Category: Jam Session
Hi,
i have several questions. I have used Goldwave for years to record my music. I use a sound blaster soundcard to record, using the what you hear checkbox. Do you guys know if the what you hear checkbox would be accessible in Windows 7/8? I use an XP desktop to record and I don't know of any other way to record. How do you all record things? Would anyone be willing to teach me some other way of recording if I can no longer use my sound blaster method? Do you use mixers? if so, what ones? I've never used a mixer in my life. I've seen them, but have never had any training on how to record with one. I'm considering ditching desketops altogether. I don't use my desktop for much at all anymore, save for recording myself and it seems silly to me to keep my huge, old, clumky desktop around simply for singing purposes, since I dont' record every single day. would it even be possible to use a laptop to record? I would like a laptop because then I can pick up and trabel with it and, if I want, or need, take my recording equipment with me.
Thanks for any help you can provide,
Dawnielle
You can absolutely use a laptop to record, either with a USB or 3/4 inch microphone. I've never used goldwave however, and can't tell you much about that. The main issue you'd be dealing with is recording latency; hearing what you're recording a split second after you say it. As you can imagine, that throws off timing. Ways around that would be to use Asio4all (google can find it for you), with a digital audio workstation like reaper. I've just started using Reaper and don't yet know how accessible it is. The other option is to buy an inexpensive audio interface which you can then use as either a mixer, or a sound card. For instance, I baught a Zoom h4N, which you can plug into your computer via USB and use as a sound card. It's got a really good built-in pair of stereo microphones (XY style( and in addition you can plug external microphones that use a quarter inch or XLR plug. If you ensure the zoom's recording moniter is turned on, you can hear yourself record without latency. Hope that hepls. Bare in mind the Zoom isn't the most accessible digital recorder out there, but depending on your sight, and what you need, it's pretty great. There's also some tutorials on how to use it without sight.
Hi,
Thanks for your help. why would there be recording latency? Goldwave does not lag, when I record with it. I have an Olympus DM 560 recorder, which I use for recording when I'm out somewhere travelling around. I also have a mic, but I need to buy another one anyway, for recording purposes. I dont' play any of my own music, all I do is sing. So, what I've been doing is I play my karaoke track via Winamp, sing over it and record myself with goldwave. I don't do any advanced editing, save for re-recording something. I'm a fairly simplistic singer. I've never known anyone who knows how to use any advanced audio editing software, so I've never been able to learn any. If I mess up, I simply re-record myself again or re-record the track. If I'm doing a multi-track song, I create each track, with the music, in a separate file. I've been using my sound blastercard to record both my voice and the music, via the what you hear check box. I also have lots of cassette tapes I have been in the process of recording to my PC via the soundblaster card using the line-in jack on the card. I guess what I need to know is, are there accessible sound cards for Windows 8/7? I use Jaws. As far as using that digital recorder you mentioned, I have no sight at all. If I need affects, I use a recording box, which my mom's husband gave me. It's kind of old, but it works. I plug my mic inot the recording box, the box into the computer and then use the sound card's volume control and volume control in Winamp, to adjust my volume settings, as well as the volume on the recording box itself. I was hoping I could simply buy a sound blast USb sound card, plug it into whatever laptop I have, install Goldwave, plug in my mic/recording box combo, an be good to go. It does nto sound like it is that simple anymore. I hope this helps you understand what I'm trying to accomplish. However, if there are no USB sound cards which are accessible with Windows 7/8, then I'll have to look inot other options. I really didn't see any use keeping my giant desktop around simply for recording things, however, that may be my best option, I guess, I don't know.
Thanks,
Dawnielle
It does help me understand. At this time I'm more familiar with software rather than hardware, since I'm little more than a talented and passionate novice at this point. But if it's a sound card you're looking for, I imagine there must be one out there. Most sound cards I know of that are internal have a lot of their settings on the computer itself. But again, I'm not sure. I do believe, like with the Zoom, you can also use your olympus as a sound card. I have a DS 60, and I'm quite certain it's possible. Might be under external input. Sounds like you've got a set up which works for you though.
