Software Audio Requirements
Computer music isn't just bleeps and noise - we explain how a PC can become your personal recording studio by means of sound recording software.
Many people associate computer music with electronic bleeps, noise and artificial-sounding vocals, but computers are just as capable of recording rock, folk, jazz or classical music. With a little free software installed, a home computer can be turned into a home recording studio of surprisingly high quality.
If you can play an instrument, sing or even compose your own music, it's a real treat to have your performances nestling in among your CD collection. In this feature, we'll explain how to convert your own performances into a recording to treasure.
The ins and outs
There are five things required to record music on a computer. One is the computer itself, and the second is recording software. We'll use a program called Audacity, which is free, easy to use, doesn't require a powerful computer and will run on Windows 98 or later, Mac OSX or Linux.
The remaining requirements involve getting audio in and out of the PC. You'll find more details about choosing a microphone in the box on page 53, but just as important is getting sounds back out of the computer again. Most people already have a set of speakers attached to their computer and these will normally suffice for now. If you catch the music-making bug and continue to record music, though, you may want to invest in a set of speakers designed for making music. These are often called active monitors, and they are designed for accurate rather than flattering sound - prices start at around £50 from shops such as Digital Village.
You'll also need headphones. When recording multiple instruments on separate tracks, it's important to hear the other instruments as you perform - but listening through speakers is impractical as the microphone will pick up the sound. Using headphones when playing is a simple way to keep the instruments separate, producing the best results.
We're almost ready to start using Audacity but before doing so, plug in any USB microphones or soundcards you'll be using. If you're using a microphone with a standard mini-jack plug rather than a USB plug, connect it into the Microphone (or 'mic') socket on your computer - this is often color-coded pink.
Double-click the Audacity icon on the Desktop to run the software. Audacity generates lots of small files for each project so it can get messy unless they're kept well organized, so it's worth immediately clicking the File menu and choosing to save the project somewhere sensible - creating a new folder to save in is a good idea.
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