I keep hearing the instrumental in the audio

[Sanera Bloomfield]

I use a presonus audio box 96 and an m7 mic. I have a separate track for the audio and a separate track for the instrumental but when I mute the instrumental I still hear instrumental playing in the background of my vocals. I’m a beginner please if you can offer me help simplify it as if you’re talking to a kindergartener lol. 

[msmcleod]

Most likely your mic picked up the instrumental through your monitors/headphones whilst you were recording your vocals.

The M7 like most condenser microphones is extremely sensitive.  When you're recording make sure:

1.  You stand a decent distance away from the mic
2.  You're wearing closed-back headphones to reduce sound leakage into the microphone.
3.  The music in your headphones isn't too loud.

If the instrumental backing isn't going to change, and the instrumental on your vocal track isn't that loud, I wouldn't worry too much about it to be honest - all you've got in effect, is a quieter copy of your instrumental track coming through your vocals.
 

[John Vere]

In my series I cover all these topics and explain it in very simple terms aimed at first time users