Tuesday, April 16, 2013

What do I need and how much do I need to be able to record music in my house?

Q. I would like to start recording music w/ a laptop (singing + guitar + occasional piano). I've always heard of the macs and how great they are for musicians....but I'd like to hear some more opinions. Would buying mics/ video camera/ etc be better and more affordable? suggestions please.

A. There are so many answers to this question, but the first question to you would be how professional do you want your recordings to be and how big is your budget? A video camera is going to give you a very low end recording. There are a zillion software recording programs to use with computer recording. Probably the most popular right now is Pro Tools, but there are many others, each with it's own learning curve. There are also hard disk recorders that you can use independent of your computer and then transfer it to your computer is you like for editing. Many of these come with a built in cd drive in which you can master and burn a cd directly from the unit. Again, much like cars, there are the bare bones models and then there are the ones with all the bells and whistles. One thing for sure is that you need a really good mic and you need a fairly soundproof place to record vocals. A good mic can make or break a good recording. I have always been a pc person, though I have friends that swear by mac. I think it depends on what you are comfortable with because you can get great software for either. Do a little research before you invest a lot of money. You might try starting out on some used gear. Try ebay or your local music store. Good luck.


Do you know any good recording equipment for piano performances?
Q. I'm a pianist and I need to record a video of my playing to apply for a scholarship. My church has a beautiful, massive Steinway Grand piano, the biggest one available. I would love to use it, but my family only owns home video cameras. Where could I find the proper equipment to make a good recording? Is it possible to hook a mic up to the inside of the piano? If so, how? Do you have any other ideas?

A. The best thing you can possibly do is to find a good audio person to record your performance. It will cost you a lot less than buying all the equipment you need. Once you have a recording you can make a video and you will use the audio track from that recording session. Try Craigslist to find an audio person that can record for you. They will come with mics and recorders. You can easily spend over $1,000 on some recording equipment and then you still don't know how to use it.


What software is used to video tape a full computer screen?
Q. For synthesia(piano), when people upload a video on youtube of a tutorial, they record the computer screen without a video camera, but with a software, what software is used

e.g. hypercam3, full screen recorder, etc.

A. camstudio is a free screen recorder and camtasia is you need to pay for it


http://camstudio.org/ - camstudio

http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp - camtasia





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