A New Way to Record: The Mixer! And.. STEREO!
We've been working on this new feature for a long time now, and we're happy to introduce new recording options in our recording system. This improved system has a new tool for everyone to use: The Mixer! Until now, you've always needed to record your voice and the music at the same time. For many of you, this works very well and if you're happy with your sound, you don't need to change a thing. However, this approach can present a couple of problems: - the recording is mono
- the voice level vs music level can sometimes be difficult to balance
- some computers, notably Windows Vista, do not have the ability to record the music (no "what-u-hear" or "stereo mix" on their soundcard)
- a USB microphone doesn't work very well Well, no more! The Mixer changes the "See The Results" step in the recording process. Now, simply record your song and on the next step, you're given the option to hear the music along with your voice by clicking "Enable Music". This is the main feature of The Mixer: it lets you preview your recording with the music mixed in! To coincide with this new preview system, we're also introducing an exciting new feature for Gold members: STEREO! All Gold members will hear stereo tracks when recording their song. Then, in The Mixer, their voice will be mixed together with the stereo music to create a stereo recording! See the difference: - now all new recordings from Gold members will be in STEREO
- the voice level is super easy to adjust after your recording is made; no more doing 5 takes to get the level right!
- users with Windows Vista, USB microphones and sound cards that can't record the music will get GREAT sound quality! Here's how it works: If you want to use this new way of recording, you might have to adjust your sound card settings. You'll want to select "Mic" instead of "Stereo Mix" in your sound card's control panel. Now, when you record, the level meter will only move when you sing or speak into the mic; it won't move when the music is playing. Next, record a song. Start with a song you really know well so that it's easier. When you get to the "See The Result" page, you'll see The Mixer. The first time, there will be no check in the "Enable Music" area. If you hit the play button right now, you should hear ONLY your voice, no music. (Or at least, barely any music.) Now, click "Enable Music". After a moment, you'll hear the music and your voice mixed together! You can adjust the volume of your voice or the music by moving the slider left or right. There are two other important features: the Preview Accuracy light, and the Adjust Timing control. When the Preview Accuracy light is green, it means that what you are hearing is what your recording will sound like when you save it. Essentially, it means that the preview is accurate at that moment. If it turns yellow or red, wait until it goes back to green before judging whether it sounds good or not. Sometimes, your voice will sound a little early or late compared to the music. If you feel your voice timing is off, click the "Adjust Timing" checkbox. Use the "+" and "-" button to make your voice play later or earlier in the mix. You'll notice that the green Voice box below will move, showing how the sound will be affected. You can also enable lyrics with the "A" button to show them on screen to help you judge your timing. What if this is too hard, or I'm having problems? This is the greatest part of The Mixer: if you uncheck "Enable Music" then it works just like the old system. So, set your sound card up the way you had it, uncheck "Enable Music" and record just like you've been doing for the past few years! We'll try to answer all the questions about this in the forums and make improvements as they are needed.
Note: This topic subject has been moderated.
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