Recording Equipment Question

fronobulax

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Audacity ha?

I have not figured out Audacity either. I think my problem is strategic - I don't know what I want to do - rather than tactical - how do I?

That said, an organist/choir directory friend of mine has figured it out. He is not especially tech savvy but was faced with the problem of what does he do to earn his pay when choirs are a Covid No-No. He put together a virtual choir that started out with about 4 voices and is now close to 12. His first attempt to create three hymns took him 16-24 hours before he got something he would use. He has that down to about 4 hours. Point being that the learning curve is steep but can be climbed.

Tangentially another choir director was editing live recordings for a commercial release and he planned on an hours worth of work for every minute in the final recording. So doing it right is not quick.

Maybe we ask @AcornHouse to make a tutorial (or point us to one)?
 

West R Lee

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I think you're right Frono. I'm doing an original for my grandson, and have worked about an hour a day for 2 weeks on it. Not a finished product yet. So I figure by the time I perfect the song, and figure out how to set up a "Focusrite", then come to grips with the software, I'll probably have 100 hours invested in a 3 minute song. : )

West
 

AcornHouse

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I have not figured out Audacity either. I think my problem is strategic - I don't know what I want to do - rather than tactical - how do I?

That said, an organist/choir directory friend of mine has figured it out. He is not especially tech savvy but was faced with the problem of what does he do to earn his pay when choirs are a Covid No-No. He put together a virtual choir that started out with about 4 voices and is now close to 12. His first attempt to create three hymns took him 16-24 hours before he got something he would use. He has that down to about 4 hours. Point being that the learning curve is steep but can be climbed.

Tangentially another choir director was editing live recordings for a commercial release and he planned on an hours worth of work for every minute in the final recording. So doing it right is not quick.

Maybe we ask @AcornHouse to make a tutorial (or point us to one)?
While I could do a general one, I have not worked with the Audacity software, only ProTools and GarageBand. (Of course all DAWs are very similar.)
Best course would be to look at some YouTube videos, like this one.
 

pagedr

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I bought a Spire Studio a year or so ago, best and easiest to use piece of recording equipment I've purchased in a while. Has a built in condenser mic, you can mix through their app if you want, etc. Can't recommend it enough if you want something high quality that's also very easy to use.
 

midnightright

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Thanks everyone for the additional info!

Was interesting to read recently of the rock guitarist Tom Morello (of Rage Against The Machine & Audioslave), saying how he never learned this stuff on his own, and since this pandemic hit, he's wondered how much money he's wasted on equipment since this is so. His recent recording s have thus been done with his son aiming his phone at the amplifer! ;)

Oh, and he went to Harvard-
 

midnightright

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One thing that I hadn't ever considered, and keep in mind my minimal experience with all things modern technology, is what do you do with it -- once you've got the recordings done? In other words, assuming you've figured out the rest that we've discussed thus far, now what? All I have ever done was buy CD's (never burned), don't really even know or understand what an mp3 is, or anything like that. And I've only recently begun using Spotify (which I doubt will help!). Beyond that, my "experience," or knowledge extends to watching Youtube videos (for my musical fixes...)

It's okay to say, "Quit now!" (would be the best advice) as it's a hopeless case. :D
 

fronobulax

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what do you do with it

*snicker*

I record at home because I am participating in two different virtual choirs. Over the years I have also recorded parts for virtual bands. Before there were looper pedals, people would record a backing track so they could then experiment with their playing - think of recording a chord progression and then practicing leads. If you are practicing, recording practice sessions helps you identify both problem areas in your playing and gives you a chance to go back and hear how much better you have become. Finally recording lets you share your music or performances with people who are separated by time or space from the original performance.
 

West R Lee

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Hey Frono, as you may know, a 5 year old is more tech savvy than I am......seriously, but thanks for the input. I thank Midnight for reading my mind and asking the questions I needed to ask. I also thank all those who contributed to this thread, you've helped me a ton. As instructed above, I bought a "Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen". Then, somehow, someway, I took the time, and figured out how to download "Audacity", and I've taken it slow. There definitely IS a learning curve for a geezer, but not impossible. GEEZER POWER! I feel as if I've just scratched the surface. I know this is not where we'd normally attach a link to music, but it is directly related to the topic. This was my second attempt to record, then play with the gadgets on Audacity in order to edit, make a file (which is always tough for me), and get it to an audio host. An original I'm doing for my grandson. Just noodling at this point.

