The headphones were removed as a test to prove they weren't to blame for the presence of the other tracks. At that same point a brief test vocal was done ('blind', unmonitored, with the room in silence) to further rule out 'headphone spill'. That test vocal, when isolated in 'solo', had the 6 midi tracks on it clear as day. The mic/headphone set up is functioning normally but for the presence of the midi tracks on each take of the vocal track - regardless of how it is monitored or even when a blind (unmonitored) take is done. I'm full on baffled. 

Hi

What is your soundcard chipset?

I cannot reproduce this with Realtek HDA unless I am playing back over the speakers - the mic then picks up the audio.

Using headphones to listen to the MIDI on the other tracks only my voice is recorded - the MIDI is not there.

John EB

Hi

What is your soundcard chipset?

I cannot reproduce this with Realtek HDA unless I am playing back over the speakers - the mic then picks up the audio.

Using headphones to listen to the MIDI on the other tracks only my voice is recorded - the MIDI is not there.

John EB

I'm currently bypassing the sound card and using the Meteor mic itself for recording and playback. The Meteor has a handy headphone jack socket built into itself and a long cable which allows me to put a lot of distance between it and the noisy pc. I recorded all the MIDI tracks with the sound card which is IDT HD CODEC (but NVIDIA HDA is also in the drop down list via 'Audio Devices'.)  For some reason, if I run the audio tracks through the pc sound card I can't record at all. Or get playback. But maybe that's what I should be working towards solving as I suspect the mic itself may be causing this issue?

Hi

. . . . sound card which is IDT HD CODEC . . . .

IIRC the IDT has an option ( monitoring ) which mixes the outgoing audio (MIDI tracks ) with the incoming (mic) so you can hear both together make sure it is off.

. . . . For some reason, if I run the audio tracks through the pc sound card I can't record at all. . . . .

Check that you are using the Direct X or Wave drivers in the programs audio settings.

. . . . . IDT HD CODEC . . . . NVIDIA HDA . . . .

I would recommend disabling the one you are not using.

HTH

John EB

Is Music Studio 2014 the same as MS 2? I have MS, MS 2 and 2015, but no 2014. My MS 2 is uninstalled but I can reinstall it if it is the same as your version. I have Samplitude Music Studio 2014. Please confirm if you have SMS or MS and if MS, if it is really MS 2014 and not MS 2.

May be a good idea to post the different settings screens and the audio record parameters screen.

I'm using M-Audio M-Track with the M-Audio ASIO driver. Using MS 2015, I can't replicate the problem. I'm on W7.

Is this a new problem or was it always doing this?

Sorry for the confusion - it is Samplitude Music Studio 2014, and the problem is 'new' but it's the first audio I've recorded on this software so it's not a change as such. I'm pretty experienced with pc based music recording (Cubase SX & VST, Cakewalk, ACID PRO etc) but I haven't used this Samson Meteor mic before - I'm thinking it may be a mic configuration issue. The problem there is the settings options on the Meteor mic are minimal so it would need any changes to be made via SMS or of settings. One oddity is that I can't split playback and recording to different sources. It's either BOTH through the mic or both through the pc sound card. I've selected to run both through the mic as I can't get any audio recorded with the sound card selected. (Internal SC details on previous answer.) I'm running on ASIO, all MIDI tracks are on individual channels (although the problem occurs regardless of their channel configuration). When I get in the studio, I'm going to try out some suggestions from previous responses, and if there's no progress I'll post settings pics.

Hi

. . . . One oddity is that I can't split playback and recording to different sources. It's either BOTH through the mic or both through the pc sound card. . . . .

That could be a Windows sound setting error - check which default devices you have set for Playback and Recording.

. . . . I haven't used this Samson Meteor mic before - I'm thinking it may be a mic configuration issue . . . .

Should not make any difference apart from the above Windows sound setting - just to check do you have another mic - USB or jack that you can test with?

HTH

John EB

Okay, here's a key (and highly bizarre) development.

The Samson Meteor USB mic has a dial on the front which is meant to control the volume level of headhones - whether during playback or in real time. (The headphones are plugged into the headphone socket on the back of the mic itself.) Whilst it does perform this duty, it also does something else... 

During any audio recording, this dial also directly 'controls' (raises or lowers) the volume of all the preexisting MIDI tracks as they apear WITHIN THE THE AUDIO track itself. PLEASE NOTE - the actual levels of these individual MIDI tracks are not effected by the dial - all that is effected is the extent to which the MIDI tracks intrude onto the audio track. This leads me to think that the mic is therefore also somehow responsible for 'sending' these unwelcome MIDI tracks ONTO the audio track in the first place. Please note that the dial effects recordings this way even during test records when the headphones aren NOT plugged in, so it is not headphone spill. 

To be clear - during test recordings when there are no speakers in use, nor any headphones, the front dial of the mic raises and fades (in other words it controls the levels of) the intrusive 6 MIDI tracks WITHIN the audio track recording. It does not alter the level of the vocal itself, only the level of the intrusive MIDI tracks within the vocal track. (Once again, the 6 actual MIDI tracks THEMSELVES are not affected - only their mysterious counterparts on the audio track. After the recordings, during playback with the headphones back in place, the mic's dial reverts to raising and lowering ALL levels (as it should.) 

