Can someone please help... I'm a beginner

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Member Since: Oct 27, 2005

This may be very rudamentary, but I'm going to throw it out there...

I have an acoustic Yamaha grand piano at home. I write and play my own music (when I have time...very recreational). I would like to record and edit my music, and then put it on a CD to give to family/friends for xmas. I don't even know where to start. Can someone please provide me w/the different items necessary for this? I guess I need software, mixer(?), mics, and ...? Since I'm a beginner, I don't want anything too complex, but at the same time, $ is not that big of an issue and I want to get the right equipment to create good quality sound. I really need someone to tell me "get this particular software (Cakewalk Sonar Home Recording for example),this particular mixer (if I need it), this particular mike, etc.

I really appreciate any help I can get. Thanks alot.

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Oct 27, 2005 12:40 pm

Welcome to HRC

First read www.homerecordingconnection.com/faq.php

www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=581

and

www.homerecordingconnecti...tory&id=585

Eat Spam before it eats YOU!!!
Member
Since: May 11, 2002


Oct 27, 2005 09:32 pm

Being that you have a personal grand piano I will assume that infact money isn't a problem...which it does happen to be for many people who think that it isn't...

I had a great time recording a bit of piano for an indie movie I just finished up and would love to do it again.

First being that this is in your home you need to understand and prepair the enviroment... take all th candles and pictures and every thing pianos tend to have on them off. :) Then take a nice quiet listen... shut the furnace/airconditioner off. probably the refridgerator... can you still hear passing cars, gunshots (this is a problem for me as I live next to a shooting range),or neighbors? I'll assume that you fit the same mold as everyone else I know who hapens to own their own grand... you live in your own house...in a nice subdivsion... with little traffic.

I prefer to record piano in sterio... though I used mono on the movie. So you would need two mics of whatver you liked and a way to record two tracks at he same time (the easy part).

The big necessity for acoustic instruments is accuracy... you probably won't even need to edit a piano... so a mic with good frequency response is necessary... it will probably be a small diaphram condenser... though I used a "short shotgun" Sennheiser ME66K6 which is basically a small diaphram condenser just speciallized for video/film work... but it was the nicest mic I have at around $600. You would likely to also be happy with mid range large diaphram condensers like a Rode mic. I have two Rode NT1's typically for drum overheads... though I am seriously thinking of saving for another ME66 because I like it so much

I think something like this would work nicely for you.
www.musiciansfriend.com/s...8636/sku=270868

so get a pair of those... an depending on your preference a soundcard or a standalone recorder... For computers there are a variety of free software that will more than suit your needs from protools LE to Audacity (bit more goofy but I like it) and others. Plus often a soundcard will come with free software. My Aardvark Q10 came with Cakewalk Proaudio 9 when I got it a few years ago. The magic number for future soundcard longevity is 24bit 192khz... though CD's are 16bit 44.1 khz you never really know where media will drift in the next decade... And you only need 2 channles so possibly a setup like:

the above sennheisers into something like...
the Edirol FA-66
www.musiciansfriend.com/s.../base_id/130139
into whatever software you like... I don't think it works with protools LE though... I don't really care for protools myself though...

The Eternal Student
Member
Since: Oct 08, 2005


Oct 27, 2005 11:19 pm

My mother has a bosendorfer piano, and my parents are pretty much dirt poor...lol.

Think I'm going to get a laptop so I can sample it when I'm home. =)

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Oct 28, 2005 06:55 pm

If I win the lottery, a Bosendorfer will be my first purchase. Just cause I can. :-)

Member
Since: Oct 27, 2005


Oct 28, 2005 07:18 pm

Thanks zekthedeadcow!

The Eternal Student
Member
Since: Oct 08, 2005


Oct 28, 2005 10:30 pm

I'm really pissed off right now that it's in Montana, and I'm in Virginia.

[Edit] And my family's there too.. *cough*

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