Saturday, October 25, 2008

Audio Hardware/Software Response

I was very excited when I learned I would be building my own stereo microphone. I had worked with solder before; I've performed multiple repairs to electrical guitar wiring. I stripped my wires and connected them to my microphone capsules without any problems. I was surprised by how well my stereo microphone worked. I used it to record close up sounds, such as a dragged weight, and general ambiance, like underneath the Farwell Avenue bridge. I wish It was easier to control which noises I pick up, and which ones I don't. I wish I had better windscreens, even though the ones I made work well. I wish my recorder was smaller and had better controls. I also wish I could have no wires, but that's just dreaming...

I did not have any problems with operating the MiniDisc recorder, but I wish it didn't take as long to change the settings. If it were up to me, I'd want it to save the settings I had the last time I used it, or at least keep them until I changed the battery.

I used Audacity for my audio editing, and I had never used it before. I was satisfied with its capabilities, especially since it was free. I decided to use Audacity because it cost nothing and I thought it would be easier to get help if I needed it. I was very confused at first, but I began to learn the program's functions and things got easier. On one day in particular, I spent more than 4 hours trying all the different tools and filters. I felt like I was getting nowhere for a long time, but I eventually started to get the results that I wanted. Experimenting with the tools is the best way for me to learn how to use them. Once I began to understand the program, things became much easier. It took me a long time to tweak my recordings, and I'm still not sure if they sound exactly the way I wanted to, but I'm pleased with them. I will probably use Audacity in the future for my personal audio editing needs.

2 comments:

Defiance Of God said...

Hey Mariella
You know your stuff. You also have an awesome selection of guitars in the background. omg - wish I was so lucky. Only advice I have - try everything! Technology is only as good as the user!
Follow my antics - my band are gonna be big! Honest.
www.myspace.com/defianceofgod
Dani x

Unknown said...

keep being a dreamer you are awesom...