posted
(And that sounds like the group I grew up jamming with. We always sang it when the first group of people were about to go; the very last communal song of the night was usually "Goodnight, Irene", when the late leavers were ready to go. I am so looking forward to moving back; I miss my folk/bluegrass/blues jams.)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Adam, do you sing baritone? With so many women, we could use a good baritone/bass (although it wouldn't have to be too low, since, again, so many women...)
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
A Hatrack choir would be really cool! I actually suggested it a while back, but we never really started anything.
Posts: 4174 | Registered: Sep 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I've got pretty decent range. I'm sure I could sing low enough (well enough) for it to sound good.
And Beverly, got your songs and listened to them. Really liked Greensleaves. The Zebra song is cute. Come thou fount is a bit outside what I tend to listen to, but you still sang it very well.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
An update: Porter laid down some guitar sound. We need a steady beat and consistency, so he laid down a lot, and I have been editing it for the past hour or so. I think I finally have a working model upon which we can build everything.
A quick note: Each new track we lay down might add "noise" to the overall file. There is a noise reduction feature in the effects menu. What you do is select a few seconds of nothing but the ambient noise in your room. If you are recording at a computer like most of us, your computer may be the main source of this noise. You then select your whole new track (have it be separate at this point) and tell it to remove noise.
But be careful!! Set it on low or else you will get a "hollow", distorted sound.
Hopefully this way we won't have a crazy build up of noise.
Oh, and just FYI, the chorus will be sung twice through the very last time.
I will let you know when we are ready to pass it on!
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Can you give us a "step by step" on how to do that? (Like, go to "file", select...)
I put a note on the group messages about what you need to do in order to record harmonies with yourself, that might bear repeating as well. *is technically inept* *had to look at the documentation to figure out how to record harmony* Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
To avoid the buildup of noise it might be best to keep each track seperate and then mix them together at the end. I have software that can be used to accomplish this and I know twinky does as well. Everyone would have to send their tracks to one person to mix them before we could here it complete though.
I would be willing to do this if people are interested. I could also create several different mixes and add in other instruments/loops. You can contact me through the group if this sounds like a good idea to you. Or just post here.
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
We also need to be able to hear what others have laid down, though. Is there a way we can keep them seperate but hear them together, or create two versions-- seperate to be mixed later, and together to listen to while recording? It's very important to keep with each other, I'm sure you know. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm going to need some major technical assistance. I'm not an idiot, just haven't done this before.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hey, me too! If there's a way to do things that you want done, I will do them-- if given a step-by-step, as described above. Treat me like an idiot, or a five-year-old, or a monkey, I don't care, just give me all the information, so I'll be able to do it.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
You could always use your default media player (Windows Media or iTunes) for playback while recording using audacity.
Posts: 786 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Porter just brought up the very good point that we shouldn't be converting these files into mp3 format and back out again. Repeating that process will ruin the sound. So, assuming we all have Audacity on our computers, we can trade this around in that form which will automatically keep the tracks separate. We should also avoid mixing them all together until the end.
I am not sure exactly how to make them appear as separate tracks *yet*, I will look into it.
As for the noise reduction, I will try to break it down here: First, make sure you have recorded a few seconds of nothing but ambient sound. Click on the beginning and drag across to select that section. Then go to the "Effects" menu and choose "Noise Reduction". If the selection is greyed out, try pressing the yellow "stop" button, or pushing play then stop. That should do the trick.
So, after selecting "noise reduction", it will tell you you need the sample. Since your sample is already selected, just tell it to get the sample. Then go back to the "Effects" menu, choose noise reduction again, making sure you have the slidebar on or near "low" and tell it to remove noise. Then listen to see if you like the effects. At any time you can choose "undo" and try again.
But keep in mind, this noise reduction can be done at the end, as solo said. You can't "un" noise reduce something. So, assuming the problem is mild, solo, do you think we should hold off on that till the end?
Also, this is VERY IMPORTANT: When laying down your track, listen to what is there through headphones. Otherwise the microphone will be picking up what you are hearing also and recording it again and again, amplifying and distorting it. That is bad.
Feel free to correct what I have said here, I am new at this. Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hmmm. Okay, I am for leaving it 'till the end.
I just finished "How Can I Keep From Singing?" if anyone is interested. Will go add to the database now. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
One thing: if you save your project BEFORE you noise reduce, it should be no problem, if you want to "un-noise-reduce" it, to close it down and click "no" when it asks if you want to save changes. It should then revert to saved when you re-open it.
Heck, there may even be a "revert to saved". Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
E-mail me if you want "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies" (traditional American) and/or "Siúil a Rún" (part in English, part in Gaelic-- which I don't speak but a little of and probably mangled the pronunciation), neither of which describes my love life (happily).
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
Last night I laid down some mandolin tracks. But because of my own lack of experience, it was difficult to run consistent nine times in a row. (4 verses, 5 choruses). So I will do some more edititing involving replacing faulty parts with repetitions of better parts and call it good. Porter says the tempo is just a wee bit fast for him to do clean banjo finger rolls, but we shall see. Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think it would be best to do all the noise reduction at the end. I am not a professional by any means, I just like to play around with this stuff. I haven't really used Audacity much so I am not sure of its capabilities.
If you guys need to hear what other people are singing what you can do is save 2 versions, one of just you singing and another of the progressive mix. I can then take the individual tracks and mix them into a final mix at the end (probably using Sony Acid to multitrack it).
