What's the cardioid microphone?

Koz

[paulsintes]

Not a laptop, full size tower PC with quad core processor and Realtek HD sound card. Microphone is a condenser type Studio Model BM750. Undoubtedly made in China. The sound quality from the mic is actually better than expected.

[kozikowski]

I can hear the mic through the headphones but not the backing track.

That step right there is wrong.

You are not supposed to hear your microphone at all during overdubbing, just the backing track.

If you click Overdub and Playthrough both, you should hear the backing track and your own voice with a delay or echo.

If your voice in this problem appears perfect, then your soundcard or other service is "helping you" somehow and providing unexpected sound pathways.

There's zero doubt in my mind that whatever setting is doing that is also crossing the pathways and double recording the backing track.

I'm going to be fuzzy with this because I'm not a Windows elf. I just know what several of the "normal" problems are. We should wait for an elf that knows how to manage the devices and drivers in Windows.

Koz

[Trebor]

Hi Trebor. I tried that but it doesn't work. I still get both the backing track and the voice on the new track ...

Possibly it's the sound leaking from headphones (via air, not wires) being picked up by the microphone.
If that's the case, the recording of backing-track on the overdub will be quiet & tinny,
(like the sound you hear when being next to someone who is wearing headphones).

[kozikowski]

What else do you have running with sound services? Games, Skype and Chat come to mind. Skype is famous for taking over your sound while it's running. Restart the machine and don't let anything else start.

Koz