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 It's one of my most asked questions.
How do I "sing along and record my voice" or, "How do I record my voice
over background music and effects" to do narrations for my PowerPoint presentation,
movies or slide shows? Well, now it's easy. For example, my favorite folk group is the Limeliters and I think I know every song they sing by heart. OK, they are a trio. But now I can load up one of my Limeliters favorites and MAKE THEIR TRIO INTO MY QUARTET. It's easy. It will be perfectly synchronized and I can adjust and most importantly readjust my volume and effects till I fit right in before I finalize my mix. Of course that doesn't help the quality of my singing, but you'd never know I wasn't part of the original mix because I can mix myself right in. And I can mix, adjust and set my mixed in voice any way I want. I can adjust the volume, and more. Why not do a Sing-A-Long yourself? And for narrations, when we did the slide shows for both my kids' weddings, we wanted to do music overlaid with narration. What a pain that was. Now just lay down the music. Or even loop a part of the music you really want and let it play over and over again as you mix your narration over it. And what's particularly neat, is that I can do the mix. I can record my sound ON SEPARATE STEREO CHANNELS. And, if it isn't 100% the way I want it I don't hit the mix button till I'm thrilled. So the music and the voice are on separate premixed but perfectly synchronized stereo channels so I can get exactly what I want without committing to a permanent mix till I'm ready. What's neat is that there are actually 3 SYNCHRONIZED WAVE EDITORS FOR TRUE MULTI-TRACK SOUND. You can play 1 stereo song or track in the top Wave Editor. You can add a 2nd stereo track if you choose in the 2nd Wave Editor and then you can record live or mix into the 3rd Wave Editor/Recorder system. This is really like multi-track recording in a big studio because you don't actually mix the tracks till you are thrilled. And yet, you can play them back, (up to 3 of them) together perfectly synched till you love it. This really is like working in a major studio. And with the CD quality sound you'll be recording on your computer, it really can be broadcast quality. You can: Play a song and sing along. Then play back your INSYNC recording and if you like it click Mix for a permanently mixed copy. Play background music while you narrate your story, your presentation or your rehearsal dinner slide show. If you like it, Click Mix. Sing Sound On Sound. Record the first part, then the 2nd, then the 3rd or more. You can hear the results and alter them BEFORE you ever actually mix them all together. And remember ALL THIS MIXING IS DIGITAL SO THERE'S NO ADDED NOISE OR HUM. Record a drum beat or other continuous sound like the waves crashing at the beach, a fountain or any of the 62 DAK sound effects you can get for free with the DAK Wave Editor with burner version and loop it. Then do your narration and mix it when you are finished. And if you're in to Karaoke, why not copy your track to your computer, then record using the Voice Over Pro and get really good quality recordings you can edit, alter and have in CD Quality, not the crummy cassette tape quality. Now you can do it all. Plus, there's much more you can do. But in short, now you can have 2 prerecorded backgrounds, songs, Karaoke background or anything and mix all 1, 2 or 3 separate stereo recordings into one master that's PERFECTLY SYNCED the 1st time every time, no problem. And don't worry, till you click the MIX button, you never physically mix the tracks (even though you play them perfectly synced) so each will be separate allowing you to make all the changes and corrections you wish to make. It's just that simple. You can start the records and sing along, you can sing or narrate and mix them later. It's all easy and it's all up to you. Let's get started using DAK's all new Voice Over PRO. |
Your Full Screen View - You Can Record, Edit,
Mix Effortlessly |
Voice Over PRO is no toy. In full screen mode you can see each
word you speak for easy Editing, Mixing |
Meet Your Voice Over PRO Editor Controls. |
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| OK, I'm not trying to overwhelm you here. I just thought you'd like to have
one place that you could look to see what all the buttons do. These buttons are
also exactly the same as the 2nd Editor and almost Identical to the 3rd recording
wave editor at the bottom. You've got File, Edit, Clear, and Effects. (More Later) Note the backward and forward Arrows to the right. They Show Undo And Redo so you can always go back and Undo anything you don't love. The only thing that may not be clear is the arrow in the middle called "Select Choices." This is important. When you are working with Wave Editors, most of the things you do are done by highlighting a section or all of the window or track. To highlight, you simply hold down the left mouse button and drag your mouse's cursor along the silver line between the two parts to the wave window. And if you see the little yellow triangles at the edges of what I've selected, you can drag those to increase or decrease what you've selected. NOTE Left & Right Channels: See that there are upper and lower wave green lines? The top box/window is always the left channel and the bottom box/window is always the right channel. And you can edit these separately too. Anyway, virtually all things you do from deleting, to adding, fading or amplifying volume are done by highlighting and then applying or clicking the button for what you want to do. |
