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Share how you did it!

I would love to hear from other artists as to how they approached their selected song and what process/equipment they used to record it.

I was on a very low budget so this is what I did:

had a hard time finding the song, but when I did it seemed to be missing an opening or intro, so I created my own to lead into the song( basically all choruses).

simple recording in steps(much like using 2 old tape recorders- does anyone remember those!?!)

1. recorded a "scratch" track of me singing and clapping to keep time using my cheapo flip camera.

2 downloaded video and separated video and audio using Aoa audio extractor(free version).

3. opened up audacity and imported the audio track

4. put on my headphones, played the 1st track while recording the next track with my flip and so on....

5. I found it was easy to add too many effects and how it can effect the overall mix in a negative way- sometimes simpler is better!

I learned that while multiplying tracks you are also multiplying noise- I was recording too close to my hard drive and it got into the mix! Although the mix came out dirty and a little noisy, i'm proud of the results and can't wait to do some more. This method I believe was a success because there was no lag or skips in sound that can occur when relying on the computer(especially a relic like mine!) to do the playback and recording

just bought a zoom h2 digital recorder online and can't wait to try it out.

Thanks,

Wade

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by uncle Lou on April 25, 2011 at 1:13pm

I`ve been playin` Let it shine on, seems like forever. Went to my friends studio. He put condenser mics on everything. I played the song a few times while recording. Then he used delay,reverb and echo on the tambo-kick to get the kinda off beat sound that we wanted.

Permalink Reply by Mark Stowe on April 25, 2011 at 4:46pm

I recorded "I'm Gonna Run to the City of Refuge" on a 17 year old Tascam Portastudio 488 multi-track cassette tape deck at about 5 a.m. in the morning.

I used my 3 string fretless slide Cigar Box Guitar on one track put the vocal on another track, then overdubbed a bass line.

I wanted to keep it simple. . .

Mark. . .

Permalink Reply by Henry Strat-o-varius Lowman on April 27, 2011 at 1:02am

I created my interpretation of "Let Your Light Shine On Me" using GARAGEBAND. I used a fretless electric 6 string box guitar (the "going for Baroque" build) furnished with a buzzing bridge for a sitar effect, then further embellished the work with a bamboo flute bought a good number of years back as well as some box tapping, all processed through echo and reverb. I looped the basic guitar rhythm track, then recorded the vocal in one take the next morning, using track doubling (and tripling!) at strategic points. My goal was a unique and avant garde interpretation of a classic Blues song, planned before the passing of my dear Mom. Her spirit was the only reason that my idea came to fruition and completion, and I hope that I did the song justice. It just poured out of me the Sunday morning that I completed it. Thank you, Shane, for allowing me the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful project!

Permalink Reply by Glenn Kaiser on May 8, 2011 at 5:12pm

Ha... well, lo-fi bigtime. Android HTC cellphone, in the storage room (Mr. Mustard in the study with a lead pipe...) two passes, kept the 2nd, vocal and guitar live, simple, didn't bother to edit or use Audacity, etc., this time. -Glenn