latency when recording vocals over a track on live 8

[lestarr27]

Really new to this and i looked on youtube and can not find a tutorial on how to get rid or reduce latency when recording over an mp3 track. Mic input is delayed and idk how to fix this issue. im using an mxl 770 and an m-audio m-track sound interface that provides the phantom power....please help

[Jinsai]

you need to go into your preferences and turn down the buffer where it says "buffer size" under the Audio tab. The smaller the buffer, the lower the latency... but if you go too low and your system can't handle it you'll run into other sorts of problems.

If you can get it down to 64 samples (or lower) you shouldn't have a problem.

Good general rule of thumb to follow: when you're recording, turn the buffer down. When it's time to mix and apply effects etc, turn the buffer up.

[lestarr27]

you need to go into your preferences and turn down the buffer where it says "buffer size" under the Audio tab. The smaller the buffer, the lower the latency... but if you go too low and your system can't handle it you'll run into other sorts of problems.

If you can get it down to 64 samples (or lower) you shouldn't have a problem.

Good general rule of thumb to follow: when you're recording, turn the buffer down. When it's time to mix and apply effects etc, turn the buffer up.

Thank you so much....man ive been a music guys for a long time but just recently decided to get into recording and boy, i need a lot of things to learn.

while i have u on here i hope u can answer another question i have when recording. I cant seem to get rid of the background noise when i record. i tried applying a gate but it just mutes out everything when im not recording. the actual recording of my voice still has that same background noise. I tried moving inside a closet and recording, although it did reduced the background noise a tad bit, its still there. really bothering.. ;/ hope u can help me out with this problem also.

Thanks in advance!

[Jinsai]

There's a lot of different kinds of noise... what is the nature of the noise you're dealing with?

In general, yes, you're going to want to have an isolated and quiet environment to record vocals into. Recording in your closet is a good idea, but if you're dealing with street noise etc, you might want to set up some sound proofing/baffles.

There's also sound dampener shields that you can buy. These basically mount up behind the microphone and function as a mini vocal booth. Here's one.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ ... iuqRPw_wcB

You can rig up one of these on your own though (without spending that much) by using a strip of Auralex. That stuff also is a help in general for this kind of thing.

Again, it's hard to give advice without more details about the nature of the noise you're dealing with. There are plugins (like Soundsoap or the Waves X series) that can remove noise from recordings... especially if it's something that you can isolate and analyze. Your mileage may vary though, since these plugins can tend to unavoidably take a bit away from the recording in various ways (depending on the application).

[fishmonkey]

if you want your vocal to sound like you were singing inside a small box, recording in a closet is a great idea.

[Jinsai]

if you want your vocal to sound like you were singing inside a small box, recording in a closet is a great idea.

Optimally, we'd have sound proofed rooms of all different sizes and real dedicated reverb chambers. Since that's not an option for many people, getting a deadened isolated recording that you can later treat in the computer is usually the way I'd suggest going. It's not going to sound like it was recorded "inside a small box" after you send it into a convolution reverb with an impulse response from a cathedral.

[fishmonkey]

well, if we are talking about a completely deadened closet then that is a different beast. but just going into an empty closet with your mic will sound horrible, that's what i was referring to.

[lestarr27]

Thanks for the response u guys. I'm gonna post a sample mp3 and maybe u can determine what kind of noise it is. I apololgize for all the newb questions, and I really appreciate u guys taking your time to respond to my qeustions

[lestarr27]

can i upload an ableton file here???? i have saved a set but i do not know how to post here

[lestarr27]

http://vocaroo.com/i/s1qcEQ9Ch33M

here's a sample.... thanks guys

[fishmonkey]

it's a bit hard to tell from that recording but most of it sounds like environmental noise, e.g. traffic, air conditioner, computer fans.

here a few things you can try:

• put your mic stand on some foam to isolate it from noise that might be transmitted through the floor
• turn the gain of your mic preamp down and sing louder (having the preamp up magnifies the background noise)
• roll off the low end with a high pass filter to remove subsonic noise
• make sure the dead end of your mic is pointing in the noisiest direction
• find a quieter place to record!

[lestarr27]

I went to the bathroom because i thought there would be better acoustics. it just sucks how i see all these other people that record to open rooms and spaces but they do not have the environmental noise on their final records. i dont know if i should invest on a much more expensive mic, when i see people on youtube that have the same mic as mine recording just fine...;( really bummed out as ive been trying to figure it out for 2 weeks now..

[fishmonkey]

most bathrooms are small and have lots of hard reflective surfaces... not usually the best for vocal recordings...

is your house/apartment generally noisy? if you can hear traffic and other noises then a microphone will pick those up for sure, and getting a more expensive mic won't help at all.

the gain thing is really important though. to minimise the level of the background noise in your recording you want your voice to be much louder than the noise. if your recording space is noisy then you really don't want to sing quietly with your mouth a long way from the mic, as this will force you to crank up the mic preamp gain, which raises the level of the background noise too.

[JayBrown.]

Does anybody know why my mic keeps crackling? it never used to its on ableton live 8 via a interface.