Recording Practice Sessions

rojo412 · #1 10-25-2002, 02:18 PM

My band needs to start recording our practices for posterity and so we can point out glaring mistakes to each other. I like what I used to do back in the day, which was a tabletop cassette recorder, pressed record and played... which was great when that was all there was.

Well, those days are gone, the recordings sounded like shizzle and we are in a new millenium. We want to find something with the same attributes that old recorders had, but with new ways to improve clarity, skip songs, etc.

What is out there that is A) Simple enough for a drummer to use

, B) Relatively inexpensive, C) Can change mics if need be, D) Can skip thru/delete tracks with the greatest of ease?

I see Mini Disc, Hard disc and tape recorders available all over... is there one thing in particular that I should look at? Tapes blow, but are super cheap. MDs are cool, but some only record with a computer (no field recording). Hard disc is all multi track and is limited to what's on the unit. As you can see, I'm leaning towards MD. Models? Prices? Suggestions?

MrBungle3 · #2 10-27-2002, 06:26 PM

Both my drummer and my guitar player have a portable mini disk player that works great to record live practices. Given: it isnt the best sound, but you can hear all of the instruments/vocals decently even at the high level that we play at in practice. I am not sure on the price of the units or the mics that come with them, but that is by far the best choice in my opinion.

mingustoo · #3 10-28-2002, 12:08 AM

two words----mini and............................................... .................................................. .....what was it? oh yah, disc.
i have been using mine for years. we now have four in the band and they are great. you might be amazed at the quality of the recordings if you get a good quality mic. you can delete all the chatter or just give it a track name to skip over. you wont be disappointed.
the new sony mds also play mp3 files from the disc---insane
and with the new compression you can get around four hours recording.

Sanctum · #4 10-28-2002, 08:29 AM

We have a really old Tascam 4 track that we use:

two tracks room mics
one track line in from the PA (vocal mics also pick up music as well as the vocals)
one track mic'ed kick drum

Does ok - nothing I'd pass around to strangers, but it is a good self-critiquing tool, better than the boom box we used to use.

int · #5 10-29-2002, 01:58 AM

We practice in my home studio so my setup is a little more extravagant than really needed. BUT this solution may work for you, and it's cheap (since you already have a computer). If you play at home, all you need is a mic and some cable. Maybe an adapter.

I throw a Behringer ECM8000 mic in the room (it only cost $35) and plug it into our Mackie mixer, mute the channel. Then I send an aux out of the mixer into a soundcard and record via my software. You can find free or at least really cheap software online.

This way, I can edit the tracks and make CDs for whoever wants one (usually our singer so he can write lyrics and such without our pressure). Plus, I can move the mic around in the room, which helps (i.e. if the bass is solid and focused on my parts, I'll put the mic closer to me so everyone can hear what I'm playing and make adjustments at home).

If you've got a laptop or have access to one, you've got a glorified tape recorder with a lot more capabilities.