Recording Quick Ideas??

[PennyroyalWe]

The voice recorder on my iPhone. All I need is to save it for later, audio quality doesn’t matter...though it doesn’t sound half bad sometimes.

 

[capnjagg]

Voice notes for super quick/rough stuff, otherwise an iRig 2 into GarageBand on my phone, or if I really wanna be less involved, I can use the iRig to record straight to voice notes. I also have a TC Electronics WireTap that was essentially made for exactly this, picked it up for $30 new at GC a couple years back. It’s interesting for sure, it has Bluetooth to connect to your phone/an app, you can kind of use it as a looper too, but it’s a bit more involved than a typical looper pedal, and I often find myself just using the iRig + GarageBand to noodle and build ideas these days.

 

[AaronVonRock]

I've been using a small handheld mp3 recorder by Sony for the past 7 years. This is not the exact one I have but it's very close. I also use it at band practice for full band recordings.

 

[Evets1987]

Irig into iPhone using GarageBand works for me.

 

[Hachimitsu]

Bandlab app on my phone, works great.

 

[Taustin Powers]

Short licks or riffs when noodling around - voice recorder on my phone.

A little more involved to test song ideas out: GarageBand on iPad via an Apogee Jam interface. Very convenient. Add drums via the "Funk Drummer" app, if necessary.

 

[Matty Koff]

I'm going to offer a second suggestion. The right looper pedal. I have a Boss RC-3 that has several ideas of mine on it still. I think with the Aeros Loop Studio from Singular Sound ($600 though).

Most of my ideas start in 4-8 measure chunks that are easy to plug into a looper pedal that has onboard memory to store loops. .. and even if it's not perfect it again, let's me get the general idea recorded before I get sidetracked.

I'm looking to replace my RC-3 this year hopefully. Googling tonight, I'm highly curious about the Aeros Loop Studio.. it's expensive, but they tote it as "blurring the lines between a DAW and a Looper in a stompbox".

It looks good with a nice display.. 4 switches on it.. and they have a midi controller you can buy separately offers single tap options for double tap functions.

If you are at your "practice spot" in the house, a looper pedal could probably go a long way. You likely don't need the most extravagant if you're just wanting to record ideas and sections of songs.. it just needs to be able to save your loops somehow.

 

[cnltb]

iPad running Dolby On. I like this app because it will "master" your recording for you, and the results are pretty good. Good enough that if your idea was a keeper, you'd have no trouble hearing it well enough in playback that you could either: a) use that take as it is, or b) go back and do it again with your regular DAW.

Do you plug straight into the ipad or does it need a converter/interface?

 

[cnltb]

For quick ideas I usually use pen and paper. When at home and want to record such, I just use Logic.

 

[Angry Mob With Pitchfork]

I use this little unit. Very easy to set up and operate (just plug in!) and super portable.

 

[IvanBassist]

What do you guys use to quickly record and get ideas down when you are noodling? Not necessarily a full-on recording setup, but what do you do to just get something captured quickly when you stumble upon a good lick.

My phone recording video or using a voice note

 

[basspedaler]

The TC wiretap is a neat little pedal. also the bluetooth feature makes it pretty easy to share with collaborators. the app on your phone is a direct recorder too.

 

[comatosedragon]

I apologize for the slight derail here...

Many people in this thread say they record on their phone -- How does that work for Bass? I have tried making a couple phone recordings of my bass playing, but all I ever end up with is a video of my fingers dancing on the strings. Apparently bass frequencies are too low for my phone to record. Yeah, I know; "get a new phone" .....

 

[Bassist4Eris]

I have an A/B box on top of my practice amp. Output A goes to my amp. Output B goes to my interface, into my computer. I plug my bass right into the A/B box, and if an idea strikes, I can switch from the amp to the interface at the click of a switch.

 

[equill]

Straight into the DAW - if I'm playing, I'm in that room anyway.

The DI's always connected to input 1, and I have a template that connects input 1 to the Bass DI track. There are more connections and there's more to the template, but that's the bit that's relevant here.

Takes a short moment to fire it up - never long enough to lose the idea.

I have also recorded stuff on my phone in the past, before rearranging my recording gear. It works well enough to capture the idea.

 

[rudy4444]

It doesn't get much quicker than using my lil' basement fun time area. A single switch on a power strip turns on both amps and my Electroharmonix 1440 looper. It can be used to capture a quick idea or an entire song within a couple seconds.

I also have a Tascam DR-05 for the times when I'm too lazy to get up out of my chair.

 

[Tosh]

Do you plug straight into the ipad or does it need a converter/interface?

my iPad has a lightening port, so there's no way to plug directly into it. I can either use the microphone, or an external interface.

The microphone is OK for capturing ideas. If it's a good idea, I'll get out the interface and record it again.

 

[Wood and Wire]

I apologize for the slight derail here...

Many people in this thread say they record on their phone -- How does that work for Bass? I have tried making a couple phone recordings of my bass playing, but all I ever end up with is a video of my fingers dancing on the strings. Apparently bass frequencies are too low for my phone to record. Yeah, I know; "get a new phone" .....

I don't know what your expectations are, sonically. But I never practice / noodle plugged in, and the sound that the phone captures is just that of a typical electric bass unplugged.

It's tinny, crappy, and uninspiring. But it adequately does the job of capturing the idea, so I can revisit it months later.

 

[DWBass]

my iPad has a lightening port, so there's no way to plug directly into it. I can either use the microphone, or an external interface.

The microphone is OK for capturing ideas. If it's a good idea, I'll get out the interface and record it again.

They make a lightning to 1/8" adapter.

 

[friend33]

If you want to plug directly into your iPad, the iRig adapters are great for that.