How To Load Tracks Into The Editors |
| So if you want to mix some tracks, first you've got to load a track into the
Voice Over PRO. This is really easy and a standard Windows operation, but it's
so important that I wanted to go over it with you. So, to load tracks: Arrow 1.) Click the File button then the Open button. (Note: Loading tracks into any of the 3 editors is the same.) On to the Next Picture. |
How To Load Tracks Into The Editors 2 |
| This is the dialog box you get when you click the Open button. This is not
specific to the DAK Voice Over PRO program. This is just Windows. Arrow 1.) Navigate to the folder that has the tracks/songs you want to load. For this picture, I'm in the Harmony folder (This is a Limeliters Album) But you should practice navigating around your computer till you're comfortable. It's not hard and this is something you really want to know about. Arrow 2.) Programs like the Voice Over PRO can only look at one type of file at a time. So in this bottom box called File Type, choose if you want Wave, MP3 or CDA (CD audio right from a CD). Then all files of that type will be shown. And yes, you can even use the CDA to take tracks right off of CDs in your collection. Is this great or what? Arrow 3.) Be sure to click open after you've found the folder, chosen a type of file and chosen a track. |
HOW TO HIGHLIGHT & SELECT - -DON'T SKIP THIS SECTION. |
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| When you use a Wave Editor, it's all visual. And, you'll find it's really
easy to edit out parts, to add in parts and to add effects and more. Arrow 1.) How and Why to Select. Almost no editing or enhancement takes place in a wave editor unless you've selected some part or all of the track that's loaded. Once you've selected a part or all, then that's the part the editor will act on. OK to select, what you do is drag your mouse down the center of the Editor on the silver line between the two tracks. The top track is the Left Channel and the Bottom Track is the Right Channel. So that's stereo. As you drag, you'll see that the area you've 'selected' will turn red. Isn't this easy? If you only wanted to select one of the tracks to work on then slowly move your mouse toward the top or bottom track and when you reach the far outer edge, you'll see an L or an R appear. If you click on that, then you'll just be working on that one channel. OK, now you know how to select. To Deselect, just click anywhere and the red will disappear. Oh and do you see the little yellow triangles at all 4 corners of the selection? Left click and drag on them and you can adjust what you've selected. Arrow 2.) This is the Undo. Just click it to Undo what you've done. This way you can test to see that you're getting exactly what you want before you commit to it. You'll find Undo and Redo on Editors 1 and 2. Arrow 3.) This is Redo. You use it after Undo if it turns out that you liked what you did. Then just click Redo and it will be redone for you instantly. You can click back and forth on these buttons to compare and re-compare what you've done. You'll find Undo and Redo on Editors 1 and 2. Arrows 4.) I just wanted to mark for you the two main buttons you'll be using after you've selected something. Edit gives you the delete selected and more. And Effects are where you get the effects. |
Very Powerful Effects And Control Too  |
| So how do you want to sound, or how do you want your music or artist's voice
to sound? Now there's so much you can do. Arrow 1.) I'll give you the detail of the menu actions below, but first let's see how to use them. Click The Effects Menu to get this drop Down Menu. You can Amplify + or Amplify- the track or part of the track so that when you add your own mix, it will be just the way you want it. Maybe it's too low. Then use Amplify +. And if you don't like what you've done, use the Reverse arrow key to the right to UNDO so you can instantly Undo or Redo anything you've tried. It will be the same for Insert Silence when selected too. Arrow 2.) Here I'm showing you that you can fade minus or fade plus. That means that you can have it go from 0 to 100% or from 100% to 0. Arrow 3.) You can play the track or part of a track by just clicking play any time you want. So you'll hear exactly what you're getting before you permanently commit to it because you can always Undo. Arrow 4.) I'm just showing you again that you select the area you want to alter. You can select the whole track or just a part of the track like I'm showing you here. Arrow 5.) This is Editor 2. Everything we just explored in Editor 1 is exactly the same here in Editor 2 and also very similar in Editor 3. OK, that's the general way to select and alter your tracks with effects. Now let's explore the menus. |
The File Menu |
