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Hi,

I've been mostly running MIDI sequences, and doing the vocals live with that configuration recording the audio out of my separate PA Mixer. This has worked quite well in the past.

Today we were helping a friend of mine out who uses backing tracks, e.g. WAV or MP3, and we wanted to record the backing track to a track in RealBand and then play that track back and record his vocals on a second audio track.

We can record the backing track OK, and that plays back just fine. But when we enter record mode in RB we could not get the previously recorded audio (backing) track to play while recording the vocals.

I've probably missed it in searching the forums, but I haven't spotted anything that has helped me resolve this yet. I found the play and record checkbox in options for Audio, but that did not appear to make any difference.

Could this be a sound card limitation? That is, the sound card may only be able to play OR record but not do both at the same time. It is an on board sound card, on an MSI Motherboard.

If it is the sound card what external (USB, or other) sound card(s) would you recommend to resolve the issue?

Thanks,
Burt

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Look for setting called full duplex

You are recording onto a separate track for the new vocals right? Highliting a new track other than the one you just recorded on? You can not record on the same track twice without recording over the existing material.

What soundcard is there now? What OS?


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I agree with rharv's post above. Make sure you have selected a clean and empty track. You cannot listen to the sound on a track you are recording to


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Thanks,

I should have been clearer.

The backing track is recorded on Track 1, which is set to be mono-audio

We then set empty track 2 to also be mono-audio, and track 2 is highlighted/selected.

We click the record button, the metronome count in starts and we are recording to track 2 but we cannot hear the previously recorded backing track that is on Track 1.

So, no we are not trying to record over the top of the previously recorded track.

This running under Windows XP Pro, the "Sound Card" is what is built into the MSI mother board. It is an MSI K8MM-ILSR Motherboard with VIA/Realtek ALC655 sound chip.

So I'm thinking that might be the limiting factor and that the sound card may not support playback while recording. Just for grins I'm trying to install/update the sound driver again just in case. As expected updating the driver did NOT correct the problem.

The MB specs say that it is an AC'97 link controller integrated in VIA VT8237, 6 channels software audio codec ALC655, Compliance with AC97 v2.3 Spec and Meets PC2001 audio performance requirement.

As mentioned before, I normally use MIDI sequences for my own backing "tracks" and set an unused track in RB to audio, and record the output from our mixer/pa which includes the MIDI synth audio output, my guitar, and our vocals. That of course works just fine since the sound card does not need to play anything back at that point.

Note there is no problem with the sound card playing back if we have recorded a track in RB and then play it back, or any other playback functions with the sound card.

It is only when there is a previously recorded audio track that is loaded into RB (say as track 1) and we attempt to record to another track (in this example track 2) and want to have Track 1 playing while we are recording to Track 2.

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That is weird

Again I would look for a 'full duplex' setting in the soundcard


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Can you just hit Play and hear the first track play back by itself?


--Mac

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"Note there is no problem with the sound card playing back if we have recorded a track in RB and then play it back, or any other playback functions with the sound card.
"


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BurtB Offline OP
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Thanks Mac,

Yes, the previously recorded track plays back just fine if you hit the play button in RB. When hitting Record we do not hear that previously recorded track, but we can record fine on the empty track.

I've checked for a duplex option on the sound driver in WinXP for this "sound card" and do not see it, so I'm suspecting that the sound card and/or driver is the limiting factor here.

Does anyone have a good suggestion for an add on sound "card" you are using that supports full duplex operation?

Burt

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I have used several different RealTek built in soundcards with both PT and RB (virtually identical engines) and have been able to do what you want to do. There may be different RealTek designs out there, but if your computer is even "relatively" new, it should be able to do this.

I suspect a setting somewhere is preventing this.

Please check, inside of RealBand, Prefs -> 2Audio -> and about halfway down the window that opens on the LH side, see if "Full Duplex(Record/Play at same time)" is checked to true.

If it is, try UNchecking it, say okay, then go right back and check it again and say Okay. Might be "stuck" somehow...


--Mac

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Thanks Mac,

That appeared to do the trick.. That is I went in and cleared, exited, then re-checked the full duplex option in RB Audio configuration. Didn't get a chance to test until a few minutes ago, but now I can play the WAV file loaded into track 1 and record on from the mic/PA on track 2. So that is great.

But there is another wrinkle.

The output from the sound card is being fed into the playback input on my Kustom PA, and the record out from the PA is routed to the Aux input on the computer (sound card).

The record output comes after the mixer portion of the PA and before the final Monitor and Master level controls and equalizers. The playback input is after the final Monitor and Master equalizers and definitely does NOT route back in any way to the record output or the mixer portion of the PA.

Even with the playback volume controls set to 0 so no sound is heard through the PA speakers so there could be nothing picked up via the mics track two winds up with a low volume recording of the WAV in track 1. If I sing or talk into the mic that is also recorded.

If I turn the volume slider on track 1 to 0 then track 2 only gets the microphone input and not the backing track audio.

Again the signal path for the playback input on the PA does NOT route through any of the PA inputs and also from previous recording attempts did not appear to route through the record outputs, so I don't think that would be the issue here but I'll check again. That is, in order to record audio coming from the computer I would have to move the audio output from the playback input jacks and bring it in through the PA mixer, which is not what I'm currently doing.


Have you run into this before? is there some option or setting that I'm missing that is causing the audio being played back on track 1 to be recorded on track 2? If you haven't seen this before I'll try pulling things out of the case and disconnect the aux input to the PC, and no the PC does NOT have a microphone built in.

Thanks again,
Burt

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Unless your mixer has a specified "Control Room" monitoring setup, I suspect that you can't use it like a recording mixer as you have currently hooked up.


--Mac

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BurtB Offline OP
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Thanks Mac,

Actually it was easier than that I went back and checked the sound card and there were two "mixer" controls in the optional recording settings. When I made them visible both of them were slightly above 0!!!! I never set those so they must have been defaulted to that.

Knocked them both down to 0, and the problem went away.

Hopefully user info for someone else if they have a similar problem some day.

Appears to be working fine now, can play the recorded WAV on track 1, record on other tracks, and as long as the mic is isolated where it doesn't pick up any bleed it works well. Since we use headphones for monitor I just need to make sure that I feed the playback from the computer / RB into the mixer I'm using for the headphones and we should be good to go for the actual recording sessions.

Thanks again,
Burt

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I would suggest as a very inexpensive option a small mixer, like abehringer 802 this will allow you to monitor the mix at the mixer and solve this issue for you. Here is the little guy now http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Xenyx-802?sku=631263


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You can also try to use Macvide Audio Recorder.It’s prog can records many different formats of sound.Try.

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I am an owner of the Behringer 802 and I wouldn't be without it.
Been using it now for about 8 years and it still serves me well.
It's been there when I've recorded about 5 CDs. It's a darn good
mixer. Love it!

Cant go wrong for $59.99. I think 8 years ago I paid $39 for mine.

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Ditto, although mine's an 802A. It's been great for a guy like me on a budget.


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The OP should look into aftermarket sound card designed for multitrcking music firat.

The built in soundcard is a recipe for additive noise when adding tracks.



--Mac

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