Recording Your Own Singing Voice

You can use audio recording software to capture a recording of your singing.

You can record your own singing voice in many ways. All you need is a microphone and an audio recording device. Even a cell phone with a built-in “voice record” or “voice memo” feature can be used to perform this task -- it just wouldn’t sound good. If you’re looking to create a high-quality recording of your singing voice, this narrows your options a bit. One option is to hook up a high-quality microphone to a computer, then use audio recording and editing software to record your vocals.

Things You'll Need

• Microphone
• Microphone preamp
• 1/4 inch to 3.5 mm stereo male cable

Instructions

Connect Microphone to Computer

1. Purchase a high-quality vocal microphone. The Sure SM58, for example, is generally regarded as an excellent microphone for live vocal recordings.

2. Plug the microphone into the “Mic” input jack on the mic preamp.

3. Insert the 1/4-inch end of the stereo cable into the mic preamp’s stereo output jack. Connect the other end of this cable to the line input jack on your computer.

4. Connect the mic preamp to an electrical power source. Turn on the microphone and preamp.

5. Plug your headphones into the computer’s headphone jack. If your computer is equipped with external speakers, turn the speakers down to prevent audio feedback during the recording.

Record Using Audacity

1. Launch the Audacity application.

2. Select “Preferences” from the “Edit” menu. Open the “Recording” drop-down menu on the “Audio I/O” tab. Select your computer’s sound card. Click “OK.”

3. Click the "Record" button when you are ready to begin recording.

4. Sing into the microphone. Click the "Stop" button when you’re ready to end the recording.

Record Using GarageBand (For Macs)

1. Launch the GarageBand application. Select “New Project” from the left pane. Select “Voice” from the right pane. Click “Choose.” A dialog box will open. Fill in the designated fields then click “Create.”

2. Open the “GarageBand” menu. Select "Preferences.” Go to the “Audio/MIDI” tab. Open the “Audio Input” menu. Select your computer’s sound card. Close the preferences window.

3. Open the “Monitor” drop-down menu. Click “On.”

4. Click on the “Male” or “Female” track to select it. Click the "Record" button when you are ready to begin recording.

5. Sing into the microphone. Click the "Play" button when you are ready to end the recording. GarageBand does not have a Stop button.

Record Using Cool Edit Pro

1. Launch the Cool Edit Pro application.

2. Click the red “R” button next to “Track 1.”

3. Click the red "Record" button when you are ready to begin recording.

4. Sing into the microphone.

5. Click the "Stop" button when you are ready to end the recording.

Tips & Warnings

• Monitor the signal level in the recording application as you sing. Your levels should come close to, but not exceed, 0 decibels. Adjust the gain on the microphone preamp if needed. Adjust the volume input level of your computer’s sound card if needed.

References

• NYU: Microphones At ITP
• Apple: Record Your Voice in GarageBand
• Sourceforge: Recording with Audacity
• Google Docs: Cool Edit Pro