| This is pretty standard Windows. Open – Open an existing Wave/MP3 or CDA file Save – Save the file you have been working on. NOTE: I usually recommend using Save As so you can always go back to the original if you want. Save As – Use this to save what you've been working on WITHOUT disturbing the original. Save Select as – This is really neat. You can save just part of a file without disturbing the original. Highlight just the area you want to save then go to File/Save Select As and you'll save just that part with any name you please. |
The Edit Menu |
| Copy – Let's say there's a part in the track you want to copy from
one part to the other. Select it, click copy, then put your cursor where you want
to Paste it and click Paste, farther down this menu. You can copy within one editor
or copy to another editor as long as there's something already loaded in the 2nd
editor. Cut - Removes the selected part. Same As Delete Selected. Delete Selected – Deletes the selected part. Paste - Pastes something you have Copied. AND IT CAN PASTE FROM ONE EDITOR WINDOW TO ANOTHER if you wish. Paste From File – This is neat. So let's say you want to add one track onto another. OK, load the 1st Track and then put your cursor where you want the 2nd track or file to go. Then open this menu and choose paste from file and the 2nd file will be merged or appended into the first. PLUS, you can paste a file into the middle or beginning of another file too but just putting our cursor where you want the file to go. The original file would be split by the new file, but otherwise be unchanged. Select All - This lets you select the entire loaded track. |
Your Effects Menu |
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| Amplify – You can increase or decrease the selected part of a track
(or all) about 20% each time you click your choice. Since you want to mix two
sources together, it's important that they are the same volume or they won't sound
like they were originally mixed. Just use the amplify + or -
to make the tracks to be mixed perfect. Fade – You can fade in or fade out by using this button. What's particularly great about Fade is that you control how long the fade will be by just selecting the area you want to fade. Of course you want to go from the beginning or end of the file. But do you want the fade to be 1 or 2 seconds or 5 or 10. Just select the area you want to fade and your custom perfect fade will be made instantly. Insert Silence within selected - OK, you need a few seconds of silence, no problem. Just select the area and click this button. This is great when you need to add time without sound to match the length of a movie clip |
It's Finally Time To Make Our Recording.
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| Now we really can begin the fun. Let's explore how to record. Then we'll make
a recording farther down. First a concept. There are two ways to record in the
DAK Voice Over PRO. Recording Way 1. Simply click the Red Button and you can make a recording. You can do this any time. And you can start either or both of the Wave Editors above so you can sync to them as you sing or narrate or just record live. Remember, either way, even though the sound will be synced, it's still 100% separate, so you can make it louder, softer or alter anything you want. Recording Way 2. Click the Orange Button and Editor 1 will start playing and You'll be recording live here in Editor 3. You are still recording Multitrack because what's playing in editor 1 will not be recorded here, just perfectly synced. Either way, you have complete control of the recording and the ultimate mix. OK, now the arrows. Arrow 1.) Basic Record. Starts Editor 3 (this one) recording. Arrow 2.) Voice Over 'Record'. Starts Editor 1 Playing and Editor 3 Recording. Still separate Unmixed, but totally synced tracks. Arrow 3.) Recording Device. Click To Select Microphone, Line In and more, plus set input volume. See The Pictures Below for the step by step procedure. Arrow 4.) Master Play. This plays all 3 Editors in perfect Sync so you can hear precisely what your mix will sound like before you commit to a permanent 2 channel combined mix. Arrow 5.) Master Loop Play. This will play all 3 editors continuously. Arrow 6.) Master Stop. This will stop all 3 editors. Arrow 7.) MASTER MIX – OK this is the big one. When you click this button you are committing to combining all 3 stereo tracks into 1 final mixed master. This is what you'll use to create the final PowerPoint, movie or slide show audio file. This file will be mixed onto Wave Editor 1. Just play that file after you've mixed and you'll hear your final creation. Don't like it, no problem. Just click Undo in editor 1 and try again.  Arrow
8.) Mix Value. To make it really easy to choose relative volume levels,
you can choose the percentage of volume that you want to mix your tracks. 50/50
as I've chosen makes each track equal. But you can choose to make the mix at just about any comparative level you want. IMPORTANT - YOU MUST SELECT YOUR SOURCE TO RECORD - READ ON |
Setting Your Recording Source 1 |
| When you click on the Rec Device above in Wave Editor 3, you'll be accessing
your Windows Sounds And Audio Devices just like you'd find in your Control Panel.
