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Home recording performance demo

G

Gman

Jan 4, 2000
426
1
63
Indianapolis, IN
#1
My band needs a demo. Instead of doing an extra show to pay for some studio time, the dinosaurs (everybody but me) want to just take a cassette tape off the board at rehearsal. I've tried talking to them. I lose.

So, in order minimize a bad situation, I want to bring the tape home and put it on CD. I can do that easily enough. I think.

What I want is, suggestions as to what software to use, to make as close to a pro demo as possible. At least as close to pro as the ones I've heard. Punch in, punch out, maybe some cross fade. I think I'll need to record onto the hard disk as mp3, then edit from there. And I understand that I'm only going to get as good a mix as we had on the board.

Do you know of any affordable software that will do what I want to do ? Maybe even shareware. I'll buy a full version if I have to though.

Thanks,
Dave
 
#2
do a search... there is alot of info here about this topic. to get you started I'll say record the tape to a WAV file. Edit it in the software you deside on and then make it an MP3

here are a couple of links:

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http://homerecording.com/index.html

http://www.ping.be/satcp/tutorials.htm

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etc etc etc

check my link for some bad cassette jams made into MP3's
 
#3
If you're going to go to CD, leave the MP3 format out altogether! Record on the hard drive as a wav file, and when you're done, burn the wave file to disc.

I'd say try ProTools Free, or NTracks.
 
#7
I just went through the same experience. See my post on Protools Free. It took me nearly 5 days of trying different things before it worked. Although there are a number of TBers who use PT LE and PT Free, I sure didn't get much help by posting a request for help in this forum.

Try downloading the PDF documentation and searching the FAQs at the Digidesign web site. Also, I found that it really helps if you upgrade your sound card and have 256mb of ram, rather than the minimum recommended 128mb.
 
#8
Originally posted by Lefty Punk Bass
Nope, wav is the same quality as mp3, it's just more work converting it.

MP3 is superior!!!
Click to expand...

Absolute crap! Wav is far superior to MP3, hence the relative size of the files.

*as a note, I was a ProTools engineer for a living for several years.
 
#9
Originally posted by Lefty Punk Bass
Nope, wav is the same quality as mp3, it's just more work converting it.

MP3 is superior!!!
Click to expand...

Sorry, but this is one of the most stupid things I've ever heard.
MP3 is a compression format that is <b>not</b> loss-less, so a mp3 is <b>always</b> inferior to its source file.

And since a song on CD is a PCM wav file in 44.1kHz and 16 bit, it's totally useless to do a mp3 conversion in the process, since the cd burn program will always convert it back to wav prior to burning.

Also, you can't edit mp3s directly, it has to be converted to wav for editing and then back to mp3 (which again will give you quality loss).

Record in 44.1kHz and 16 bit, so you can directly burn it to CD without resampling or dithering.
 
#11
Connect the line out of the tape recorder to the line in of your soundcard.

Use some audio program to record on your harddisk, you can add effects etc. after you recorded.

You can use any CD burn program to burn your music to cd, but I'd add track markers, so you can access individual tracks in a cd player.
Nero or a similar program can do that.
Wavelab or Samplitude are niftier, but are expensive.

N-Track and Nero, for example, will do.
 
#17
Originally posted by skit_skittson
will i have to buy a special cord to go from the tape deck to the computer?
Click to expand...

Again assuming that you're using a stock PC, I'm going to say no, you won't need anything special. Probably a 1/8" to 1/8" minjack cord or else a RCA (stereo cable) to 1/8" minijack cord. Regardless, it's nothing you shouldn't be able to pick up at the local Radio Shack (or Best Buy, or whatever)...
 
#18
Could someone give me a step by step process of putting a tape into .wav format? like what to plug in to where and what programs to use. it would be very helpful. i also want to do a little mixing while the song from the tape is on the computer. we have a four track so is there a way to put each individual track from the four track tape onto the computer and then overlay them while on the computer. thanks.
 
#19
OK

go Invalid Link Removed ... download and install EAC (Exact Audio Copy)

with you chord hooked to the line in and deck start playing a pre mixed stereo version from the 4track of your band.

in EAC goto tools -> record wav.
choose the target directory and name the file.

get your levels going right and then queue up song one.

hit play on the deck and record on the computer as to not miss any of your track

click stop yada yada ya

congrats you now have perfectly huge WAV files of your stuff (about 50MB per 3 minute song if memory serves me... heheh, SURE :rolleyes: the MP3's will be of better quality then that)

Now for encoding.

for the Radio station... boot up your favorite CD burning software and make an Audio disk... you can even swing by Moms and let her hear it on her CD boom box on the way (she'll be so proud)

for all your cool internet friends and band website... I recommend Invalid Link Removed I use 320 max Variable Bit Rate encoding. EAC will do it once you research and get LAME set got to tools -> compress wav and choose your WAV files. it will do the rest.

as far as mixing and multi tracking... read, search learn... that is what I'm doing
 
#20
Well, that worked. We have our song in .wav format now. It turned out good. Are there any free mixing programs that we could use to adjust bass response and mids and stuff like that? We can change the levels when while we are putting on the computer by using the four track but after it's on we need to do a little adjusting. Anyone have any ideas?
 

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