I have to say this is now beyond weird. Can anyone expain this?

Obviously I need to hear playback to be able to perform a vocal, but if I turn up the headphone volume dial I am also bizarely introducing the MIDI tracks into the audio track and then increasing their volume to ever greater extents the further I turn it. (Maxing out the dial produces crystal clear exact copies of the original 6 MIDI tracks within the single audio track, as clear as if they had simply been copied and pasted onto this one audio track.)

So folks, how is this mic dial 'feeding' the MIDI tracks into the audio track - and how the heck can I get my headphone level up without merging tracks in this zany way?

FYI - The dial does not (and is not meant to) affect the mic's sensitivity levels - only headphone volume. The mic's sensitivty levels are set separatley via the pc's device settings. 

(In addition to previous update...)

I figure I might as well add....

My mic doesn't register in terms of levels during audio recordings, or when the mic is just 'open' between takes. I can hear myself through the headphones super clearly, and the vocal does record (albeit with those pesky MIDI tracks in with it!), but no level pertaining to the mic registers on any of the monitors until after the recording is completed. (Not on the master, or in the individual track level bar, or anywhere in the mixer.) Only the other tracks register during recordings. 

But when I play back the vocal, all the level indicators pertaining to it are suddenly right there, they spring to life and work normaly. If I isolate the recorded vocal on 'solo', it peaks and troughs perfectly normally. Yet as soon as I stop the playback and continue to talk or sing with the mic open, there is suddenly nothing registering on Samplitude at all, as though there was no mic at all. And yet it does actually record. And it plays back with levels suddenly being monitored. It just won't let me monotor the mic levels until after a recording.

This may or may not be relevent to the main issue we're all discussing. I thought I'd it put it out there.

Hi

. . . . . The Samson Meteor USB mic has a dial on the front . . . .

Please answer the questions we ask and do the checks we advise otherwise we are just going to be running round in circles getting nowhere.

When you posted ( 3 posts ago ):-

. . . . I haven't used this Samson Meteor mic before . . . . One oddity is that I can't split playback and recording to different sources . . . .

The Samson mic became the potential source of the problem - which takes us back to my second question in my last post . . . . just to check do you have another mic - USB or jack that you can test with?

John EB

My SMS2014 was not working anymore after changing my main drive, so I uninstalled it. Since it looks like a mic problem, I won't bother re-installing it.

To me, it looks like your mic is defective. The volume control seems to be wired back to the mic input. You should check with Samson.

I tried a few things with SMS2015. With my M-Audio M-Track and the M-Track ASIO driver, I can normally only monitor through the M-Track. If I change to ASIO4All, I can't record from the M-Track unless I change some parameters. If I do, then I still can't monitor my mic through the M-Track, but I can record.

To get the mic to work, open the record parameters, click on Info and change the device. This worked for me in Magix low latency and ASIO4All.

To get the mic volume to show up in the level indicator, I had to turn off then on the Monitor button. Try it to see if you get the same. Like you, once I started recording, it was fine, but before starting recording, you have to toggle it.

I still could not replicate your original problem.

Apologies, I wasn't ignoring suggestions, just adding further information in the hope it might help. I haven't been able to run all the tests you guys have recommended (and thanks for all of the input) due to time constraints and other factors coming to light as I went along. I do not have another USB mic with a built in sound card. Much as I wish I had two of those to hand. Testing with a jacked in dynamic mic would require getting the PC sound card to allow audio recording which, as I said previously, it won't currently allow any mic to operate. I'm using the Meteor for my selected device for recording (as opposed to selecting the pc sound card) as that's currently the only way I can do any audio recording at all. Neither of the two inbuilt sound cards will play ball with audio tracks. (I tried powering down the NVIDIA, no change. I've adjusted the IDT HD monitoring as you suggested. No change.) There's likely a multiple issue dynamic to this. Very frustrating. I think maybe this is situation is too complex for a forum back and forth non-linear conversation as I can sense a growing frustration. I need to get someone on site to get this figured out. Thanks again, this has been a real pain.

browj2 - this looks promising. I'll give a try when I get back to it tomorrow (along with remaining other suggestions from here I've yet to try.) If it is a fault with the mic it's a pity as its brand new and actually produces a great sound.

Hi

Sounds like you are in a Catch 22 situation.

I suspect the Samson is the cause of the problems with the audio feedback and not being able to select other recording devices, ie it has taken over and the only way to prove it, or not, is to uninstall the drivers and use the sound cards - you will have to change the audio settings in the program to stop using the ASIO drivers which is fairly quick.

I have done a little digging on the Internet and have found a couple of similar problems with this microphone.  The resolution in one case was to ditch the mic the other no resolution was posted.

. . . .  I can sense a growing frustration . . . . .

In one sense yes, due to a lack of feedback to the tests and options suggested, however on the other hand no because the extra information you have provided gives more support to the suspicion that it is the Samson that is causing the feedback issue.

. . . . Testing with a jacked in dynamic mic would require getting the PC sound card to allow audio recording which, as I said previously, it won't currently allow any mic to operate . . .

Was this also the case before you got the Samson mic?

Cheers

John EB