TromboneChat

I bought a usb microphone about a month ago and together with the voice recorder software on my lap top have been recording myself daily. Warm-ups, etudes, solos, I've been recording myself at nearly every practice session, listening, celebrating good playing and attempting to fix problems, rerecording and listening back again. I'm also playing duets by recording one line and then playing the other part.

I've seen benefits in my playing in that short time, and can envision that I'll reap tremendous benefits over the long haul with this type of practice. If you are curious, I would envisage you to invest in a recording device of some kind and get started recording your playing. With willingness, patience, and honesty, you'll see great benefits.

/Tom

Here's another use of your new microphone.

I took a lesson with a symphony player who used Audacity. I don't know a lot about the tool - it's free - but one feature allows you to see the strength of each note.

I played a scale, and he was able to show me that some notes did not have the same volume as others. It seemed to be a useful thing to do. I need to buy a quality microphone.

I’ve been more than a little chicken to record myself. But I recently bought an inexpensive, easy-to-operate Tascam and I intend to start using it. Soon.

Audacity is a great program but I was having issues with it in my laptop. The simple voice recorder software is working out great. I understand the hesitancy, but it really is a great tool and I look forward to it.

Not only is recording yourself a great way to practice, but if you get really, really good at it, that's a marketable skill.

Recording yourself enables you to hear what happens in front of the bell, which can be an eye-opener. Timbre is often quite different behind the bell than it is in front, and recording enables us to analyze how we sound to the audience, as opposed to how we sound to ourselves. It can even change our selection of instrument. Flaws in articulation are easier to hear in a recording, as well. The better we hear how we sound to the listeners, the better we can tailor what we create for them to hear. When it's done well, the applause is gratifying.

What equipment are you using to play back the recording? Are you just using the internal speaker on the laptop?

I have a decent set of external speakers I picked up from radio shack years ago. They have very good sound quality.

My laptop is connected to an M-Audio USB interface. Digits go out the USB from the laptop, and magic makes them into Annylogs at an RCA jack on the back of the interface. Those go into a home stereo and set of full size speakers. None of it is audiophile quality but anything is better than laptop speakers, and it wasn't that expensive. I bought it originally to use Hauptwerk, an organ emulation software package, but haven't been working on that anymore.

My other laptop just uses the headphone output into a similar home stereo and that sound is decent too.

Audacity is simple and intuitive if all you're doing is recording and playing back. If you have questions getting started feel free to ask. Probably most of us here use it at least a little.

Yeah, I need to record more myself. Should have made a New Year's Resolution - probably will next year!

Speaking of Audacity, which is the correct website? Googling pops up a couple of them, and I'm skeptical of malware.

Has anyone tried an iPad?