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Audio recording guide PDF Print E-mail
Whatever you want to record, you may consider these things about your recording equipment & the environment in which you record.

The recording equipment:

You need a PC with an onboard soundcard (the one you connect to your speakers) or an Usb or Firewire-connected external soundcard. Both types of soundcard have a microphone input. On the onboard soundcard it might be a mini-jack plug. On the external soundcard a typical microphone-input called XLR-cable with 3 pins.

Onboard soundcardExtern soundboard

Next you probably need a microphone. You should consider borrowing a good one if all you got is cheap & really bad sounding. Plug the mic into the appropiate input on your soundcard. If the cable doen't fit to the input plug, you need to get the same a XLR-minijack converter.

If you play a keyboard or a western guitar with a built-in pickup you have to use a jack-cable. To get it into your onboard soundcard you need a jack-minijack converter (often cheap to buy in the electronic department in the supermarket).

Audacity

Audacity-logo-r_50pctWhatever platform you use - PC or Mac - you need an audio-editor to open your comfu-file on one track and record yourself on another track. Most audio-editors cost money, but Audacity is free of charge or registration.

Download it for free here
Audacity homepage

The recording environment:

For any multi-track recording (like this project) it's importent that the only thing you can hear on your own recording is your performance. Shut the windows, close the doors, turn off any electrical device that makes sound & place your pc as far away from the microphone as possible. Place the microphone as close to your instrument/voice as possible, but beware that the input isn't too high (check the meters in the top-area in Audacity and listen to your recording to hear if its natural sounding).

If you got a portable setup, try to find a convinient room with little echo (clap your hands to hear if the sound is 'dead' in the room). Smaller rooms with carpet, bookshelves & curtains are often best.

If you are unfamiliar with Audacity you might check out the Audacity-tutorials on youtube or - maybe better - check out these screendumps including explanations.

 

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