Bleed from one track to another - windows 10 operating system.

Hi folks

I am new to this so please be patient.

I imported an mp3 backing track (track 1)and then tried to record a vocal track on track 2.

On the vocal track I hear a high level of the backing track.

At first I thought the mic was picking up acoustic bleed from my enclosed headphones, they hardly make any acoustic noise at all.

So I unplugged the headphones in the room which was silent. I re-recorded the vocal track - the room was completely silent during this process apart from my voice and the music track was playing silently in the room…ie. no sound in the room other than my voice…

OMG, on inspecting the recording of the vocal track only I see that a high level of the backing track still comes over on the recorded vocal track.

I want to record a vocal track with little or no background music leaking onto the vocal track.

I am missing something?

Many thanks in anticipation.

Johnnie

Oh … I am using 3.0.4 Audacity version

I plug the headphones into front of the PC Tower or LG front monitor

Mic is plugged directly into front of PC Tower

I am not using a mixer (on my wish list!)

Thanks again

Johnnie

I want to record a vocal track with little or no background music leaking onto the vocal track.

That would be successful overdubbing. Since you covered some of the normal problems, let’s go with you’re not recording your microphone. You’re recording a software device that Windows invents so you can record Youtube music and shows. The setup for internet recording and the setup for overdubbing hate each other.

In Audacity, your recording device needs to be your actual microphone. It may say the maker’s name, but it may also say USB Audio CODEC. It should not say Stereo Mix, for one popular example.

My silly line is you need to be able to touch the recording device. My USB Audio CODEC turns out to be my Behringer UM2 microphone preamplifier. I can reach over and touch it. Stereo Mix, on the other hand, is fake. It’s a program. I can’t reach over and touch it.

What does it say in the little window next to the microphone on the Audacity tool bar? Mine, right this second, says “Built-In Microphone,” because I’m typing on a laptop. If I press record, I expect that microphone to start working.

What does yours say?

Koz

“Built-In Microphone,”

Yes, I can touch it. It’s two tiny holes to the left of the CAPS LOCK key on the side of the laptop.

I suppose they did that to make the recordings directional. I looked this up once a very long time ago. I forget what they said.

Koz

When using my laptop’s built-in audio card through headphones, I can hear when it writes a lot of data to the SSD, and also when I’m connected to one specific outlet in my house. So what might be happening here is indeed that it’s bleeding over in a very raw, electrical sense. (if you don’t happen to record some sort of software-mix like koz suggested).

One workaround might be finding another sound card (maybe your monitor has a headphone jack?) or at least another line (maybe you can plug the cable in at the back of your computer?) until you find a proper mixer eventually.

when I’m connected to one specific outlet in my house.

That can be a symptom of an aging or flat laptop battery. How long can you run without plugging into wall power?

As a side issue if you’re in the US, you can have a mis-wired wall outlet. I’ve had one of those in each place I’ve lived. You can get a cheap outlet tester.

If it says it’s OK, then it probably is OK. If it says it’s broken, you should stop using that outlet until you get it professionally inspected. One of the mis-wires, crossing Hot and Ground, is a health hazard.

Koz