Thanks. I guess I will use another drive which I have access to to find out if the what you hear checkbox on my internal sound card is accessible using windows 7. however, that will not definitively answer my question, either because something may work or it may not, with a USB one, blah. This whole thing is just frustrating to me. sometimes, I get so tired of technology changing, ugg. I get that XP is old and destined to lack support soon because it cannot always be supported. This worries me though because at some point, probably sooner than later, Goldwave and other programs, wil no longer work on XP. This means that at that point, I'll be out of luck. I'd rather upgrade now, rather than having to scramble around later, trying to figure something out. Still, if no one has any ideas for USB sound cards which may be accessible using Jaws, I don't know what to do either. I don't know any other places to ask my question. I have asked my ex, who uses Goldwave, a sound blaster sound card, and a similar setup to me to record. He has not responded to my inquiry. So, I don't know. I know it's not your problem and I am not trying to put this on you in any way. I sincerely appreciate your help with all this. I might check into using my Olympus as a sound card. I just feel sort of screwed either way I choose to go, because no one has any answers for me. Do you know of any other place I could ask this? I don't know of any other place with massive amounts of blind users, really.
Thanks again,
Dawnielle
Unfortunately I do not. That's why I'm telling you what worked for me. I didn't even know people still used soundblasters. But I mean you could probably get the same affect using your computer's sound card along with either the zoom (which I highly recommend if you don't mind spending a bit, as, even though it's all meny druive, the basic functions are easy to memorize and there's a good tutorial for using it without sight. Otherwise an inexpensive two-channel mixer would probably work.
Does the what you hear thing only come with sound blaster cards? I have a Realtek.
So do I, and I've never seen that feature. I've wanted it though.
TheBlindGuardian, Though I haven't used Reaper, it's pretty accessible with the Reaaccess scripts, (google for them). I'd also recommend going with an external interface, such as the M-Audio MobilPre instead of the soundblaster.
Hi.
A laptop is just like a desktop, just portable.
If you like using Sound Blaster, continue as you are, just purchase an external model.
Creative has them on sale all the time, and it will have a jack for the Mic, and headset, plus switches on the box.
It will connect via USB, and in Windows 7 and 8 is plug and play.
Plug it up, and it becomes the main card, but you can change this as well, using both the computers card and the Blaster easily.
Your current setup in this fashion will work just like you know it now.
Chancing Dots provides more upscale accessible stuff, but for your needs, and going with what you know, stick to this setup.
Happy recording.
Thanks Wayne!! I've heard of Dancing Dots. I've also heard of Audacity. My best friend uses it all the time to do things and I've heard it's accessible. Yes, the what you hear option is only in soundblaster cards, as far as I know, to someone who asked. I'll be purchasing some sort of nice laptop soon, with decent sound and then i'll go from there. I really miss singing and can't wait to do it again!! I've never heard of Reaper or the M-Audio Mobile Pre. I'll take a look at that, too. Why use that instead of soundblaster out of curiosity?
Thanks for the comments everyone!!
Dawnielle
Reaper is a multi track editor, instead of having to ply your karaoke track in
winamp and record it into gold wave you can do it all in reaper. Inmport the
karaoke onto one track, insert a second track and then record you vocal on it. if
you want to do backing vocals or harmony insert a third track and record away
again while hearing the karaoke and the first vocal track. When its all done, you
can adjust the volume of each individually, put effects on all or each track
individually etc. The reason to go with something like the m-audio mobile pre
or the Tascam US122 is because they are made for recording and thus usually
have features geared towards a more professional recording set up and use wit
programs like Reaper. Not that your sound blaster wouldn't work with reaper,But
you can do more/get better quality recordings with something like one of the
more professional USB recording sound cards like the M-audio or Tascam ones. I
wouldn't recommend plugging amid into the mic jack on the laptop personally. I
can work in a pinch but quality can go up for not much money if you use a USB
option and a better microphone. Reaper has a mailing list for learning how to
use it with ReaAccess, the access plug in tha works with jaws. And They can
help with more sound card options there as well. www.reaaccess.com should get
you started.
