Hi, I wonder if anyone out there could offer assistance?

What I'm wanting to do is make a demo cd using a professional backing track then to record my voice over it, I know there is a programme I can get to use with my computer but after searching the net I'm still no further, does anyone know what the name of this software is and also how much it could be as I'm on a budget being a student, has anyone had any experience of using such a programme, thanks in advance.

Nick

When I'm recording my guitar over backing tracks, or doing a chord backing track then another track with my solo's etc I use Cool Edit Pro... its pretty good, you can use MP3 or WAV or even CD (I think) data to be a channel, then you just plug into your line in on your sound card and sing, play instrument whatever... and record onto another channel and combine it :)

it's been bought out by Adobe I think, I believe its new name is "Adobe Audition"... its a pretty good tool, not sure on the price, I got it not so ligitmately a long time ago...

It's pretty easy to get hold of if you know anything about file sharing ;)

Originally posted by Chord
Hi, I wonder if anyone out there could offer assistance?

What I'm wanting to do is make a demo cd using a professional backing track then to record my voice over it, I know there is a programme I can get to use with my computer but after searching the net I'm still no further, does anyone know what the name of this software is and also how much it could be as I'm on a budget being a student, has anyone had any experience of using such a programme, thanks in advance.

Nick

You can download a demo copy of Cakewalks Guitar tracks pro here:

Cakewalk (http://www.cakewalk.com/Owners/GTPRO3/)

Its not just for guitarists, its basicaly a multitrack recorder with bells and whistles. You cant save anything with the demo but it is functional apart from that. Its not too expensive either.

If it was me I'd use Cubase. You can have 16 or 32 tracks playing at once and add audio to it via microphone or guitar/bass/organ etc..
Then add another one and hear all he last ones..
and when you've done that,
add another one and hear all the last ones, and mix it better,

etc...

when you're happy you can mix it out to a final stereo mix.

then use soundforge to put a final polish on it, compression and master reverb.

bobs your uncle alice's your auntie there you are, nero CD writing and you posses a half decent cd demo, that the likes of Led zep/tony christie/glitter band would have paid half a million pounds for.

muddy coffee esq.

Or alternatively I have a roland, and lots of decent microphones.
Can come around and spend 4 hours recording you, and then you give me £50 and I bring you a nice mastered CD 2-3 days later.

Thank you for all your help and advice guys, im gonna look into it all, there is one thing I forgot to add, do any of these programmes etc have a facility on them allowing you to remove vocals from cd tracks etc, in effect leaving you with a backing track,thanks again.

Nick

You can get plugins for sound editing programs like soundforge, which will put a notch filter in the middle of the stereo spectrum, to supposably remove the main vocals, but it will affect the quality of the finished track. They are never very good. Most karaoke players do this too, but again it makes the original track sound weak and washy.

If you want a song without vocals, either get the karaoke version, use a .midi file to play it via midi interface on a high quality synthesiser, or record a band playing it without vocals.

Hi,

Sorry to be a pain, try as I might (ive decided to use cakewalk) I've looked at the turtorial oodles of times but cannot figure out how to actually load a backing track onto the cakewalk programme to then record my voice over that.

Any help much appreciated!

Nick.

Somebody please help me..........

Originally posted by Chord
Somebody please help me..........

Hi Chord

I am pretty new to cakewalk myself.
I have onlu used a mic input and guitar preamp input upto now so I havent tried backing tracks yet but I will have a look at it.

I assume that any sound that goes through the sound card can be captured on one of the channels (multi tracks).



I,ll PM you soon.

Alan

Hi Chord

Check your PM Inbox, I have left you a message.

Alan

Hi Lostrider

There's no PM in my inbox :-(

Originally posted by Chord
Hi Lostrider

There's no PM in my inbox :-(

Ok, I tried importing a mp3 file into cakewalk and it dropped it into channel 5.

I havent got any midi files so dont know if it will import midi.

What format is your backing track?

If it is CD you may have to rip it into media player and then import it into cakewalk. Media player will convert it to mp3 if you have the plug in, if not rip it to wma at 128k quality.

You will see the audio files you can import when you choose the Import Audio option.

Use the Import audio under the file tab.

Hi Lostrider, under my file tab there is no import audio tab, where else could it be?
Cheers Nick

Originally posted by Chord
Hi Lostrider, under my file tab there is no import audio tab, where else could it be?
Cheers Nick

You have got the demo copy of Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro 3 have'nt you?
As per the link on my previous post!!

Hi Again, Thanks for all your time etc, its cakewalk pro 9 version I have ( I got it from a rather dubious source) :),thats why I'm stuck I think !! Cheers Again Nick