Digital Recording becomes easy

Now that I've been trying to learn how to play guitar for the last year and a half, original music is starting to percolate in my brain and exit through my fingers. A while ago after dinner one night I started improvising on my Taylor 6-string and found a cool groove. My wife liked it and I was on to something. The problem was the next day it was gone. Poof. I couldn't find it again, I searched and searched, but my fingers refused to recall whatever it was that moved me.

I finally found a cure for recording what comes out of my brain and emanates from my guitar. It is a bit more hi-tech than a simple personal recorder. This is a 4-track digital recorder that can mix from multiple inputs, add effects like reverb, amp modeling, percussion tracks, etc. Finally using the recorder you can master the whole shebang into an MP3 or WAV file. Pretty damn cool.

The device from Boss (Roland) "Micro BR Digital Recorder" and is about the size of a palm computer. It is probably the only "recording studio" you can carry in your guitar case. (Click pictures to enlarge)



Once you've recorded your masterpiece and "mastered" it to MP3, it is simple to download to the PC via a USB connection. Then using the freeware audio editing tool Audacity, you can edit it, clean-it up, crop it, etc.




So, here's my first take at recording a little riff that I came up with. I've called it Ethereal, because it is. This is played on a luscious Taylor 355ce 12-string tuned to 1/2 step below DADGAD. This modal tuning allows me to use open strings much like a harp. If you listen really close, there is a little hint of Pink Floyd buried in there. This is really my first attempt at doing this and didn't spend any time tweaking input gains (or ironing out the rough spots).

Listen to Ethereal

Peace.