PC Vocal Recording

[Infinite Dreams]

Hello everyone! I've been using my Flextone II to record guitar tracks for several years now on my desktop PC. I recently purchased a fairly powerful new desktop, and would like to get into recording vocals as well.

My dilemma is this - I'm not a very good singer, but being able to monitor my voice helps out tremendously when recording. When I try to record vocals with Audacity, I get major a major latency between singing and the monitor through my headphones (right now I'm using the USB mic that came with Rock Band). I'm looking to upgrade to a better mic, and after some research I've discovered that USB mics will always have the latency issue.

Here are some quick gear statements before my questions:

- I plug my guitar amp into the line-in port on my sound card. There is NO latency between playing and headphone monitoring.
- When I plug a mic into the 1/8" mic jack on my sound card or into a USB slot, there IS latency.
- I want to purchase a Shure SM58s microphone.

QUESTIONS:

- Line-in is hardware playthrough, so there's no latency?

- Mic-in is software playthrough, hence the latency?

- I cannot plug the mic -> XLR -> 1/8" directly into my line-in, correct? I need a mic preamp?

- Will my Line 6 Flextone II function as a mic preamp? (mic -> XLR -> 1/4" -> Amp -> PC)

- Will the vocals still sound pretty good through the Flextone? (I'll only be using it for recording, not singing through the amp)


Thanks everyone for any help, and sorry if this is confusing. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I need to clarify anything.

-

 

[cakire82]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

This is a strange issue. I am using a Line6 POD X3 Live as a sound card via USB for recording all my guitars, basses and mics. I have the same latency (unnoticeable) for all of them. I use 1/4" instrument cables for guitars and bases and XLR for a behringer XM8500 mic.

I have always thought latency issues have nothing to do with the cables. I might be the computer's hardware, sound card hardware, sound card connection (USB, firewire...)

I am quite unexperienced but I am thinking maybe there is problem with your mic? or you might be right about your assumption in your first 2 questions.

I believe answer to your 3rd question is Yes.

4 and 5) this should work but I have no idea how it is going to sound like

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

I apologize for basically ignoring your questions ....... but I do not know the answers.

What I do know is that there are several relatively inexpensive ($150 ish) USB powered external soundcards that provide line inputs, guitar level inputs, and both mic and phantom powered mic inputs. Typically, these units will have latency levels well below your ability to discern them.

This is the one that works very well for me.

 

[nalo1022]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

I agree with Lazarus1140, but would point you towards a firewire unit. If your computer doesn't have firewire ports you can get add-on cards pretty cheap from newegg.com. I had the Presonus Firebox and loved it. The only reason I no longer ave it is becasue I upgraded to the Firepod, so I could have more inputs. The Firebox is great unit especially for the money. you have 2 preamps for either instrument , XLR, or TRS. You can usually pick one up on ebay for well under $150.

 

[cakire82]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

Line 6 POD Studios are great for this work. Close to no latency. POD Farm software

Model UX1 has a $30 rebate till the end of February so you can get it for $120. Check it out you won't regret it.
http://line6.com/podstudioux1/
http://line6.com/news/offers/909

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

Don't use the line-in or mic-in that goes direct to your in built soundcard, christ.
If you care at all about sound quality, you will get a proper audio interface so you can have proper impedance matching and proper A/D/A conversion.
Stop using Audacity and get yourself a proper DAW program like Cubase, Ableton etc too, that will help

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

Here is a big thread I created about my search for a vocal / condenser mic.

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=628234

I ended up with a Blue microphones "Snowball," and I am super, super pleased with it.

Note that I have formal audio tech education (Virginia Tech) and I have recorded with tons of condensers, Earthworks to Neumann and all in between.

 

[Infinite Dreams]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

Thanks everyone for your help. As far as purchasing an external soundcard or preamp, I think I'll stay off that road for now. Not only would I have to purchase that piece of equipment, but a mic as well, so my costs would basically double. I don't mind having a low budget recording setup for now, hence the use of Audacity and my inquiry regarding plugging a mic into my Flextone amp.

All my recordings are for recreational use at this point - I had a garage band with my roommates back in college, so we've each been recording our instruments and emailing them around to compile songs we used to play. The drummer records by simply placing his laptop in his garage and banging around, so if my guitars sound superb, it doesn't really matter compared to the drum quality. Just fun recording nostalgia for now.

My question still stands though - plugging a mic -> amp -> PC line-in will produce decent vocals with no noticeable latency, correct?

 

[nalo1022]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

Yes that will work. Decent is an arguable term and means something different for everyone. I used to do something similar with a Zoom606 back in the day it'll work simple and dirty. That actually reminded me of when I was in my old punk band. The bassist and drummer hosed a college radio show at midnight and in between them talking we recorded a song on a karaoke machine. We used the 2 crappy mics in small concrete room and jsut played. I was using a Pignose 7-100, the bassist had some 15 watt crate, and the drummer used a Dr.Zoom drum machine into a 15 watt practice amp. It sounded awful recorded onto a really old cassette that had been redubbed over a million times, but it worked. We ended that nights show with the song. Now thats punk

 

[Infinite Dreams]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

So I ended up purchasing a SM58 and running it through my Flextone II amp to my computer. My recordings actually sound pretty good! Well, good enough for me at least. This will definitely hold me over for a while. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Drew

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: PC Vocal Recording

So I ended up purchasing a SM58 and running it through my Flextone II amp to my computer. My recordings actually sound pretty good! Well, good enough for me at least. This will definitely hold me over for a while. Thanks for all the help everyone.

Drew

And the SM58 is a great mic that will work perfectly with a ux1/ux2/whatever interface in the future.