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Thread: recording software

  1. #1
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    I loaded audacity on my home system (for the 'project') last night and it worked like a charm...at least for about 25 seconds of recording. After that it just stopped. I'm assuming this is a computer spec issue (probably RAM). For those using audacity, what system specs do you think are necessary to get by with?

    Bill

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    bill,

    Audacity is working great for me except it doesn't delete out all the wrong note i hit and it doesn't correct for my poor timing and worst of all, i still have to poor my own beer.

    Seriously, doubt you have worse computer specs than i: Windows 98 with a CPU=333MHz & RAM=160MB! The food for the gerbil is getting expensive, too.

    Maybe try reinstalling the software. Also, don't run anything else with it (e.g. close all other programs, including your internet connection).

    Hopefully someone with more TECH knowledge can chime in.

    craig

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    I tried it on one of my older computers and it worked just fine.

    Pentium 133 Mhz, 32 Meg RAM, Windows 95

    I was reluctant to try it on that machine because it is far below the minimum system requirements stated for that program. I did notice a slight reduction in perfomance over Cool Edit 96 which I usually use.
    Rigel...the original Vermont Teddy Bear!

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    Professional History Nerd John Zimm's Avatar
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    Say, I know nothing about this kind of software but would like to learn. Where would one obtain Audacity? I'd like to have something better than media player to record, I'd especially like to mix multiple tracks at some point.

    -John.
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    buckley,

    i got audacity at: CNET.

    just do a search for it there. you'll also have to download a piece of encoding software that will allow you to save the files as MP3s.

    you can get the encoder at: Lame Encoder

    let me know if you have any trouble.

    craig

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    Stanley -- I really think that any near-modern computer will be able to run Audacity. I think what's happening is when you create a new file, it will ask, in general terms, "How long do you wish to record for?" I think this is where it's set to a default of 30 seconds (last time I used Audacity I had that come up). You can put in what time you want, depending on your system anyway -- but you shouldn't have any problems going over several minutes, RAM wise. Hope this helps!

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    Professional History Nerd John Zimm's Avatar
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    Thanks Craig, I'll try that out tonight.

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    Thanks Dedian, I'll check on that.

    Bill

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    Stanley, after re-reading your first post I think I understand what may have happened. When the wave window fills completely (after about 25 sec.) you do not see anymore of the recorded patterns but it is STILL recording! There is a scroll bar below the window which you can move to the right to re-center the recording progress.
    Rigel...the original Vermont Teddy Bear!

  10. #10

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    I like Audacity a lot. Has anyone found any good tricks for getting tracks in sync with each other? I never can quite seem to get them right.

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    This is a very timely thread, as the new stable version 1.2 of Audacity has just been released this week. You can get it at the Audacity homepage. I had problems with the old version (1.0) on XP, but the new version resolved this.

    Martin

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    hmmmm, still having problems with the software. After some random recording time it just stops. So, I decided to re-loaded the program and thought I had the cure (it worked like a charm on the first try). But the same thing started happening (random time stops). Sometimes it will record for 8sec and sometimes just over a minute. And I've tested it playing the same piece and it would stop after completely different time intervals. Doesn't make sense...

    So, it doesn't seem to be the scroll bar stopping, with the recording continuing (thanks anyway, pickinpox). And I haven't found any default time setting (no window prompts me at the start, and with different time-outs playing the same piece...thanks dedian). The version on my work computer seems great, so I don't know what's up.

    Anyhow, here's the full history to date. I copied the initial version off of my work system (fast internet connection) and took it home and loaded it up. Then I tried to re-install from a internet download at home, but I didn't remove the initial install. Today I will try a uninstall and will try the 1.2 version from the above link. Maybe that one will work.

    Unfortunately, I won't have too much time to mess with it tonight...as I'll be attending a Radim Zenkl peformance in a local musician's studio. And I'll probably just want to play when I get home!

    Thanks for all the help and I'll keep you posted of my progress.
    Bill

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    Sorry I couldn't help ya Bill... From what you said, about copying from work and not uninstalling and all, it does sound like there's some sort of config error in its installation -- if things aren't registered just right sometimes it causes problems, though usually programs just don't run. I bet the uninstall/reinstall will work much better.

