Working With Drum Tracks

By Lori Spencer

 

A drum track is the portion of any sound recording devoted exclusively to the drums. In multitrack recording, what is called the “drum track” in fact usually will comprise several different tracks. Each part of the drum kit is be recorded with a separate microphone, and each microphone assigned a track on the mixing board. For example, one track may be just the snare drum, another may be the crash cymbal, and an overhead microphone captures ambient sound in the room. Mixed together, all of these various elements represent the drum tracks.

Many songwriters will use a drum track to help them create songs. Instead of programming a drum machine for a demo or trying to draw inspiration from prerecorded drum loops, songwriters often find …

(story continues at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-drum-track.htm)

 

Fix That Damned Skipping Record!

By Lori Spencer

 

If your treasured vinyl records are skipping, there could be several reasons why. Dirt, dust or other debris in the grooves of the record are the most common cause of record skips. Your turntable’s arm may need balancing, or the stylus could be worn out. The good news is that all of these problems can be fixed with a minimum of cost and effort. The bad news is, if the skipping is being caused by…

 

Continued at: http://www.ehow.com/how_8209913_fix-record-skips.html

Self-Producing Your Album: A Guide for Musicians

By Lori Spencer

 

Making a record is the first step on every musical artist’s path to success. Here’s how to save time and money in the studio by doing it yourself.

 

Read the rest of the story at

http://www.suite101.com/content/self-producing-your-own-cd-a-guide-for-musicians-a382500

Legal Questions About Recording TV Programs

By Lori Spencer

 

The landmark 1984 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Sony Corporation v. Universal City Studios (more widely known as the Betamax case) established the legality of home video recording. The court ruled that home VCR use did not infringe the rights of copyright holders, and that the plaintiffs would not suffer a substantial loss in profits because of home video recording. In this case, it was decided that recording a TV program for later home viewing met the “fair use” standard.

The ever-changing landscape of digital technology presents new legal questions for copyright holders and consumers alike. We’ll tackle a few of the most frequently asked ones.

Read more: Legal Questions About Recording TV Programs | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7391290_legal-questions-recording-tv-programs.html#ixzz1g8rTvUc6

Digital Preservation of Audio Cassettes

By Lori Spencer

 

Magnetic audio cassette tapes deteriorate over time to due age, wear, dust and temperature/humidity fluctuations. If you have some cherished recordings on cassette tape that you don’t want to lose, back them up to a digital format quickly and preserve them forever.

This is a simple process using basic sound recording software. Some popular free software choices are Audacity and WavePad (both are Mac compatible), or you can just use the Sound Recorder program that came pre-installed with Windows. In this tutorial we will be using Audacity, although the…

Continues at: http://www.ehow.com/how_7346684_record-audio-cassette-computer.html

How to Take Care of 78 RPM Records

By Lori Spencer

 

Collectors of 78 rpm records treat their old shellac discs like rare and precious jewels, as often they are worth a great deal of money. Even the casual collector can learn much about caring for their 78s by talking to an experienced professional collector, curator, or trader of vintage records. Old 78 rpm shellac platters are extremely fragile, vulnerable to chips, cracking and breakage. They require special care and handling at all times and must be stored in conditions conducive to preservation.

Cleaning

Step 1

Use a damp terrycloth lint-free towel to remove surface dust and dirt. Never apply alcohol cleaning products to shellac discs — this strips the surface. For general cleaning, water works just fine. If the disc is really dirty, mix some mild dish-washing liquid with the water.

Step 2

Rub gently in the direction of the grooves. To prevent cracking of the disc, do this on a soft flat surface like a bed or sofa.

Step 3

Rinse or replace the towel frequently if cleaning more than just one or two records.

Step 4

Follow the cleaning towel with a dry towel.

Step 5

Lay the record out to dry overnight. Do not place it back in the sleeve until completely dry.

Storage

Step 1

Store your records clean. Dirt and dust in the grooves can scratch the records when the box is moved around. Organic compounds react with the shellac, attracting insects such as silverfish. These little critters love to eat paper sleeves and record labels.

Step 2

Keep your record boxes high and dry. Humidity above 85% promotes mold growth and porous 78 record sleeves absorb moisture. Store them off the floor in the event of a flood or plumbing leak.

Step 3

Avoid storing 78 rpm records flat; this puts pressure on the records. Store them upright, on edge, in clean new sleeves. Do not allow the records to lean as this causes warping. If storing them in a box, make sure the discs are fully upright and flat against each other, held in place with a divider if necessary.

Step 4

Monitor the temperature where the records are stored. High temperatures will warp 78s, especially if they are not stored flat and upright. Room temperature should not exceed 75 degrees.

