Recording to PC...what do I need?

[mmbongo]

Sorry but the title is kind of misleading, but I don't know how to word my question quickly. I already do recording to my computer, so I kind of know what I'm doing.

Here's what I have, and what I do:
I run the DI from my bass amp to a Behringer mixer. I also connect my MP3 player and some other sources (like drum machine) to the mixer. The output of the mixer then goes to the line in on my PC where I can record it. No problems. I monitor everything through headphones.

Here's what I WANT to do:
Right now when I record, I record everything I hear through the headphones. Okay that works great. BUT what I want to do is add some bass tracks to some songs for my band that didn't have a bass player until I joined. I CAN do this with my above method, (by just re-recording the whole song through the mixer) but I'd rather be able to record the bass track separately then mix it in with the original recording which I can do with Audacity IF I can record the bass track separately.

Problem is, I need to be listening to the song (from my MP3 player) and to my bass through the mixer/headphones. But I want to record ONLY the bass and NOT the MP3 player. Basically I need something where I can listen to all the inputs together, but only send certain inputs back out of via the main outputs. Or I need to run two sources into one set of headphones (one being the mixer, one being the MP3 player).

Dang, does that make sense?

[badboy1984]

why don't you use audio interface for your pc and use recording software like Cubase? Alot of audio interface come with Cubase LE that does the job fine.

I use one of these

PreSonus

It allow you to use XLR with phantom power and line in for guitar/bass etc.

you canb record vocal via XLR mic , line in your drum machine , record guitar/bass etc. This interface is run by firewire and it also allow you to record 2 stereo track at once.

With recording software like cubase you can import midi or mp3 to the project and you record your bass with the mp3 track, then you can export the track out without the mp3 etc.

It make life alot easier and it sound good too.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by badboy1984

With recording software like cubase you can import midi or mp3 to the project and you record your bass with the mp3 track, then you can export the track out without the mp3 etc.

It make life alot easier and it sound good too.

Yeah this sounds kinda like what I need to do. I'll look into that.

I currently use Sound Forge and Audacity for recording software. Both work great, although rather simplistic. Problem is I've only got the one audio input on my PC so I'll also look into a recording interface.

[genericusername]

I'd use a kind of Y adapter to have the mp3 player and the bass playing through the same headphones. Probably tons of problems with this idea, but if you have a y adapter handy, might be worth a try.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by genericusername

I'd use a kind of Y adapter to have the mp3 player and the bass playing through the same headphones. Probably tons of problems with this idea, but if you have a y adapter handy, might be worth a try.

That's actually exactly what I need, but you're right that a passive Y adapter would cause impedance issues. What I would need is some sort of active device. I might end up having to just add a 2nd mixer.

[orfeu]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Yeah this sounds kinda like what I need to do. I'll look into that.

I currently use Sound Forge and Audacity for recording software. Both work great, although rather simplistic. Problem is I've only got the one audio input on my PC so I'll also look into a recording interface.

I recommend the following:
REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits
It is very intuitive, can do all you need and more and has a great user base that shares knowledge and helps to develop the software. Also, the evaluation version is uncrippled. If you feel it is the right thing for you you can always buy a license (for little money) and support the programmers.

Sometimes I record quick sketches with it, including overdubs and quick mixing and effects. Just with the built-in mic of my notebook and headphones, or the way you do it now, with a mixer into the input. Easy!

For better sound quality use an interface like the presonus one recommended above. I recommend the RME Fireface, they are expensive when bought new, but their drivers never crash and the quality (of the preamps as well as the headphone output) is a big step up from the built in jacks of your computer. And you can record a whole band (great for studio preparation).

best regards

Christoph

[mmbongo]

Well just an update:

I just ended up getting a 2nd mixer and it works like a champ. I can now isolate and record only the bass track while still hearing the backing tracks and the bass track through my headphones

[uhdinator]

All you had to do was import the mp3 into a track on software. Add another new track and select the input arm it and track the bass on that track. Then mix it later.

[Charling]

Originally Posted by uhdinator

All you had to do was import the mp3 into a track on software. Add another new track and select the input arm it and track the bass on that track. Then mix it later.

Yeah the 2nd mixer, and to do what you are saying even the 1st mixer, is unecessary! Plug headphones into the computers headphone out, import the mp3 into any DAW, record bass into the computers in.

That said, little mixers are cheap as chips so its no biggie!

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by uhdinator

All you had to do was import the mp3 into a track on software. Add another new track and select the input arm it and track the bass on that track. Then mix it later.

Yeah but....that was the whole point. I couldn't isolate the bass before. Now with 2 mixers, I can.

I had my amp, and my backing tracks all connected to one mixer so I could listen to what I was playing, and I could listen to the backing track (whether it be a drum machine, laptop, MP3 player...whatever) through headphones connected to the mixer. I could also send that output to my PC and record it..but it recorded everything.

Now with the second mixer, I can connect just my bass amp to it's own mixer. The output from that mixer goes to the PC for recording, and to the 2nd mixer where it mixes the bass in with whatever backing tracks I want. So now when I record, I record only the bass so I can do whatever I want with the bass track. This allows me to import it back into whatever backing track I played to, and I can adjust the level, add effects, even fix mistakes I currently use Audacity for that, it works good and it's free!

