hey musicians!

[JMAC]

I'm thinking I'd like to get a band going. I'd like to record the practices in a way that everyone could leave with a copy to listen to during the week to help remember lyrics and all. What would be an inexpensive way to do this? Is there a CD option?

[Katherine]

Look for a good recording and mixing software pack. From what I've seen, most allow to record on the computer and burn to CD.

[Norman Bernstein]

1) Set up a PC in the practice room.

2) Record the practice, using any of a number of audio recording applications that will produce an MP3.

3) Have all the band members bring their 'jump drives' (FLASH memory modules that can fit on their keyrings.... 256Mb cost as little as $19 these days).

4) When the practice is over, have each bandmember copy the audio file to their own jump drives. No need to burn CD's.

[JMAC]

Norman, could you expound on #2 a little?

[Wild Dingo]

But seriously mate Im gonna have to pass on this one okay? I mean who in their right minds wants to listen to me croaky Aussie twang? I AM the LEAD vocal right??... or me pluckin muckin an phucin with a bango that I cant play for knuts eh? So sorry I will skip this audition

Thanks all the same :cool:

[paladin]

I can't play alla this kuntry stuff....Shane...but didja ever hear "Forty Miles of Bad Road"...or "Pipeline" played on an acoustic geetarr?......all the kids play sumthin...and all nephews do geetar and niece do Piano.......
nephew Kenny quit a 200k a year job to play with a well known Blues band in D.C. and teach geetar part time..Bruther is old time kuntrie preacher and wife and kid critters all had to play at church gatherings...same in our family....

[ 08-21-2005, 10:46 PM: Message edited by: paladin ]

[JMAC]

Where I live, musicians don't quit their day jobs! Where do you find recording programs. Are they expensive? Complicated? I'm no techno geek.

[P.I. Stazzer-Newt]

There are lots of recording programs available - Goldwave is good and cheap, Audacity ( web page (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) ) is winning a reputation, Pro-Tools is fine and in the high-end versions, spectacular but monster spendy.

Basic notes </font> Do not use the Mic input on any consumer sound card - it is horrible. </font> Do buy decent microphones. There are lots to choose from, suggested max spend $100 each. </font> Buy a small cheap mixer (Behringer works well for me) then use the line out into the Line-In for the sound card. </font>

[Norman Bernstein]

I haven't looked lately, JMAC, but I recall that there are dozens of freeware/shareware recording applications that will work with the standard soundcard input to a PC. P.I.'s advice to use an external mixer driving the line input, as opposed to the mic input, is probably good advice.

The suggestion about using 'jump drives' (portable flash memory modules, like the one I carry on my keychain) relieves you from the hassle of burning a CDROM, which is time-consuming... each band member can make their own, or just copy the file to their PC's if they don't want/need an actual CD.