The What you hear option is not only in Sound Blaster cards, but only in Sound Blaster cards is it known by that name. Instead, other cards call it "stereo mix", including Realtek.
Windows 7 drastically changed the way audio works, to the point where any input of most sound cards (ironically, except for many professional ones) is accessible as a recording device by any app which allows you to change recording devices...and this includes Stereo mix. The other difference is in the way you might have to get yourself to hear yourself to be picked up by What You Hear. You might have to explicitly tell your computer to listen to the input device, e.g. microphone, through a given sound device which you can select from the propertys of that recording device in the sound control panel. While this does add complexity, it also drastically increases flexability, as you no longer have to worry about using inputs on the same sound card to get a what you hear type effect.
One other thing. What you hear/stereo mix might be hidden in the recording devices. If this should occur, you can simply show hidden devices and enable that device, both can be done from the context menu of the recording devices list.
Knows sound for sure. Smile.
Good questions and discussion - I am wondering the same thing, in a sense, as Dawnielle is.
I don't have any functional sight, so rely on screen readers for accessibility. I use audacity as my recorder and editor. I have a couple of USB mics and the built-in mic in my laptop - just depends on what I am trying to record and the type of sound I want.
I begin by recording a guide track. For me, this is usually a track with me playing guitar and singing (if that's what the song calls for). I then export the guide track to dropbox, and then access it on my iPhone. I can listen to the guide track as I play the other parts. The guide track isn't usually pitch-perfect - the main thing is to get the rhythm the way I want it. I record the additional tracks while listening to the playback of the guide track on headphones from my iPhone. On the guide track, I give an extended count-in (usually two or three bars, with the last couple beats of the lead-in bar being a silent count). This enables me to sink the various tracks I record. I can also edit each track individually with effects and whatnot as needed. I rarely use the guide track in the final mix - it is what it is... A guide, afterall.
This sounds like a long pain-in-the-ass process I'm sure, but it works for me.
I would be interested in hearing any recommendations on external mixers which can be plugged into my laptop. I'm assuming that this would be done via USB.
I use audacity as it fits within my budget. However, now that I am getting a bit more serious about this recording stuff, I would be interested in some recommendations for some next-level devices or fully accessible software.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this.
Good questions and discussion - I am wondering the same thing, in a sense, as Dawnielle is.
I don't have any functional sight, so rely on screen readers for accessibility. I use audacity as my recorder and editor. I have a couple of USB mics and the built-in mic in my laptop - just depends on what I am trying to record and the type of sound I want.
I begin by recording a guide track. For me, this is usually a track with me playing guitar and singing (if that's what the song calls for). I then export the guide track to dropbox, and then access it on my iPhone. I can listen to the guide track as I play the other parts. The guide track isn't usually pitch-perfect - the main thing is to get the rhythm the way I want it. I record the additional tracks while listening to the playback of the guide track on headphones from my iPhone. On the guide track, I give an extended count-in (usually two or three bars, with the last couple beats of the lead-in bar being a silent count). This enables me to sink the various tracks I record. I can also edit each track individually with effects and whatnot as needed. I rarely use the guide track in the final mix - it is what it is... A guide, afterall.
This sounds like a long pain-in-the-ass process I'm sure, but it works for me.
I would be interested in hearing any recommendations on external mixers which can be plugged into my laptop. I'm assuming that this would be done via USB.
I use audacity as it fits within my budget. However, now that I am getting a bit more serious about this recording stuff, I would be interested in some recommendations for some next-level devices or fully accessible software.
Apologies for the double post - my browser crashed when I hit "submit." My apologies.