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Record Bass Lines from PC using a Portable USB Recording/Playback Device?

Greywoulf

Greywoulf

Sep 15, 2000
3,070
11,784
Freehold, NJ. USA
#1
I teach freely available West African percussion rhythms where there are almost always three different supporting bass lines played by three different bass drums. (Dununba= low, Kenkeni= mid, Sangban= higher). And to complicate matters further there are also several different higher drum (Djembe) parts plus intricate bell patterns that make up a specific song, or rhythm...
My problem is there are hundreds of variations of these rhythms I can notate from online, but when I take my written notation out into the ‘field’ (and lately with Covid it is literally an outdoor field,) I sometimes have trouble recalling up the precise inflections and intonations the music calls for.
So what I’m looking for is a small recording device, hand held and battery powered, that I could plug into my home PC via USB to directly record the rhythm patterns to play back later in the field as reminders that support my notation. (I think a comparable BG application might be where you notated a freely available bass line you heard somewhere online, but then also wanted a recording of it to later remotely support your notation?)
Anyway, a phone video recording doesn’t work quite right, nor does taking a laptop into the field because of the all too often lack of web connections. So can anyone recommend (if it exists?) the kind of portable USB online recording/playback device that I’m looking for?
Thanks,
Greywoulf
 
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#5
Greywoulf said:
OK, I now have the audio saved on my PC as MP3 files. But I have no idea how to transfer them over to my iphone (SE model) to use as a quick playback later..? And what's VLC?
Thanks,
Greywoulf
Click to expand...

Easiest way is to have iTunes installed on your PC, then you can transfer to your iPhone that way.

There's probably some other software to do the same thing without iTunes, I don't use that method so can't recommend anything. Careful though - if you find something online - there are a lot of malware apps out there. I'd get a recommendation from someone you trust on which software to use.

edit: VLC is a universal audio/video playback app
 
#7
VLC is an audio/video playback app that supports Free Lossless Audio Codec (FLAC), which is superior in quality to MP3. Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and now iOS (from the apple store).
Link Removed

I don't use iPhone; mine is Android. I can connect it directly to my PC using a USB cable, put the phone in "USB Mass storage" mode, and copy/paste files across.

For your iPhone, phone, you can use Google Drive (if you have a google account) or iCloud Drive (I reckon you have an iCloud account?) or Dropbox, etc. Or you can just email the files to yourself as an attachment (if they are small enough to fit)
 
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#8
Tosh said:
For your iPhone, phone, you can use Google Drive (if you have a google account) or iCloud Drive (I reckon you have an iCloud account?) or Dropbox, etc. Or you can just email the files to yourself as an attachment (if they are small enough to fit)
Click to expand...
This is the winning solution as far as I'm concerned. As a bonus, it's even simpler. If you have an Apple ID you have the base level of iCloud Drive storage included. On your iPhone you can access it with the Files app. Just assign a file on your computer to iCloud Drive, place files in that folder and they'll be available on your phone without needing to email anything to yourself.
 
#10
I use a Tascam DP-006, and it is great for doing exactly this!
runs on batteries, they last many hours, even with heavy usage.
It also has 2 microphones built in that sounds pretty good for field recording.
has 2 x 1/4" inputs for mics or instruments as well.
Really cool little device, put some time into learning how to use it and you will find yourself using it a lot!
 
#13
Greywoulf said:
I teach freely available West African percussion rhythms where there are almost always three different supporting bass lines played by three different bass drums. (Dununba= low, Kenkeni= mid, Sangban= higher). And to complicate matters further there are also several different higher drum (Djembe) parts plus intricate bell patterns that make up a specific song, or rhythm...
My problem is there are hundreds of variations of these rhythms I can notate from online, but when I take my written notation out into the ‘field’ (and lately with Covid it is literally an outdoor field,) I sometimes have trouble recalling up the precise inflections and intonations the music calls for.
So what I’m looking for is a small recording device, hand held and battery powered, that I could plug into my home PC via USB to directly record the rhythm patterns to play back later in the field as reminders that support my notation. (I think a comparable BG application might be where you notated a freely available bass line you heard somewhere online, but then also wanted a recording of it to later remotely support your notation?)
Anyway, a phone video recording doesn’t work quite right, nor does taking a laptop into the field because of the all too often lack of web connections. So can anyone recommend (if it exists?) the kind of portable USB online recording/playback device that I’m looking for?
Thanks,
Greywoulf
Click to expand...
Phone works just fine for me. "Smart Recorder"
 
#15
AceOfBassFace said:
The Zoom H1n Handy Recorder has a 1/8" input - you could connect that to your PC's line out and just record whatever your PC plays. Plus, you'd have a fairly decent field recorder with stereo mics included.
Click to expand...

I've been using the H2n for years and I only have great things to say about the ZOOM stuff. For the price it's unbeatable.
Yes, you can use a smartphone but the ZOOM's stuff is a fraction of the price of a cell and so far mine has outlasted at least 2 smartphones. :smug::D
 
#16
Still not getting the mp3 bass lines onto my iphone. They're on my pc in iCloud Drive ok, but I have no clue as to how my phone can play them? (Or even see them?) I don't want to have to buy Apple stuff or pay any regular fees for Apple Music or iTunes type apps, just to play the free mp3's on my pc, on my iPhone. I think if it comes to that then I just might be better off with a one time purchase of a Zoom recorder... (-Anyway as you can see, I'm not exactly a whiz on iphones and how their features operate, so any helpful explanations and suggestions re this stuff would be most appreciated... ;>})
Thanks,
Greywoulf
 
#20
Thanks guys for all your valuable suggestions and help... I am now able to play my PC recorded stuff back on my iPhone, which will help me with remembering small but very necessary details in my teaching.
{-And I was much surprised at the clarity of sound that came thru on the phone!}
Once I realized I had the Files app already on my phone (which I hadn't known?!!) I was then easily able to capture and play iCloud Drive rhythms set up via my PC. -Seems I'm a VG percussionist, a bad bassist, and a really terrible phonest... ;>{(
Regards,
Greywoulf
 
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