Page 1 of 2

Vocoder and Sequencer

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 9:10 pm
by 80salife
I'm getting stupid, how I can record with my Kronos the vocoder voice???

Imported a vocoder Programm, Recorded the track, nothing to hear.. Okay ^^

After this recorded Audio in, nothing to hear....aaaargh

How I could make a link between vocoder track and voice in?

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:35 pm
by geiger167
Stick in microphone, make sure phantom power is on if it needs it. Load a vocoder program, press keys on keyboard, sing, you will hear vocoded signal if everything is working.
Vocoder is a combination of your voice and a synth sound so you wont hear anything unless your are pressing keys as they act as the note and gate for the sound. I'm not patronising you by the way, you never mentioned actually pressing notes on the keyboard so I am presuming this is the error. If not, appologies. If this is not the case check you have the mic input pot on the back turned enough so the signal is 'hot' like about three quarters round.

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:12 pm
by 80salife
I know how to play vocoder. My new Programming sounds so great! But I want to fix my ideas with sequencer in Kronos and I don't find a way to record it.

I've imported my Vocoder Combi in SEQ Mode and I hear by playing the Vocoder. But it doesn't record it. Neither timbre(Vocodertrack) nor Audiotrack. I think you have to relate Timbre and Audio, but how?

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:16 pm
by SanderXpander
Record your vocals to an audiotrack and route that to the vocoder.

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:19 pm
by 80salife
How Can I route it???

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2013 8:23 pm
by SanderXpander
On the IFX routing page?

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:23 am
by 80salife
Sorry for late response.

But your suggest isn't possible. Try it, their is no relation between Track and Audio in IFX section.


How can I record a vocodersound live? I'm gettig crazy...

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:59 am
by SanderXpander
I don't know exactly what you mean with a relation between track and audio, but you can definitely route an audio track to any IFX you want.

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:41 am
by SanderXpander
In other words, what you need to do is record the midi and audio and then during playback replace your live vocals with the recorded ones. The vocals from the vocoder preset are routed to fx control bus 1 if I remember correctly. So, route your recorded audio to fx control bus 1 in the IFX routing page.

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:06 pm
by 80salife
If its right, you have to record two parts first the midi than the audiofile.

Thats unpossible, because it sounds so bad that it is not in correct tune...(routing vocoder Effect)

I'm searching for a solution to record it all at once.

It seems to be the best, to record at cubase and import a wav. file :-(

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:02 pm
by X-Trade
You could route and record the performance straight to an audio track if you don't want to modify it much later.

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:04 pm
by 80salife
and how? Nothing found in the reference workbook

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 1:24 pm
by X-Trade
Not tried it but pretty sure it's possible.

Will be getting on Kronos later to have a look.

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:18 pm
by MarPabl
This is really not that simple. Before anything, you must understand what you need to record on sequencer and what is not needed:
- You don't need to record any MIDI data.
- You don't need to record the audio input, which only has your voice.
- You don't need to record the Program used to play the vocoder.
- You need to record the output of the Vocoder IFX which is audio, BTW

Considering the previous assertions, you'll be recording on Audio Track, not on MIDI track.

Also, you must understand what the Vocoder is: basically, you're modulating your voice (or whatever) with another audio signal (usually coming from a Program, or Timbre in your case)

For this to work, the Vocoder effect will receive the Carrier (your Timbre) directly. Therefore, you go to IFX tab, then MIDI Routing 1 tab and you set the parameter Bus Select IFX/Indiv. Out Assign to IFX1 (considering the Vocoder effect is on IFX1) So for an easy description, you've just configured Timbre -> IFX 1 -> Vocoder's Carrier (on IFX1)

Now, the Vocoder has the carrier (your Timbre)... you're missing the modulator (your voice) So you just change to subtab IFX 1-12, you select the IFX1 (or whatever IFX slot you put the Vocoder) and there you go to Modulator section, where you'll configure the Source parameter to FX Control 1 (if you need to use the FX Control 2, so be it... just change the later assignments) So, for an easy description, you've just configured FX Control 1 -> Vocoder's Modulator (on IFX1)

After this, the Vocoder is looking for the Modulator (your voice) on FX Control 1, but right now, your voice isn't there. To route your voice (mic input) there, you go to Play/REC tab and the Audio In/Sampling subtab. There you'll uncheck the Use Global Setting checkbox and you'll set the FX Ctrl Bus of your mic (usually on Input 1, but it doesn't matter where do you put it) to number 1, which matches the assignment of the Vocoder's Modulator. Don't forget to make adjustments to the levels and type of input, so you don't get clipping... So, until now, you've configured (in easy description) Input 1 (mic) -> FX Control 1 -> Vocoder's Modulator (on IFX1)

With those settings, the Vocoder must work because the Carrier (Timbre) and the Modulator (your voice on a mic) are correctly assigned. This is easily described as Input 1 (mic) -> FX Control 1 -> Vocoder's Modulator (on IFX1) and also Timbre -> IFX 1 -> Vocoder's Carrier (on IFX1)

But this has been so easy, isn't it? You want to further complicate this because you also need to record the Vocoder to the Sequencer. Probably, you're recording Mono, so I'll not get into the process to use a stereo signal.

You need to choose an Audio Track, which can be the number 1. The Audio Track is configured to receive its signal from Audio Input 1 which happens to be your (dry) voice, not the Vocoder. One way to assign the Vocoder IFX to the Audio Track, is the REC Bus, which is an internal bus for mixing (and then recording) different signals. So, you go to Audio Track Mixer subtab and configure the parameter REC Source to REC 1 for the Audio Track 1 So, in easy words, you've just configured REC Bus 1 -> Audio Track 1

With the previous settings, the Audio Track 1 is looking for the Vocoder's output on REC Bus 1, but the Vocoder isn't really there (it's likely on Main L/R output) In order to route the Vocoder's output to the REC Bus 1, you go to IFX tab and then to Insert FX subtab. Continuing with the example, you look for the row assigned to IFX 1 and, on the right side of the table, you'll find a column named REC Bus which you'll set to number 1, matching the REC Source of the Audio Track Again, in easy words, you've just configured Vocoder IFX1 -> REC Bus 1 -> Audio Track 1

With those "easy" settings, you should be good to go... And for the actual recording, you go to Play/REC tab, then to Audio Track Mixer (this is optional, but looks so nice and organized) and you'll select Audio Track 01: AUDIO TRACK 01 from the select list (you need to record audio as I explained before) which is found below the song's name. Now you just hit the REC WRITE button, the START/STOP button and have fun recording your vocoding to an audio track on the sequencer!

Your summary assignments map, so you get the whole idea:
- Timbre -> IFX 1 -> Vocoder's Carrier (on IFX1)
- Input 1 (mic) -> FX Control 1 -> Vocoder's Modulator (on IFX1)
- Vocoder IFX1 -> REC Bus 1 -> Audio Track 1

As a final remark, you should use closed headphones or you'll end up recording everything your mic "hears" (probably the Main L/R outputs).

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 10:02 pm
by SanderXpander
I figured in order to be able to modify things later it would make more sense to record the dry vocal and synth midi parts, so you can still tweak the vocoder afterwards. It can be pretty hard to hear what you're vocoding while you're doing it.

But if you'd rather record the vocoded final product straight away, yours is the right way to go about it.