RE: [Harp-L] recording your own practices

[billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Since this is just for recording practice, if you have a microphone on your computer, just download Audacity (free) and you can record, mix, export to wav/mp3, add effects do all sort of fun stuff. if you don't have a mic on your pc, just buy one, they're real cheap and have lots of other uses. 

Bill Hines

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Nick Kirkes" <nick.kirkes@xxxxxxxxx>
> Thanks Richard (and everyone else who has responded).  The main reason I
> took the cassette recorder back was the recordings included the sound of
> tape wheels winding during the recording process.  Now, this was one of
> those clunky black boxes that's about 5"x8" in size.  I have yet to try a
> mini-cassette voice style recorder.
> 
> I'm not necessarily looking for studio quality, but I'd like something that
> avoids excessive background noise, and at the least the noise that the
> machine makes itself.  I agree the minidisc option is much more expensive.
> There are some benefits to it such as being able to take the recordings
> directly to the computer and larger storage capacity, but that's why I'm
> writing.  
> 
> I'll reconsider the cassette option.  The one I had was a $20 Wal-Mart
> version.  Perhaps the ratshacks is better...?
> 
> I'll look at the other companies you mentioned as well.  Tascam has one but
> it's a bit bigger than I had wanted.  I suppose I'm looking for the best of
> both worlds: good portability and good recording quality/management.
> 
> Nick
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Hunter [mailto:turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 1:33 PM
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Cc: Nick Kirkes
> Subject: Re: [Harp-L] recording your own practices
> 
> "Nick Kirkes" wrote:
> 
> <I've been wanting to start recording my own practices (and lessons that I
> <take) but I haven't been able to decide on the type of device to use.  I
> <tried using a standard tape recorder, but the recording quality was so bad
> <that I took it back. 
> 
> Absolutely true that recording practice sessions is very valuable.  Dunno
> why a standard tape recorder shouldn't be good enough.  I use a Radio Shack
> cassette recorder with a builtin mic.  It's portable and inexpensive, and
> certainly good enough for recording practice sessions and fleeting ideas
> that would otherwise be lost.  For the latter in particular, you want
> something that starts up instantly and works reliably.
> 
> If you want high quality recordings from a practice sessions, a mini disk
> will certainly work, at about 10 times the price of the cassette recorder.
> You might also consider one of the portable recording studios offered by
> Zoom (PS02 and PS04), Korg, and Tascam.  These provide bass and rhythm
> accompaniment as well as recording with a builtin mic, and so can be more
> fun for the player, at prices ranging from $200-400.
> 
> But again, a cassette recorder works really well for this stuff.  If you
> want higher quality recording, maybe what you want is a real recording
> system, as opposed to something that will be useful for recording practice
> sessions.  That opens up an entirely different discussion.
> 
> Rgeards, Richard Hunter
> 
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