Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

It's been years since I've looked into any kind of recording ability for songwriting. Last time I did it was all about Tascam and a cassette tape. What do YOU use to take a snapshot of that bass or guitar riff you want to capture so you can repeat it again and build on it?

For quick and dirty I use the webcam on my laptop. I also get the visual this way.Otherwise Pro Tools (any version) is great for laying down a scratch track or the real deal.

These day I use GarageBand, in the past I used (and still have) a Tascam 234 Syncaset.

Still old school Tascam 244 for just a quick idea or take. It takes 5 seconds to turn on. I can do something faster than my computer turns on and boots up Logic. I use ADAT to really record, then throw it over to Logic for further processing. (I rarely get that far...)
G.

Yup, Tascam 244 here, too. I've been thinking about a Tascam US-144 lately.

JimK

Hi Jim,
Got a line on any cassettes? I am down to 3 or 4 more before I run out of new ones anyway...
G.
The 144 looks like a handy little unit...

I still use good old paper and pencil for immediate lick transcription. Aside from that, I use ProTools. I still have my Tascam Porta02MkII and cassettes, but only use it to playback old regular cassette tapes.*


*Fun trick - place a regular cassette tape in and play tracks 3 & 4, to hear Side 2 of the cassette in reverse! To hear side 1 in reverse, just flip it over and continue listening to only tracks 3 & 4. Revolution 9, anyone?

jps wrote:These day I use GarageBand.

x2.

In the past, I would just play it ad nauseum until I could remember it.

While songwriting I use my iSight web cam and QuickTime to make audio/visual notes (movies) for myself later. I get my hands in the video so I can remember what chords and positions I used very quickly.
Not that I'll forget anyway, if I got to that point, but the movies are good to have.
When I'm backlogged with a number of ideas I need to record a movie of each song so I can put it out of my mind and move on to the next one. Otherwise they all get stuck clanking around in there at once

Excellent idea on the webcam, Kira!!!

That reminds me, on an unrelated note, I keep meaning to shoot video of myself playing one of the new 5002v58's. The lessons are really st... ok new thread.

kiramdear wrote: Otherwise they all get stuck clanking around in there at once

And then you end up with Bohemian Rhapsody or some prog-rock behemoth, and nobody wants that.

I use the Zoom H2. Great little inex[ensive unit, portable, lots of recording time with the 8Gb chip, several mike patterns to use, yet easy to set up and go. Works great for me.

captsandwich wrote:

kiramdear wrote: Otherwise they all get stuck clanking around in there at once

And then you end up with Bohemian Rhapsody or some prog-rock behemoth, and nobody wants that.

Hey, I love BR! Which, of course, begs the question- how does a band with a front vocalist like Freddy Mercury was, ever survive after he departs the band? (And, please, don't tell me the answer is Adam Lambert.)

I sometimes wonder if there should be some kind of percentage value placed on each member of a band...and if the percentage ever dips below, I dunno, 50%...the band should be officially over and can't continue with the same name. A lead singer would be worth a high percent value, even more if he/she plays an instrument...and even more if they actually write the material the band performs...So, a Paul McCartney and a John Lennon would have a lot of percentage value in a band. A Ringo Starr, not so much.

Sadly, most bassists would be limited to say a 15% value, even less if they play like me.

I love Bohemian Rhapsody too! I'd throw out all my gear if I could write something like that Do you suppose that song was the result of Composer's Constipation Syndrome (CCS)?

I tried recording today. I have a mac G5 desktop with garageband and an external isight camera for the microphone. I had the isight about 5 feet from my amp, which was set to clean jangle. I could not get set the recording level low enough to have anything other than total distortion. Any idea what I'm doing wrong?

Thanks!