RE: [Harp-L] recording your own practices

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

There are lots of options for recording to a computer.  But since the harp is portable, practice should be too, and so should whatever you use to record practice.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com 

-----Original Message-----
>From: billhines4@xxxxxxxxxxx
>Sent: Feb 21, 2006 4:08 PM
>To: Nick Kirkes <nick.kirkes@xxxxxxxxx>, 'Richard Hunter' <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: RE: [Harp-L] recording your own practices
>
>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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