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New Music Alive Book II: Composition Resources in the Classroom

Guide to Recording: Just Two Steps to Recording in the Classroom

Audacity is a free programme that allows you to record sound straight onto your computer. You can download it here.

screenshot of Audacity

photo of microphone and computer The easiest and cheapest way to make a good classroom recording is with a USB Condenser Microphone. Just plug it into any USB port on your computer and it's ready to go! These start from as little as €50-60.

Alternatively, you can plug the usual, non-USB, microphones into your computer's microphone input, often coloured pink or red for clarity, using an "XLR-to-Jack" cable.

Now just open Audacity and hit record!

Here's a tip: If your recording doesn't work straight away, check these settings:

In Windows XP, go to Start>Accessories>Entertainment>Volume Control. Now go to File>Properties and click "Recording" instead of "Playback".

In Windows Vista, go to Start>Control Panel>Sound, then click on "Recording" and click "Properties". Then click on "Levels" and see if they are turned up enough.

  • To prepare a recording for a CD, click "Export as WAV" in the File menu. A WAV is what a CD will play.
    These WAVs can simply be dragged onto a blank CD or "burned" to CD using CD burning software like Nero or Roxio.
Advanced

Audacity is a very popular programme and it is great for beginners. If you already have some experience of music technology you might like to download Reaper. It is very similar to Audacity though it has many more features and effects, which makes it a favourite among musicians. You can download Reaper here and use it for an unlimited free trial period. See our Quick Guide to Reaper below.

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A Quick Guide to Reaper
1. Open Reaper and click on "Create New Track" in the "Track" menu (shortcut: Ctrl+T). Reaper interface
Reaper recording 2. Now click on the red "ar" button so the track is 'armed for recording'.

3. Plug your microphone into your computer, as above.

Then just hit record and you're away!

Here's a tip: If you find Reaper's colour scheme too dark, go to Options>Themes>Classic for a brighter layout!

Getting More from Reaper

Cut and Paste

  • Like most programmes, you can cut, copy and paste any soundwave in Reaper using the "Edit" Menu or the usual keyboard shortcuts.
  • To move sound waves around the screen simply drag them with the mouse.
    Silences are created automatically in any gaps between the soundwaves.
    To break up a soundwave simply click on it and press "S" for 'split'.

Effects

  • To explore the effects, click on the "fx" button and see the full menu of effects.
    To whittle down your options, you can type searches into the "Filter List" box.
  • Recommended words are: "chorus", "delay", "flange", "glitch", "pitch", "verb" and "ring modulator".
    Select the effect(s) you want and click "OK".
  • To speed up or slow down a sound, simply hold down the "Alt" key while dragging the side of the sound wave. To turn a sound backwards, click on it first and then, from the "Edit" menu, select "Reverse Items as New Take".

Labelling Sounds

  • Double-Click next to the track number on the left of the screen to type in a track name.
  • If you want to remember what each soundwave is, or if you want to put a child's name on a soundwave, click on the soundwave and select "Item Properties..." from the "Edit" menu (shortcut: F2) and click on "Take Name".

Making CD Tracks

  • To make a track for CD go to File>Render (Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+R). Click on the "Browse" button and save the file to your class folder, then click "Render".

Reaper Template

  • Download a ready-made template for recording with Reaper.

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