Recording vocals while hearing instrument tracks - possible?

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fredphoesh
Posts: 44
Joined: 05 May 2015

05 May 2015

Hello guys,
My first post here. I have searched and found similar threads here, but I have been struggling for many hours to get this to work without success.

I'm trying to record vocals to a Reason audio track while being able to hear the existing music tracks playing back in Reason. I want the audio clean, so do not want the other tracks to be mixed in my vocal recording (I managed that :)

My gear is:
Mackie 1402 mixer plugged in to Lexicon Alpha USB IO device.
Mic plugged into Mackie mic input.

I am wondering if the Lexicon is the problem, if it isn't user error... I have tried almost every variation I can think of, monitoring with headphones on the Mackie using Alt 3-4 sends, monitoring on the Alpha IO device, but I cant get a clean recording AND be able to hear the music tracks while singing.

Is this possible? Your help would be much appreciated,

tx
Mark.

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ScuzzyEye
Moderator
Posts: 1402
Joined: 15 Jan 2015
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05 May 2015

It's likely your mixer combining the mic and the output from Reason back into the signal that's being fed to the input of your audio interface.

It's very possible in Reason, in fact it's just how it works when your mic is plugging into the input of the audio interface, and the speakers are connected to the output.

So have a look at your mixer, and see if you can figure out how to keep from sending the complete mix (mic + audio out from the interface) back to the interface's input.

fredphoesh
Posts: 44
Joined: 05 May 2015

06 May 2015


QUOTE "So have a look at your mixer, and see if you can figure out how to keep from sending the complete mix (mic + audio out from the interface) back to the interface's input."

YES
Thanks, I tried doing things in reverse, ie sending the INPUT from my computer to ALT 3/4 and monitoring that... and unassigning ALT 3/4 from the mix... this did the trick. Great, now I can get busy. 
Cheers
Mark

For information:
RECORDS VOICE while listening to BACKING MUSIC


[*]
ALPHA
[/*]
  1. Line 2 set to 12 oclock 1 set to minimum
  2. Monitor mix to 12 oclock
  3. Output to 9 oclock
[*]
MACKIE
[/*]
  1. channel 3 for mic gain to 3 oclock
  2. channel 3 volume to 0 db
  3. channel 1 & 2 ALT 3-4 depressed
  4. channel 1 & 2 set to 0db
  5. Main mix and ALT 3/4 depressed on C/R SOURCE
  6. Main mix Assign To Main Mix NOT depressed
  7. CTL Room/Submix -10 (just for monitoring volume)
  8. put headphone in Mackie headphone output
[*]
REASON
[/*]
  1. audio track, make sure Alpha ASIO is set for INPUT 2
  2. record enable track
  3. set clicker if needs be
  4. do not select to monitor vocal track

KEVMOVE02
Posts: 267
Joined: 26 Jan 2015

06 May 2015

It's been awhile since I used the Lexicon Alpha but I think you have to wire everything up so you can hear the music and your vocals on the mixer, before the signal gets recorded. So the Alpha sends the audio track to the mixer, then the mixer returns your vocals only to the Alpha. The trick is to make sure the backing track doesn't mixed with your vocals. The routing on the Alpha is quite confusing, which is why I traded up.

fredphoesh
Posts: 44
Joined: 05 May 2015

06 May 2015

Hi Kevmove02,

What did you trade up to, and does it overcome the annoying way the Alpha cannot be shared between Reason and Windows... so I have to reboot the computer sometimes to get things back to normal, there is a red X next to the Alpha in Reason's audio settings until I do.

tx
Mark.

KEVMOVE02
Posts: 267
Joined: 26 Jan 2015

06 May 2015

I traded up to Fast track C400 (audio and midi) and a Behringer 6 track with a mix to headphones switch. I route all of my inputs to the mixer, then route the mixer to audio interface. When I need to record a solo vocal, I can solo the monitor mix to the vocalist headphones. I'm sure their are other ways, but it gets the job done.

fredphoesh
Posts: 44
Joined: 05 May 2015

07 May 2015

Hi, 
Thanks Kevmove02...

Mark.

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