Quote:
Originally Posted by Flakey
I want to setup a simple home recording work station for my wife to record her and her students while she is or they are playing piano. What are some easy to use software, good sound card, Microphone and interface suggestions?
Ok here in my point of reference; the last time I did any home recording it was a big deal when you had a TEAC 3340 real to real recorder, a Studio Master 16x4x2 channel board,DBX external noise reduction and maybe a Roland DEP 5 effects processor. Yes I know these things are now in the Smithsonian museum.
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The recommendation for a standalone recorder knocks "simple" out of the ballpark. Any other option is vastly more complicated, and it sounds like your proposed use would be a perfect match for a good quality portable recorder.
The amazing thing is that you can buy a four track recorder with overdub capability (basically the same functionality as your 3340) for under $300 and the audio quality will be better than the TEAC could deliver. And it will have a pair of decent stereo mics attached. You can even spend a bit more and bump the quality (in the form of a slight reduction in self-noise) up a bit more.
Here's a comparison of the Zoom H4n four track recorder to a pretty respectable PC based recording chain:
http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2009/...-the-zoom-h4n/
A good friend of mine who's a pretty fair pianist used the Sony PCM-D50 to capture his Steinway. Here's a look at the PCM-D50 along with another less expensive option, the Zoom H2n:
http://www.homebrewedmusic.com/2011/...-d50-zoom-h2n/
And in fact for the specific purpose you describe, the H2n might well be the perfect choice.
A computer based system opens the door to a world of capture and manipulation options, and I have fun using my system to experiment with mic configurations and effects. And if I need to comp (splice) together a performance to remove some mishaps, the computer Digital Audio. But many times when I want a clear, clean, accurate recording I just pull out one of my handheld recorders.
Fran