Digital recorder for interviewing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jess11
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Jess11

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I'm new to this, but am really hoping for some advice. I want to conduct some genealogical interviews and need some equipment! What I have done in the past is used my laptop (Inspiron 1150) and plugged a mic into that ("binaural"?? two mics that hook to a person's lapel and then the cords join and go into one jack on my laptop). This works ok, but I am looking for something that will allow me to record the interview on two tracks (one for each mic) and supposedly I can only get one track because I am using a line-in on a laptop or something.

So, is there something better out there? Should I get an ipod or a mini-disc player? How would something like that do as far as using two mics, downloading to my laptop (I've been recording to audacity, which records in something like an .aup file), sound quality, etc? Or is there something I can add to my laptop to be able to record in audacity but with two tracks?
 
You can do anything that works, actually. I've used mini-disks, my Olympus DS-300 and plain old cassette recorders. Lately, people prefer digital because it's that much easier to edit the interview, if you're going to edit at all, and to burn a CD or DVD. An internet search on "oral history" will provide a plethora of information from the scholarly to the family history perspective.
 
This is probably technical overkill, but I'm silly like that. ;) There are portable USB audio interfaces available that can record individual tracks from separate microphones. Tascam, M-Audio, DigiDesign and others also bundle audio editing software with their devices. Tascam also makes a portable stand-alone multi-track recorder that can record to MP3 format and store the files on to compact flash cards. These solutions can get pricey and the included software can be a challenge to use. With the explosion of podcasting, you should be able to google lots of great advice on this and related topics.

Hope this helps!

-michael
 
You can just get some musical recording and editing software, and then you can record as many tracks as you want. Some software to get might be Cool Edit, Cubase, etc. But there is a learning curve with these things.

But one problem is that each mic is going to "bleed" into the other mic.

Also, for 2 tracks, you are going to have to get an audio PCMCIA card with multiple inputs.

I am not sure why you would want 2 tracks?
Is it to balance the volume? If so, you COULD just get a tiny mixer, to balance the volumes, and then put that into the computer.

Also, go onto some type of Digital Audio messageboard, and someone will point you to a website that can show you how to set up your laptop to do this type of recording.

Also, after EACH session, burn a CD or DVD for BACKUPS!

Coz
 
Virgin tascam 4288 user

Hi anyone
I was wondering if anyone could give me a direction into pitch control.
What i want to do is tweak a few bum notes from singers, go into the wave and slightly sharpen or flatten it, i know the tascam has pitch control, but only for the entire track. Is it possible to do what i want, is there perhaps different software i can buy to aid this.
 
If that individual track is digitized, put on a computer, then you can alter any part of that file. There are even automatic "pitch-correction" mechanisms.
But you have to isolate that track, on a computer, and then use the tools in any major digital audio software package to correct the pitch, or alter that part of the file in any way.
If i were you, i would find a good Digital Audio home-recording forum, and someone might walk you through it.

Coz
 
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