Since I get asked this a lot, I figured I should just write it up XD
Step 1. Get/find voice recording software and microphone.
If you are willing/allowed to download and install new software:
I would recommend using Audacity right from the start. It’s great because it’s intuitive enough for beginners to easily use, but also offers enough advanced features for later use in mixing and whatnot. AND IT’S FREE!!!
To get Audacity, go to http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/ and download and install the appropriate version for your computer.
To record in Audacity is pretty self-explanatory, but in case you’ve never operated a tape/CD player before, to start recording, press the red circle button; to stop press the yellow square button; and to play press the green arrow button.
To save a track in Audacity (you’ll notice every time you hit record it starts a new track, usually labeled “Audio Track”), select the track you want to export by double-clicking anywhere inside the track. Then go to File–>Export selection. You can then choose where to save and what to call it. Audacity exports as mp3 by default and I would recommend you use that to save your mixers headaches, but once you reach the save window there is an option to change the file type. In any case, you should try to use either mp3 or wav type, since those don’t require conversion for mixers using Audacity (which I believe many dubgroup mixers use).
If you won’t/can’t get Audacity:
You’ll have to find something else to use ^o^
Windows:
If you’re on a Windows computer, you should have Sound Recorder pre-installed. On my computer it’s located at Start–>Accessories–>Entertainment.
BUT there is some setup work you have to do with Sound Recorder to get it to record for longer than 60 seconds (and I assure you pretty much any song you will do for a dubgroup will be longer than 60 seconds). Of course you could just record in bits and pieces but your mixer will hate you that will most likely result in some unpleasantness ^.^
The setup procedure goes like this:
1. Record 60 seconds of silence (or whatever).
2. Go to Effects–>Decrease Speed
3. Do this until you reach something like 920 seconds.
Save this somewhere you’ll remember, and call it like “really-long-blank-file” or something else obvious ^.^
Now every time you want to record, open this blank file, record over it, and then do a SAVE AS for your new file ^.^ You’ll have really fricken long silence at the end of your lines, but whatever ^.^
Mac:
If you’re on a Mac, you just might have GarageBand already O.O In which case you may want to just learn how to use that instead of diddling around with Audacity. However, I can’t help you too much with how to use it because I don’t use it XD
I can tell you that if you just want to record yourself singing (and not do mixing), you can just create a new project, and then go to Track–>New Track
Then choose “Real Instrument Track”, and then select Vocals–>No Effect.
A new track should appear. Make sure there is a red dot visible on the track. If the dot isn’t red, click on it so that it turns red. Then look at the bottom of your screen, there should be a much larger red dot. Click it to start recording. Then click on the blue triangle to stop.
Or something like that… >.<
Not Windows and Not Mac:
If you’re using something that isn’t Windows or Mac, then I should not be needing to tell you how to record a simple sound file…
Step 2. Learn to read lyrics.
If you look at some of the lyrics on projecthello.com, you will notice that they are very colorful! That’s because each color represents a different person in the song. You’ll probably also notice the list of people with their names in different colors at the top of the page.
White lyrics (or black, if the background is already white) represent parts where everybody sings together.
For groupdubs, you may be assigned a specific person. In that case, you should find the color for that person (by looking at their name) and then you should only sing when the lyrics are that person’s color and when they’re white.
If the song is “colorcoded”, that means you’re being yourself. Usually the leader will send you a link to either a .doc or .rtf file that will have a list of all the people in the song at the top. Once again, everyone will have their name in a different color. You should find your name and remember your color. That will be your color for the song, so again you should only sing when it’s your color or when everyone is supposed to sing together.
Step 3. Actually recording your lines.
Now to actually record your lines, I recommend that you play the song you’re trying to sing through headphones so that you can sing along with it. This will help you A LOT for staying on the beat and for staying in tune. Some people prefer to sing along to the instrumental track, but that means if they don’t know the song as well as they thought, their mixer gets really pissed because their timing ends up being off from everyone else.
You can either play the song on an external mp3 player using headphones, or if you’re using Audacity, you can import the song by doing File–>Import–>Audio. This will put the original song on a track in your Audacity project. Then what you should do is click somewhere at the beginning of the song, and then click the record button. Make sure you have headphones plugged into your computer!! And then you can just sing along to the original song that way. Audacity will put your singing into a new track.
EITHER WAY, USE HEADPHONES FOR GOODNESS SAKE. It really sucks to have to mix lines where the person was an idiot and had the original (or even the instrumental, that still sucks) blaring in the background…
Then you should save your singing ^.^ You’ll save your mixer a lot of organizational confusion by naming your file using the title of the song, your name, and the name of the person you were representing. For example, if I was singing Takahashi Ai in Kanashimi Twilight, my file would be named “KanashimiTwilight-Kyttyee-TakahashiAi”.
Then, most mixers prefer that you upload it to someplace like mediafire.com (you’ll need to get an account… it’s free), and then send them the sharing URL by posting it in the forum or through a PM. Very rarely will you get a mixer who will let you email your lines to them. Mainly because this fills up their inbox pretty fast if everybody does that all the time…
THE END
So there you go, that’s how you groupdub ^.^
