Set up a microphone stand in the quietest part of your recording room, away from windows, reflective surfaces and creaking floorboards. Adjust the telescopic stem so the collar approximates the same height as your mouth. Slot a microphone into the collar.
Connect the female end of an XLR cable to a microphone. Connect the other end of the XLR cable to an audio interface "XLR Input" jack. Audio interfaces convert audio signal into data before sending it on to your computer, where FL Studio 8 interprets the data and presents it as audio.
Connect the audio interface to the computer. The connection method varies depending on make and model, but typically calls for either a USB or Firewire cable. Connect the cable to the relevant port on the computer.
Double-click the FL Studio 8 desktop icon to open the program. It may take a few seconds for the program to fully load. FL Studio 8 will automatically open the most recently saved recording session. If this is not the session you require, click "File" and select the track to which you want to record.
Click "Options" and "Audio Settings." Select the "Output Options" from the drop-down and select "Asio." If you don't have an Asio-enabled sound card, it won't show in the menu. In which case, select "FL Studio Wave Editor."
Click "File" and click the name. Name the track "Vocal 1."
Connect a pair of headphones to the "Phones Out" jack on the rear of the audio interface. These are important as they stop the track that your recording onto from spilling into the microphone.
Click the orange disk icon, bottom-right, to enable FL for recording.
Audition the microphone. Sing into it at the level you intend to use to record. If the volume unit, or "VU" meter flashes red, the audio signal is too loud and will cause distortion. Adjust the "Gain" dial on the audio interface until the distortion diminishes. Aim to set the volume as loud as possible before distortion occurs.
Cue up the backing track. Hit "Return" to send it back to the start. Click "M" on the channel strip to mute any audio tracks you don't want to hear when recording your vocal, for example vocal practice takes.
Click "Record" and sing over the backing track.