But we make it easy by giving you 1 step access here. Here are a few hints. Arrow 1.) Every sound card is a little different, but yours should look pretty much like this. Just click the Advanced button to get to the controls. Arrow 2.) I run into lots of people who don't have the Windows Mixer and volume control in the tray next to their clocks at the bottom right of their computer screens. If you don't, just check this box and you'll have instant easy access from now on. |
Setting Your Recording Source 2 |
| Wow look at all the sliders. This is your Windows Mixer. Yep, it's part of
your Windows system. What we are looking at here are the sliders that control
the volume of each of your input/output choices. You can adjust them if you like,
but we need to go to RECORD, not play. So, Arrow 1.) Click Options. Arrow 2.) Click Properties. |
Setting Your Recording Source 3 |
| Now we are in properties. If you don't know what sound card you
have in your computer, if you look in the top box called Mixer device, you'll
see the name of yours. Mine is SB Audigy Arrow 1.) OK, we want to go from Playback to Recording so I'm going to want you to click the Recording Radio Button. Arrow 2.) I just wanted you to see that Windows will list all the options that your sound card has to offer. This is where all the sliders that we saw earlier come from. If you check the box the item will be active and there will be a slider. If it's not checked here, it won't show on the page with the sliders and it won't be active. |
Setting Your Recording Source 4 |
| OK, I know it looks like the other window with sliders but if you look up
in the blue title bar above, you'll see that this one says Recording Control and
this is where we select Our Recording Source and set the Volume. Arrow 1.) In the Windows system, you can select 1 input source to record from. In this case I am choosing Microphone because I'm going to talk and maybe sing. Then just above you can set the volume of the input too. I use about 50 to 70%. IMPORTANT NOTE: You don't have to close this window while you record. You can leave it up and change your recording level or source any time. Arrow 2.) This is really just a hint. See the picture below. |
Setting Your Recording Source Special HINT |
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| When you click the advanced button below microphone, on most sound cards you'll
get this new window. Sometimes if you go back to the Options choices in the Windows
Mixer window with all the sliders, you might see advanced there too. Arrow 1.) Anyway you're going to find A Microphone 20db Boost. For most Microphones you want to check this box. This was originally made for older Dynamic mics. But since most of us use newer Electret Condenser mics, they have a lower (but more sensitive) total output, so you need to use this boost. |
OK, Let's Make Our PRO Voice Over PRO Recording. |
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| Well I went into more detail than you probably needed, but now we are ready
to record. Load your background music tracks or whatever track or tracks you want
to overlay into Editors 1 and 2 and you're ready to go. Pick up your mic, or choose
another source and start recording. Arrow 1.) If you want to record either without syncing with 1 and 2, just Click this red button to start recording. Click the square stop button at the left when you are finished. Arrow 2.) If you'd like Editor 1 to start playing at the instant that you start recording, click the Orange Record button. It will start Editor 1 playing and Editor 3 recording with a single push. You can still start and add in Editor 2 any time. We keep Editor 2 separate so you can start it part way through if you like. So Now you've made a recording. And now the true powers of Voice Over PRO are yours. Arrow 3.) Click the Stop Button here in the master section to stop all 3 Editors. Then click the Play button To hear your results. You'll hear your musical accomplishment perfectly synced. All 3 Stereo tracks acting as one. BUT THEY ARE NOT REALLY MIXED INTO ONE TRACK YET. Now perfect your effort. Let's say your voice isn't loud enough. You can click Effects/Amplify+ to increase your volume or you can highlight the original track and use Effects/Amplify -. In short, alter anything you like and then play it back again. Now you'll hear your changes in place, perfectly synced to make exactly the effect you want. Don't like it? Use the Undo in editors 1 and 2. Want something different, no problem. You can add, delete and edit any time you like. OK, is it perfect? YES? Then Click the Mix'em Button and all 3 tracks will be mixed into Editor 1. Now just use File/Save As in Editor 1 to save your perfect Voice Over Mix. It can be 3 tracks that you've mixed or more. You could have layered 10 layers. Of course you can use undo in Editor 1 if you decide the mix wasn't what you wanted. But it will be exactly the same as what Voice Over PRO played for you before you mixed the tracks. It will sound great. It will make the impression you want. And as you can see, it's really easy to do. |
| So for your Movie Narrations, PowerPoint Narrations, Sing-A-Longs and a whole
lot more, DAK's new Voice Over PRO will open new doors that were never possible
for us outside of a massive professional recording studio. Now it's all easy to
do right on our own computers. Enjoy. . . Drew
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