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    Bill, one thing you might want to check is the amount of diskspace you have available on your computer.
    Ken

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    I'm running it on a 400 Mhz PowerPC G3 running Mac OS X with 384 megs of RAM. It works great. We've recorded two practice sessions using it. It does all I need it to do. I like how I can take something recorded in mono, split the track, copy one channel, and then paste it into the other to have pseudo stereo. The recordings actually sound better than the recording the band made in a studio before I joined. We were going to go to a studio but I think now we're just going to sit around my kitchen and record then have it copied somewhere. It will save a lot of money.
    "Experience has shown that even under the best forms (of government) those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."
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  16. #16

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    If you have problems with Audacity, you might try Goldwave . It's shareware, but is functional before registering. I've used it before, and liked it just fine. When unregistered, you just get the reminder to register popping up when you open the program, etc. It never pops up while you're recording or playing back though.

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    Or, if you want to spend just a little money, Cakewalk Music Creator does a good job. The version I bought was about $40 at Staples. You can lay down as many tracks as you want, and can also include midi tracks if you like. I downloaded Audacity - hadn't heard of it before. I'm going to play with it a little tonight and see what I think of it. But I would strongly recommend the Cakewalk software.

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    What would people recommend for a mic/pickup setup to use with Audacity or one of the other recording software packages?

    Think cheap but functional.
    I took the road less traveled. It became impassable so I had to turn back.

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    still having probs w/ audacity....grrrr!!

    Not sure how informative this is but here goes...

    system:
    Win 98
    Pent II
    64MB RAM
    8G HD (5G not used)

    90% resources available when nothing's open
    75% resources available after audacity is opened.


    Tried a full uninstall and re-install of 1.2. The first recording attempt went well until about 1.5 min into it when it stopped. Every try after that has had less recording time (sometimes as low as 10sec.).

    Maybe I'll have to check into the goldwave software....

    Bill

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    If you are using Audacity (free, right?), then are you guys into elaborate mic setups? #What's the cheapest thing you are using that's giving good results via audacity? I've gotten some great responses to this via a different thread but I was asking for some quality setups. #I don't have time or money to run out and spend a couple hundred (or even a hundred bucks on a 2 channel mixer and mic, plus new special soundcard right now. I need cheap, efficient way of recording a bad sounding version of sally goodin', and a way to hear myself in teh future.

    (...or in less words, what daikon said two replies before me! )



    Alan

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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by (levin4now @ Mar. 07 2004, 08:29)
    I need cheap, efficient way of recording a bad sounding version of sally goodin', and a way to hear myself in teh future.
    That's exactly what I've been doing yesterday (except that my picking kept breaking down halfway through the tune whenever the mike was open, so I clearly need to practice some more). I'm using Audacity (free), a dynamic Phillips vocal mike (1.20 Pounds on Ebay) and a B-Tech BT26 pre-amp (20 Pounds). My computer happens to have an Audigy 2 soundcard, but I don't think it'll make all that much difference if you just use normal on-board sound instead for this purpose. I'm pretty happy with the sound quality, but not so much with my picking and I think the acoustic in my study isn't very sympathetic to recording (that's my excuse for sounding crap, anyway).

    Martin

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    I downloaded Audacity yesterday and dug out the cheap plastic mic that came with a friends computer. It certainly did the job for this project anyway so thanks for the tips. Eventually I may try to get a real mic etc....
    Alan

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    Does anybody remember a post about building a microphone from parts bought at Radio Shack.

    I'm fairly sure it led to a link where John Reishman describes building a Stereo Microphone for a mini-disc recorder.

    I don't think that I imagined this but I cannot find anyting searching on the Cafe or by Google using relavant seach terms.
    I took the road less traveled. It became impassable so I had to turn back.

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    daikon: I have that link, but I'm at work... I'll try to get it to you later today. I believe it was off a page with lots of how-to builds for instruments. I got to that page from MIMF, if I'm not mistaken... If I find anything I'll edit this.

    Stuart

    Edit: This may not be the same page, but it should be pretty similar: http://www.minidisc.org/jim_coon/




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    Dedian:

    That's the one.

    Thanks.

    Does a standard PC mic input jack allow for 2 channels (i.e, biaural input). If not, I assume that one could rig one of these up monoaural.

    Has anyone out there in Cafe-land used one of these DYI microphones or a similar setup?

    I'm thinking that this could be a cheap solution for home recording.

    Or, are the Radio Shack mic elements no better than what comes with a standard cheapo PC microphone?



    I took the road less traveled. It became impassable so I had to turn back.

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