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Some thoughts/suggestions about recording software/hardware.

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Gyppo
Posts: 1338
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 3:28 pm
Location: UK

Some thoughts/suggestions about recording software/hardware.

Post by Gyppo » Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:38 am

    What have I learned during my recent experiments with recording my own voice?
  
    1)  You need a reasonable microphone.  Mine cost £25 and it seems to do a fair job.

    2)  It would be really helpful if it had a light to tell you it was on.  Mine hasn't.  As a result I've occasionally tried to record with a dead mike, and suffered from horrible echoing feedback when speakers and mike are on at the same time.  Neither of these will kill you, but you may say a few rough words, and you can be damned sure the thing will be switched on when you do ;-)

    TIP:  Don't record when you're angry or frustrated.  It will mess up your voice.  Acting these emotions for deliberate effect is an entirely different thing

    3)  Software.  In the past I've recorded using the free Audacity programme.  This is a fully featured programme which will let you do all sorts of things you probably don't need if all you want to record is spoken voice.

    There's quite a learning curve to Audacity and lots of things on screen to confuse you.  If you've already used it and feel comfortable with it then please carry on as these things hold no dread for you.

    I get no commission for the review which follows.  I just like the product.

    I chose to buy a programme which is meant for business people dictating for typists.  It's called Record Pad Sound Recorder.  (I'll put a link at the bottom.) This cost me another £25.  It's Australian and you get a 14 day free trial, but no free kangaroo.  My calculations put it at £20, but currency fluctuations bounced it a bit higher.    

    I tried a few similar offerings but, for me at least, this one stood out as the most simple and Gyppo-proof.  (Always an important factor when I choose software.)

    I spent three days deciding and then reached for my card.   There's a very neat and compact - but not too small for old eyes - menu.  Simple buttons like an old school 'piano key' tape recorder.  You can poke around amongst the settings and tell it to save an mp3 file, and where you want it.  It's nice to have this bit automated, and very easy to go through and delete all the 'not quite right' versions.

https://www.nch.com.au/recordpad/index.html

    They will try and sell you all sorts of other related stuff at the same time, but ignore all that and just try the recorder.  I will say they haven't deluged me with offers of upgrades etc, unlike bloody Amazon.

    If you just want to record spoken voice, use the free trial.

    Final comment.  I've often heard people say that 'you can't beat free', or 'what's not to like about the price'.  I have a lot of free software on my computer which I swear by, but sometimes you just want a tool that lets you get on and do the job without spending a lot of time learning how it works.

    For me Record Pad is one of those delightfully non-geeky tools.

Gyppo
I've been writing ever since I realised I could.  Storytelling since I started talking.  Poetry however comes and goes  ;-)

ajduclos
Posts: 1746
Joined: Mon Apr 01, 2019 1:35 pm

Re: Some thoughts/suggestions about recording software/hardware.

Post by ajduclos » Sun Aug 18, 2019 7:33 pm

Thanks for that review/insight !!!!  
Aj

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