Recording yourself

[mcraeh]

Just wondering if any of you guys record yourself,either video or using mics etc..? I current use an old cassette tape recorder which is really made for recording speeches(very 80's of me, I know). I know there is something better out there and wonder if you can shed some light for me on this, plus I would like a way to be able to get it to my pc so i rate progress etc..

thanks!!!!!

[Dazzler]

Interesting question and one that I'd be I'd like to hear peoples responses to as it's something that I should be doing more of.

Recently I ordered a condensor mic from Red 5 Audio who are soley an online company based in Scotland and you'll not see them in the shops. The reason being that they make fantastic quality products and don't feel the need to have people pay for the all the costs that being in a shop entails ie staff costs etc.

All the reviews I've read on them are very favourable indeed and the drum mics are meant to be excellent and comparable to Senheisers mics. I got the mis for ?45 and the SE2200, which it's compared to is ?139. They also out performed AKG in one test and the results were posted as mp3's on one site.

CLICK HERE

They are a very reasonable price and the quality is not in any way compromised from what I can gather. I intend to make the purchase when I have the money, but I'll be following this thread to get some advice first!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 15, 2005 10:55 AM: Message edited by: Dazzler ]</font>

[sjj123]

I really like the looks of what I'm seeing on that site Dazzler....trying to calculate my cost currently

[Dazzler]

sjj123. I don't work for them by the way! I got put onto them by a mate who's an audio engineer and he reads all the trade mags. He told me that they are as good a quality as some of the 'named' makes and a fraction of the cost as they don't deal with shops.

[cjbdrm]

I use a minidisk recorder to record myself on gigs. I have a Sony mic for the minidisc, but it distorts badly if you plug it in directly.

Using the 'line in' (with a mixer) works better, though.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ February 15, 2005 01:00 PM: Message edited by: cjbdrm ]</font>

[mcraeh]

these are all great ideas. im kinda of a scrub and dont play with bands right now, i was looking for something simple to record with when im shedding at home and playing with recordings,drum machines etc..

[CLWarunki]

Recording yourself is a great way to track your progress and check up on your technique. I remember an interview with Dave Weckl where he said that he'd bring a video camera and record all of his gigs to evaluate his performances. This is how I do it...

VIDEO:
I used to bring a camcorder to rehersals and set it up on a tripod either infront of the kit or off to the side (different angles are important!), but lately I've gone a bit more high-tech by using my laptop and webcam, which is great because it is so small that you can literally put it anywhere and get creative with angles. Only problem with this is that my webcam has poor a/v quality, but I'm sure they make nicer ones.

If you're curious, here's a rehersal video I shot with webcam to monitor my trad grip in the works:


http://s8.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0R...80LL81IO9QI0S7


AUDIO:
I too have a Sony Minidisc and find them to be very handy on a gig. Either recording from an attachable stereo mic or direct into the board, the quality is usually pretty good... and if you don't want it to distort you can manually change the recording volume level. Always fun to listen back to a gig the next day. I used to use tape recorders too, but I highly recommend upgrading to a minidisc as the options and quality are MUCH better.

[Suspiria]

I use Mini Discs for this too. It's such a great sound format for this! Having been in Canada for some months now, it seems MDs never caught on in North America. Is there a reason for this? It seems they were far more popular in Europe when they were first released.

[Suspiria]

Great playing Chris! Enjoyed the tune - it had a tool or A Perfect Circle edge to it. Keep it up!

[CLWarunki]

Thanks for the kind words, Susperia!

I wonder why you think that MD are not big in North America? I think that MD players/recorders have pretty much replaced discmans by now... maybe not?