[moles]

Originally Posted by mmbongo

Yeah but....that was the whole point. I couldn't isolate the bass before. Now with 2 mixers, I can.

I had my amp, and my backing tracks all connected to one mixer so I could listen to what I was playing, and I could listen to the backing track (whether it be a drum machine, laptop, MP3 player...whatever) through headphones connected to the mixer. I could also send that output to my PC and record it..but it recorded everything.

Now with the second mixer, I can connect just my bass amp to it's own mixer. The output from that mixer goes to the PC for recording, and to the 2nd mixer where it mixes the bass in with whatever backing tracks I want. So now when I record, I record only the bass so I can do whatever I want with the bass track. This allows me to import it back into whatever backing track I played to, and I can adjust the level, add effects, even fix mistakes I currently use Audacity for that, it works good and it's free!

I think you were missing the point. Even though you've already bought the second mixer, you should try this anyway: (nothing wrong with learning a bit more about signal flow, and the recording process)
Import whatever mp3 tune you want to play to onto your computers hard drive.
Import that track into Audacity - I'm not *that* familiar with that particular DAW but you should be able to do this, and it will probably automatically convert it to a .wav for you to make your life easier.
Hook up your bass through whatever signal chain you want.
Plug your headphones into your *computer's headphone*, or since you aren't micing your bass amp it seems, just monitor through your desktop speakers.
Now, when you hit record on Audacity, you would hear the mp3 that you want to play to, and all you're recording is your bass track. You can stop, punch in, do retakes, and process the track after the fact no problemo.

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by moles

I think you were missing the point. Even though you've already bought the second mixer, you should try this anyway: (nothing wrong with learning a bit more about signal flow, and the recording process)
Import whatever mp3 tune you want to play to onto your computers hard drive.
Import that track into Audacity - I'm not *that* familiar with that particular DAW but you should be able to do this, and it will probably automatically convert it to a .wav for you to make your life easier.
Hook up your bass through whatever signal chain you want.
Plug your headphones into your *computer's headphone*, or since you aren't micing your bass amp it seems, just monitor through your desktop speakers.
Now, when you hit record on Audacity, you would hear the mp3 that you want to play to, and all you're recording is your bass track. You can stop, punch in, do retakes, and process the track after the fact no problemo.

Actually, that would probably work. I will try it for sure. That would save me from having to sync up the two tracks.

The only problem with it would be that I couldn't use any external sources as the backing track (such as a drum machine). Plus with the mixer, I can also hook up a mic and add backing vocals Hopefully it will work fine for just adding bass to existing audio files though, which is what I need to to the most.

[moles]

Oh but you could!
You could track the drum machine first (if you want stereo drums), then the bass. Or you could take advantage of the fact that your PC "Line In" is probably stereo, and hard pan the bass channel and drum machine channel (which would be mono in this scenario) giving you a dual mono signal. You'd probably need something like a stereo RCA to 1/8" trs cable, depending on how the mixer output is.

[Charling]

^^

Exactly!

Also, another way of doing it would be to have main outs of the desk going to the computer, computer output coming back to the mixers phono tape in (i'm not sure what mixer you have but normally even the smallest can do this setup!).

Plug the headphones into the mixer and press the button to send the tape in to control room outs (which headphones normally mirrors) and make sure that the button that send main outs to control room outs is NOT pressed.

Now you have split the desk into an input side (with the faders and eq's) and an output side (control room out vol etc). Youd still need to track by track or import mp3 audio as above, but all your sound controls would be in one place, and if you want to practice without the computer just press the button that makes the main outs go to the control room outs and you have connected the two sides and it goes back to a normal mixer!


As I say, MAY not work on your mixer but even the smallest I've seen and owned can do this! Bigger ones have a host more options available as well! The mixer is designed to be the studio brain, and it can accomplish most things o its own, normally an extra mixer is only needed if you need extra channels! Can take a bit of learning though as they quickly become a little complex as they get bigger...

Actually, althoug this is less elegant a solution, if your desk has either auxs or insert points you can record just the bass in a very simple way. Connect the mixer up like you used to, go from either the bass channels (insert if there is one) or aux 1 into the input of the computer. That will only record the bass (you'd need to turn up aux 1 on the bass channel to set a level. However listening back to the tune in sync would be a nightmare! Better to use one of the options above!

[mmbongo]

Originally Posted by moles

I think you were missing the point. Even though you've already bought the second mixer, you should try this anyway: (nothing wrong with learning a bit more about signal flow, and the recording process)

moles, this worked beautifully. Wish I would have caught on to what you guys were saying earlier

I'm using Audacity which I don't like as well as Sound Forge, but Sound Forge does not do multi-tracks. Is there a cheap (like $50 cheap) software that works more like Sound Forge but does multi tracks? I tried that Reaper software and I think I must be too stupid to use it. I'll work with it some more, but in the meantime I'm taking other suggestions. Sound Forge is just so much slicker and works so much faster. It also has much better effects and eq's and stuff like that.

[moles]

I'm not that familiar with Sound Forge, but I can see Reaper being a little difficult at first. I found it a bit of a trip, and I went to school for this stuff

The best IMO cheap DAW is Samplitude 10SE - I think it's still up for sale on the Magix site - $50 last time I checked. It's still got a bit of a complicated interface, but it's intuitive if you have experience with other standard recording software. Download the Samplitude 11 demo from the Magix site, and give it a run.