Playback

Step 1

Use a fresh new needle for every record if you’re planning to play the 78s on a vintage Victrola. Bear in mind that the heavy tonearm and steel needles on these older record players wear down the grooves much faster than modern equipment.

Step 2

Invest in a high-quality modern turntable with a 78 rpm speed setting. (These are still available from specialty retailers.) If you have very rare or valuable 78s, it is strongly recommended that you only play them on modern electric turntables, not old Victrolas.

Step 3

Copy your 78s to a digital format, such as burning them to CD or to your computer. This saves wear and tear on the original records, while allowing you the pleasure of listening to them as often as you like.

Tips

When it comes to vintage recordings, 78 rpm collectors are merely stewards of historical artifacts. Much like a museum curator, your goal should be to do as little damage as possible and preserve them for future generations.

Warnings

Take extra special care of the record label: collectors and 78 rpm record buyers will pay top dollar for labels that are in excellent condition. Labels that are torn, stamped, marked or damaged reduce the value of your record significantly. Never immerse your records in water or wet the label when cleaning; this will cause labels to bubble or peel.

Key Concepts

• 78rpm record collecting
• 78rpm record care
• 78rpm record cleaning
• 78rpm record storage
• playing 78rpm records
• 78rpm record preservation

References

• 78rpm: Frequently Asked Questions [http://www.78rpm.com/faq.htm]
• The 78rpm Home Page: Repair Tips [http://78rpmrecord.com/repair.htm]
• Tim’s Phonographs and Old Records: Assessing the Condition of Old 78rpm Discs [http://www.gracyk.com/assess.shtml]

Resources (Further Reading)

• Kix: Vinyl Record Collecting Resources [http://kixsoftware.com/vinylresources.html]
• 78rpm Records [http://78rpmrecord.com]
• Garage-A-Records: Record Cleaning Products for 33, 45, and 78rpm Records [http://www.garage-a-records.com/cleaner.html]

User Bio

Lori Spencer has written professionally since 1986. She is the author of three nonfiction books, is writing her fourth and provides content for eHow and LIVESTRONG.COM. She also produces and hosts a weekly radio show. Her subjects of expertise include history, media, music, film and the performing arts.

How to Change Your Voice When Your Record Yourself

By Lori Spencer

 

Whether you’re a professional voice-over artist, a video gamer, or just want to spoof your friends with a prank call over VoIP, voice-changing software gets the job done. You can easily change your voice from young to old, male to female, high to low, and create your own game character voices using special effects — the possibilities are endless.

Many voice-changing (or voice-cloaking) software programs are available. Free programs tend to deliver poor sound quality and don’t offer many features. Pro versions $10 to a little more than $100, as of May 2011…

 

Continued at http://www.ehow.com/how_8406270_change-voice-record-yourself.html

How to Blend the Sound of a Guitar and Bass

By Lori Spencer

 

Achieving just the right blend between guitar and bass should be felt by the listener “like a warm hug” according to Manny Marroquin, mixing engineer on multiple platinum hits for John Mayerand other top recording artists. Think of the guitar as one arm and the bass as the other arm. The idea is to wrap both arms around the listener and engulf them, blending the two sources together to sound like one.

Effective microphone placement, the tone, instruments, amplification, style and rapport of the musicians themselves–and not studio wizardry–represent the keys to successfully blending bass and guitar.

Read more: How to Blend the Sound of a Guitar and a Bass | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_7339161_blend-sound-guitar-bass.html#ixzz1g8wzWNra

 

How to Record From One CD Player to Another

By Lori Spencer

Many CD recorders designed for home stereo or studio use contain two built-in decks: one for recording, the other for playback. If your CD recorder has only one tray, however, it is still possible to copy discs the old fashioned way: dubbing from one component to another. By chaining the CD player and CD recorder together, you experience no signal or audio quality loss as you would using an analog tape deck. Even if you only have a portableCD player to use as the playback deck, the transfer should work fine so long as your CD player has compatible output jacks.

Read more: How to Record From One CD Player to Another | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8398341_record-one-cd-player-another.html#ixzz1M9u9f9p1

Working as an Audio Engineer

By Lori Spencer

Audio engineering careers require versatility and the ability to adapt to working in a variety of sound formats and applications. One day, an engineer might be making an album for a major rock artist; the next day, he or she might be editing a film soundtrack or mixing a classical 120-piece orchestra‘s recording of Beethoven‘s Ninth Symphony. Jobs in sound engineering range include things such as running live sound at concerts, producing radio and television shows, creating sound for video games, performing audio post production or even designing entire public address (PA) systems and recording studios.

Continued at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-types-of-jobs-in-sound-engineering.htm