And by the way, in the first attempt, the guitar was so distorted you could barely make it out. THEN I discovered the EQ in Audacity.


West
 
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Cougar

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Looks like you're on your way! You just need more volume!

I feel as if I've just scratched the surface....

I've been amateur recording for more than 60 years, and I feel the same way. I figure out how to get my playing into a digital track, then how to listen to that while playing another track along with it, and I'm pretty happy. Then there's cutting/copying/and pasting for those bungled sections....

 

West R Lee

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Looks like you're on your way! You just need more volume!



I've been amateur recording for more than 60 years, and I feel the same way. I figure out how to get my playing into a digital track, then how to listen to that while playing another track along with it, and I'm pretty happy. Then there's cutting/copying/and pasting for those bungled sections....



Yep, you're right. I figured out how to do that yesterday. Can these files be run back through Audacity to re-edit them?

West
 

Br1ck

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There must be a DAW for Dummies book out by now. The software makers all know the intimidation factor and have basic simpler programs available, many bundled with an interface. This basic DAW might be everything you'll ever need. If you can, buy more than you think you'll need. I've recently wished for three mic inputs and only have two. I'd like to mic my guitar with two mics, and still have a vocal mic input. I'm also running a stereo two amp setup for electric. So the four input interfaces apeal to me.
 

midnightright

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Thanks so much!

As far as goals:

Short term -- improved / enhanced sound for Youtube videos

Long term -- to be able to record an album of original music

in the meantime, no clue what most of those things you were talking about were... (a file to me, is a manila looking folder!) ;)
 

West R Lee

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Thanks so much!

As far as goals:

Short term -- improved / enhanced sound for Youtube videos

Long term -- to be able to record an album of original music

in the meantime, no clue what most of those things you were talking about were... (a file to me, is a manila looking folder!) ;)

I might be able to get on our level Midnight, let me give it a try. Once you record your song, then edit it, on Audacity you send the song (export) the file to a destination (my music, my documents, etc.), then (and I don't know that you have to do this), I sent it to an "audio host". In my case, I used "Soundclick". At that point, you have it stored and it's saved, and you can share it. In fact, once you send it to a destination, or folder, it is saved.

Does that make sense?

From the beginning (and I've learned all of this since you started this thread), your microphone or instrument can't just record to the computer (that I'm aware of), so you need what's called an "interface" in order to do it. The interface (in my case Focusrite) turns your analog microphone signal into a digital signal so it can be heard (recorded) by the computer. When you buy your interface, you download a driver and software in order to run the interface and allow it and the computer to communicate.

At that point, you need a "DAW" or Digital Audio Workstation. That's what Audacity (and a whole host of other DAWs) is. The DAW allows you to take your music, and edit out the distortion, the highs, the lows, and save your music.

It wasn't that hard to get started.......even for me. and I AM the most tech challenged person I know.

Any of you, PLEASE feel free to correct or clarify anything I've said. It's a huge learning curve for me as well. Midnight, if you know all of this and I'm insulting your intelligence, please forgive me.

West
 
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Rayk

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As I mentioned to Dread, this is a timely thread. It's as if y'all are reading my mind. I've been shopping Focusrite for the past couple of weeks. So Papadon....some of these guys know just how techno-challenged I am. Audacity ha? Trying to use the software is what intimidates me.

West
DAW Software can a bit intimidating the more basic your start the better.
As many of us have been using computers along with a range of programs for work you get used a certian workflow.
Daws are the same each have there own workflow so the trick is finding the one that operates close to what eorks for you .

For me I started off on Kristal Audio Engine which grew into Studio one .

You might still be able to KAE out there if not I have it and I tjink I can send it out. Anyway its basic Audio only it can do or could vst's but not VSTi's

Its very easy to learn but it might not work on some systems.

KAE's workflow was carried over to Studio one of which there is a free version .

