For jh45gun: Jim I Need Your Advice Please - Anyone?

[BamBams]

Okay,

Here's my dilema.  I've got a computer, I've got an acoustic instrument, I've got a CD/MP3 player.  

My computer will "record" from my instrument with a microphone, and it sounds really good.  My CD/MP3 player is part of a "surround sound" system near my television.  

I need to make recordings, as mp3 files, of my saxophone along with CD music accompaniment.

Here's what I tried so far.  I put a CD in the CD player (that's my accompaniment) and I put headphones on that.

I put the microphone on my sax, and I played along with the CD.  Then I took the CD and ripped the track onto the computer.  Now I've got two files recorded - one is the accompaniment, and the other is my instrument.

I figured I was out of the woods now.  All I had to do was take some audio software and mix the two tracks together.  Gosh, I tried for hours to get both tracks in sync and it never did sound exactly right.

So here's my question,

Is there any, simple, way for me to make mp3 files of me playing the sax along with CD music accompaniment.  I need good quality recordings also.

I am willing to purchase some extra gear if that is what it takes to make things easier.

As a guitarist with lots of pedals and stuff, I figured you might be the guy to ask about this.

[JPSaxMan]

Bams, I've mentioned it and I'll say it again. I use Adobe Audition. Here's what I'd do in your case. Maybe you don't even have to get additional software.

Do you have a program that can record non-stop?

If so, try this. Put the CD in the drive. Open Windows Media Player. Open the recording program. Make sure your mic is on. Play the song while you have it recording, then play along with the song. This way, you have no mixing to do. Simple enough? Try it, tell us how it worked.  

[BamBams]

Okay Fish, I'll try it that way and let you know what happens.

[BamBams]

Wait a second.  If I do it that way, then the accompaniment isn't going to be at the same audio level as the sax.  My microphone goes into the sax bell.  What is going to pick up the accompaniment CD?

See what I mean?

[jh45gun]

BamBams, Hard to say for meI have never tried it? I do know good recording software is out there and I would guess that you would have to run both the mike cord and the CD recording into a mixer set the volumes and settings until it sounds good to you and run the mixer out into the computer and use the recording software and edit that from there. IF you buy the Recording software it should tell you how to do it. I would do a internet search on recording software and go from there. Sounds complicated maybe but I have a friend who made his own recording studio and bought the software and has a computer set up just for that. His home recordings do sound professional. I also talked to a professional sound man this summer while he was running sound and he had a laptop running in his system that helped him with his setup also but too technical to describe here. I do not think the software is that expensive and its good stuff but you need a good fast computer with lots of memory  to use it with. My buddy built one just for this purpose.  If I can get a hold of him which may take a day or two as he is hard to find sometimes I will ask him what the software is called and post it for you. Jim

[JPSaxMan]

Ah yes, Bams, I see now. Ergh. OK...can you utilize the mic outside the bell? Then you'll be ok. If you can use the mic outside of the bell....

[JPSaxMan]

Or, you can make the recordings with the mic in the bell (which yes, will make the sax sound louder than the song), send those mp3's to me and I'll see what I can do with them on Adobe Audition. If I can't do anything, then maybe jh45gun can help ya out more.