 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CarlT
Date: 2010-10-16 19:30
Although I'm a retired engineer, I am somewhat of a doofus when it comes to modern electronics. What I need is some good advice on what to get in order to:
1. Record my own practice and/or my band practice sessions.
2. Possibly then play the session(s) back and record harmony with the old session.
3. Other things that I might not even think of now but wish I had later.
I have read some of the older postings re this type of thing, but it's a bit difficult to put the whole package of what I need together.
I "think" that I probably should start with a Zoom H2 recorder and go from there.
What else, including any music editing software (I believe some of this is actually free off the 'net, or very economical to purchase), mike, head phones, and other equipment would you advise, including computer hook-up cables, etc?
The main purpose, of course, is to be able to hear what I sound like so I can practice my best possible clarinet sound. All the rest is just icing on the cake, but it would be nice, and fun, too, to be able to play harmony clarinet duets.
CarlT
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2010-10-16 20:49
For software, check out Audacity. It's free, and it should do all you need to do and more.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
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Author: Clarimeister
Date: 2010-10-16 21:04
Also, if you're looking for a recording device such as a portable recorder. I highly recommend the Zoom H2, or higher. Great products and it sounds great!
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Author: DougR
Date: 2010-10-17 01:48
Carl, I use my Zoom H2 to record lessons (and transcribe notes later), and have also used it in the past as an analog-to-digital converter, which it seems to do just fine. Lately I've been using the Zoom H2 for some spoken-word audio I've been working on, and I use it in "record ready" mode to give me a "cue" signal through my headphones, meaning I can listen to myself as the microphone hears me, without recording, and then make adjustments in real time based on what I hear.
It strikes me that any of the currently available digital recorders might allow one to do the same thing with one's practicing, namely listen through headphones to the signal the mike in FRONT of you is picking up, and hear in real time what to adjust, and how your adjustments sound.
Carl, I think the microphone setup on the Zoom is damn good; no external mike necessary. As for editing software, if you're on a Mac there's a nifty pair of programs called Audio Hijack and Fission, available for around $60 from Rogue Amoeba software. Fission is a modest but highly useful editing program that does everything I need to do. Audio Hijack is a recorder that, get this, records ANY audio signal your computer can play: from youtube, from podcasts, from streaming media, DVDs, internet TV programs, embedded sound files in a website--anything. You can also (though I haven't) set it up to record podcasts at a later time.
If you have the Zoom, you don't necessarily need Audio Hijack--it's just SO useful.
Good luck and HAVE FUN!
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Author: richard1952
Date: 2010-10-17 03:08
I would also recommend the Zoom H2 digital recorder. High quality, easy to operate.
richardseaman@cox.net
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2010-10-17 04:25
The H4n is much easier to use, and much more robustly made.
You also should look into the new H1, which is almost a quarter of the price because, although the audio specs are similar to the H2 and H4n, there are almost no bells and whistles. I own both the H4n and H1, and do 100% if my audio processing on the computer, so I don't need any fancy filtering and other effects.
The H4n I use when I want to use 4 track with two extra external mics or 2 tracks with two external mics alone. The H1 I use for everything else.
B.
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Author: TianL
Date: 2010-10-17 06:32
Hi,
Check out this page, it's a great.. you can hear sound clips of each recorder:
http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-reviews.html
I bought Sony M10, and it is very impressive sound quality and very easy to use. The battery lasts forever too (just as what the review says).
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Author: Tom Puwalski
Date: 2010-10-17 12:21
Take a look at the Backun videos on YouTube. The ones I recorded used an H4n, with the straight on board mics. I didn't shoot the Eddie Daniels video but I know that H4n was used with external mics in. The H4n is one of the goto pieces of equipment for video sound. You can use it as a audio interface for your computer, or record on Zoom and then import into Logic, or protools.
Tom Puwalski, former clarinet soloist and principal clarinetist with the U.S. Army Field Band, author of The Clarinetist's Guide to Klezmer, More Klezmer Gig tunes and coming soon Clarinet Basic Training.
ski
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Author: beejay
Date: 2010-10-17 20:18
I think the H4 is worth the extra to be able to do multi-track recording. It is slightly bigger and a bit fiddly, but the results are good.
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