For me though I wanted a lot of keyboards and synths so I jumped in Reason Studios thing was no audio recording at the time just midi .

So i had bought Reaper 60 bucks to own and is powerful it can do everything . The work flow was a bit different but easy enough after some time .

Reason finally upgraded their DAW with audio capabilities fews yrs back . It is my Main Daw.

But Reaper still has sone things thst reason cant do .

If you get deeper into your recording many will a Audio editing program . Daws can let you edit uo till a point . If you need to get upclose and personal to get a more refined edit then Editung software is your next companion .

I use Aduacity its free and can use it to record also .

So my advice is if your wanting start recording try out all the free DAWs you can see which one makes more sense to you , like iOS just flows for me where Andriod just pisses me off over and over . Lol

Let me know this works if anyone is interested.

https://www.kreatives.org/kristal/
 

Br1ck

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Beware the tools. I spent a year recording a CD with my band. It was a sonic masterpiece. My lead guitar player who had all the toys insisted on recording to a click track, and he sliced and diced every bit of imperfection out of the tracks. We had two thousand dollar mics and two thousand dollar pre amps. We had the finest plugins available. I can't bear to listen to it. There isn't a bit of soul to the recording. Kind of like most modern recordings made these days.

Our first recordings were done on two four track real to real Teac machines. Raw, raucous, vibrant and alive, the recordings are the best. Basically live with overdubs. Play it through, play it right, and be done with it. Learn to play, and learn to sing.
 

West R Lee

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Beware the tools. I spent a year recording a CD with my band. It was a sonic masterpiece. My lead guitar player who had all the toys insisted on recording to a click track, and he sliced and diced every bit of imperfection out of the tracks. We had two thousand dollar mics and two thousand dollar pre amps. We had the finest plugins available. I can't bear to listen to it. There isn't a bit of soul to the recording. Kind of like most modern recordings made these days.

Our first recordings were done on two four track real to real Teac machines. Raw, raucous, vibrant and alive, the recordings are the best. Basically live with overdubs. Play it through, play it right, and be done with it. Learn to play, and learn to sing.

Great point. In the end, there's no substitute for good playing and singing I guess. : )

West
 

Nuuska

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. . .I can't bear to listen to it. There isn't a bit of soul to the recording. . . . Play it through, play it right, and be done with it. Learn to play, and learn to sing.


Hello

When I was recording engineer at Finnvox studios in early 70:s - I had this one very popular customer recording his new album. Those days it was usual, that after each take the musicians wanted to hear the track - unless it was interrupted while playing. So they come to control room and I play back what we just recorded. There were often some minuscule imperfections in aa otherwise perfect track - the kind, that only trained ear would detect them. But often the musicians wanted to have one more take.

So this customer said to them - ok, let's have another one - and they went to studio, but he stayed in control room until everybody had gone and said to me - "Save this take"

Result was that musicians were kept happy - and he would use the first take with its slight imperfections - because the first take usually had the best groove. And after all overdubs and the time before it came out as vinyl - none of those musicians could remember anymore what they thought was not right.
 

evenkeel

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I have a small home studio. I've done two full length CD's and one EP of my music. I've recorded 6-7 CD projects for other musicians with two more in the works now. I'm a big fan of Reaper. It's very robust, in my mind the best bang for the $$ in the world of DAW's. The plugins that come with Reaper are a bit of a shortcoming, but there are a ton of good free plugins to be found. If you want to purchase some very good plugins for not a lot of money Waves is a good place to start looking. Be advised buying plugins is a good way to go broke, at $29.95 a mouse click.

The use of click tracks has been discussed. FWIW I'm a big believer that playing to a tight rhythm (click or drum loop) is very helpful to getting a good final result. Is a click track necessary 100% of the time, no, but even a sparse song, guitar and voice only will benefit from a solid rhythm and a click track will help you stay in time. Solo singer/songwriters seem to struggle the most playing to a click. I've heard the argument many times that a click track, or drum loop will rob the song of energy, mojo, soul, etc.. For those in that camp fire up the White Album and have a listen to Paul McCartney playing Blackbird.


You can hear the 1968 version of a click track, a metronome.
 
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