Spec please: microphone for son's singing

[strumpusplunket]

It's what I've kept saying - it sounds to me like what you want is an interface with headphone out and low/zero latency source playback for monitoring, as well as for overdubbing i.e layering recordings.

For the channels you might need to check the manual to see whether that device will pass separate audio streams simultaneously to the DAW software. If it can, then you either 1) just need to set up the software to handle things better or 2) need to install the manufacturer's ASIO drivers and then set up the software.

Sorry, but I think the problem is that a good chunk of all this is completely over my head!

Is there a way you can explain this very simply to someone who's never plugged an electric instrument into anything before this?

Edit: also see here for audacity specific guidance: https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/multi_channel_recording.html

and make sure you have got a version of audacity that can use ASIO drivers. it sounds a bit complicated. I think it was this that drove me to ditch it and just pay for cubase in the end. It was a while ago now.
https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/asio_audio_interface.html

Thanks, I didn't know the version of Audacity would make a difference. I will check which version I installed on my son's PC tomorrow evening.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

He can't really play the guitar this way because he can't hear his own playing,

Headphones out of the mixer and he'll hear everything and my wife will vouch it is very loud.
You can also get zero latency by getting phono to phono leads going from the out to the in BUT YOU MUST NOT PUT THE MIXER TO THE SPEAKER OUTPUTS.
If you look at my picture on post 42 if I plug the other two phono leads in it gives zero latency.
You must be able to choose the ASIO4ALL drivers, it won't work with the MIC USB Codec.

I have put the Behringer drivers here so use these instead - http://gofile.me/4HGDV/bmIR0ISg0

 

[strumpusplunket]

Headphones out of the mixer and he'll hear everything
You can also get zero latency by getting phono to phono leads going from the out to the in BUT YOU MUST NOT PUT THE MIXER TO THE SPEAKER OUTPUTS.
If you look at my picture on post 42 if I plug the other two phono leads in it gives zero latency.
You must be able to choose the ASIO4ALL drivers, it won't work with the MIC USB Codec.

I have put the Behringer drivers here - http://gofile.me/4HGDV/bmIR0ISg0

Ah right. I did not know it would work that way! I will see if we can get some headphones working this way tomorrow. I assume this is what @ik9000 meant by the interface with headphone out for monitoring! I think I was bamboozled by some of the technical terms, but it makes sense now. (TBH, I still don't really get a lot of the phono to phono bit and exactly what would be going where, but trying headphones is a good start!)

And thanks a ton for uploading the drivers. You're a star!

Just downloaded them. I presume I will need to uninstall the ASIO4ALL drivers first?

 

[ik9000]

I presume I will need to uninstall the ASIO4ALL drivers first?

not necessarily, but probably safest to do that.

 

[SonicSW20]

Give Reaper a go. Audacity is more of a waveform editor (Like Adobe Audition) that has basic recording capability, Reaper is a fully featured DAW software. There's a 60 day trial, and after the 60 period it nags you / has a countdown timer. Licence is cheap if you like the software which will remove that timer.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Ah right. I did not know it would work that way! I will see if we can get some headphones working this way tomorrow.

And thanks a ton for uploading the drivers. You're a star!

Just downloaded them. I presume I will need to uninstall the ASIO4ALL drivers first?

When you plug the mixer in the sound now comes through the USB port back to your mixer so headphones are essential.
You can put it to your PC speakers but you don't want them playing while you're recording vocals - just use the mixer.

You don't have to uninstall, just choose the Behringer drivers.

 

[strumpusplunket]

not necessarily, but probably safest to do that.

Cool. Cheers.

Give Reaper a go. Audacity is more of a waveform editor (Like Adobe Audition) that has basic recording capability, Reaper is a fully featured DAW software. There's a 60 day trial, and after the 60 period it nags you / has a countdown timer. Licence is cheap if you like the software which will remove that timer.

I'll look into that. Thanks.

When you plug the mixer in the sound now comes through the USB port back to your mixer so headphones are essential.
You can put it to your PC speakers but you don't want them playing while you're recording vocals - just use the mixer.

You don't have to uninstall, just choose the Behringer drivers.

Great. So I'll be looking for the headphone out socket on the mixer? I will check in on that once I finish work tomorrow.

Starting to feel more optimistic that we'll get this working!

 

[ik9000]

Is there a way you can explain this very simply to someone who's never plugged an electric instrument into anything before this?

I thought I had.

Buy one of these https://www.gak.co.uk/en/presonus-audiobox-itwo-audio-interface/101084
Or one of these https://www.gak.co.uk/en/focusrite-scarlett-2i2-usb-audio-interface-3rd-gen/927802
Or one of these https://www.gak.co.uk/en/behringer-u-phoria-umc404hd-audio-interface/919083
or one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Akai-EIE-Pro-High-Resolution-USB-Audio-Interface/153979320221

and install the trial software that comes with it.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

Great. So I'll be looking for the headphone out socket on the mixer? I will check in on that once I finish work tomorrow.

The picture in post 42 shows a cable coming from the left hand side, that is my headphone cable.