Remember, you can always use "Save As" to create additional copies with and without noise reduction (you could name the ones with noise reduction name_nr.
I will take a look at Audacity sometime tonight to see if I can familiarize myself with it. People can send me the individual voice tracks (and the progressive mix if they want) at hatrackFS AT gmail DOT com. I don't check that account regularly though, so contact me through the group as well (I think my yahoo ID is maetic).
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Also, the converting back and forth between mp3 is definitely going to degrade the sound quality. That is why I gave a gmail address so that I can receive bigger files (up to 10MB). I don't know what format is native for Audacity, but the higher quality the original, the better the mix will turn out.
I just checked an it looks like Audacity saves in a proprietary format (aup) by default. You can send these project files to me and I can convert them myself or you can save as wav and send me the wav files. It looks like you can also do all the multitracking right in Audacity if you want to but that might get a little more complicated.
EDIT - aud not aup EDIT AGAIN - apparently I was right in the first place (though I haven't verified it in the actual program)
[ May 06, 2005, 01:09 PM: Message edited by: solo ]
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sorry to post yet again but it looks like I was mistaken.
You can't just send the aup files. Apparently Audacity creates a folder full of .au files as well and the aup file just references that. You could zip this all together into a file archive and send that around but it might be simpler to just use wav as the format. I don't know if this is feasible though as wav files can get very large (I know I said we could use them above, I wasn't really thinking). I can receive email attachments of 10MB through my gmail account so whatever we decide should stay under that size for each file.
quote:Why does Audacity create a folder full of .au files when I save a project?
Audacity breaks long tracks into small pieces so it can edit them more efficiently. When you save a project, Audacity stores all of the pieces in a folder with a name like “project_data.”
You do not need to open these files yourself. Audacity will load them automatically when you open the “project.aup” file, which is saved in the same location as the “data” folder.
EDIT - aud not aup EDIT AGAIN - apparently I was right in the first place (though I haven't verified it in the actual program)
[ May 06, 2005, 01:11 PM: Message edited by: solo ]
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I vote for keeping them in audacity format, if possible. I am not sure exactly how zipping up the whole "package" will work, but I will try to figure it out. Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yes, solo, could you run us through zipping an Audacity project? It sounds like a good thing to learn. Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'll try to figure that out as well, though we might still have a file size problem. I can also look into using some of my webspace for files to be sent (via ftp, though you should just be able to drag and drop files in using internet explorer).
Posts: 1336 | Registered: Mar 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Whoopsie! I finished editing the mandolin track and was experimenting with laying down the first vocal track. What I discovered was there are 10 times through instead of the 9 I had counted before. I missed one in there somewhere!
That means unless I change it, there is one extra chorus. I think sometimes this song starts out with a chorus before the first verse--so I am going to start it that way here and still have the two choruses at the end. Is that OK with everyone?
Posts: 7050 | Registered: Feb 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
www.technelysium.com.au/winimp.html is a nice freeware zip program. And it's very easy to use, just run the program and pick the files and/or folders to archive and it will put it together into one zip file.
Or you might already have a zip program on your machine.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Why not break up the folder into several pieces? If you have a single file that is too big to email, zipped, there are file splitters that break up files and put them back together.
Posts: 6316 | Registered: Jun 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I think 10 MB is standard (although I can send more). If you split it in half, that should do it, right?
Morbo, I find it disconcerting that I had the same idea as you, at the same time. O_o Especially after I had the idea at the same time as bev the other day...
I must be getting psychic Hatrack vibes! Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
Sorry, it is *not* 17.2 MB, (being an idiot again) but 154 MB!!
It would so not be worth it to break that into pieces each time we send it to the next person. This is just insane. There must be a better way....
Edit: I looked in the wrong folder to see the size. The original guitar track only *was* 17.2 MB. The only reason I can think for the size to have grown by an order of magnitude when I only added 2 more tracks is that the data was saving every little editing change I made (I made quite a few to the mandolin track in particular). This seems... unnecessary to me. I have sent an email to audacity to ask for help.
quote: KQ, for whatever reason, those songs haven't arrived yet.
Just noticed this... Are they there yet?
If not, I'll send again; Yahoo has been being dumb.
Also, mentioned on the group but forgot here, my version of "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing", aka "Anne Kills Her Voice Trying To Find Her Key", is available. It was interesting to me in listening to bev's and Annie's how the "folk process" works; their versions are so similar and yet so different, and both wonderful. So I thought I'd contribute my own, gospel-ly version.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
OK I used this weird recording thing that Kwea has and I did my version of Amazing grace...it's a bit off since I don't even have a pitch pipe here or a monitor to here myself, but I thought it was close... since it's in 2 parts. So what next? I'm going to apply for membership to the yahoo group right now, please add my track to the database.
posted
What do you mean by "folk process"? *curious*
Also, I added four more songs by me. One of them demonstrates perfectly my failings in Spanish diction.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Jenni hasas recorded a few more, but they are still "works in progress", but now I am wondering if I should have show her how to use Audacity at all.
posted
If I had a microphone, rather than the piece of junk that's built in to my machine, I'd be really tempted to do some fun stuff with Garage Band.
You should all be glad I don't have a microphone.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I actually suggested it a while back, but we never really started anything.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
(4 verses, 5 choruses). So I will do some more edititing involving replacing faulty parts with repetitions of better parts and call it good. Porter says the tempo is just a wee bit fast for him to do clean banjo finger rolls, but we shall see. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
![[The Wave]](graemlins/thewave.gif)
