How to prepare samples from field recordings?

Benno · Post by **Benno** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:29 pm

Im abit new to this so i wondered if anyone could help me. Im looking at buying a recorder (such as the Edirol R1) so i can record my own samples. What id like to know is what i have to do with them to get them into software all trimmed and ready to go.

Im assuming ill need a wave editor? Can anyone outline the process for me and suggest the cheapest way of doing this to achieve top notch samples. I cant afford to buy wave lab. What about KompaKT?

I have done a lot of digging but im a bit confused and i want the simplest and cheapest way.

Any suggestions would be great. Cheers

amo · Post by **amo** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 12:35 pm

Hi,

Well, Kompakt is no wave editor, and you'll need a wave editor to work on your recordings. Though the cheapest way of cutting your smaples if you own Live is to use it. You can always cut samples into the arrangement, adjust some gain using utility and resample them.
Otherwise, as a sample editor, I think there are some free ones, like Audacity. But before installing or buying anything I'd still give a try to Live's arrangement view.
My advice would be to put the money on the recorder, and microphone if you mean to record live sounds, make location recorders. If you just want to record synths and drum boxes, your sound card should do.

Hope that helps,
amo

Benno · Post by **Benno** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 1:50 pm

Thanks Amo, appreciate the info.

I think id like to use a wave editor, ive been putting it off for years. Any simple ones out there? Any recommendations?

What about using Recycle? Could i not load up the sound in there, trim the samples using the sliders and then simply trigger the sample in reason/stylus? I think i could?

spiderprod · Post by **spiderprod** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 2:04 pm

sony soundforge
steinberg wavelab

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 2:20 pm

Yeah Benno, if you're going to make music with your samples Recycle is the ticket. It slices, it dices, it... yeah.

If you look around for a used copy I imagine you can snap it up on the cheap.

Before you grab that R1 though, have you checked out the Micro Track 2496? It's smaller, cheaper, and has with two balanced mic inputs with phantom power.

elemental · Post by **elemental** » Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:08 pm

I am looking at these also, there's the Marantz one also but the R1 seems better from reviews.. havent heared about the M-Audio one yet... recording at 96kHz would be nice tho.
From what i've read the R1 can do very good quality recordings with its built in condenser mic.

glsimonsen · Post by **glsimonsen** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 5:39 pm

i think the oct. issue of electronic musician reviews a bunch of those things.

FaX-01 · Post by **FaX-01** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:01 pm

Two options here -

Option 1.

Get an audio editor ..if money is tight the freeware AUDACITY will do the trick http://audacity.sourceforge.net

(Available for both PC and Mac.)

Option 2. - This is what I'd suggest myself!!!!

You don't need an audio editor and can use LIVE in Arranger Mode.
If you drag and drop the audio clips in they can be cut/copied/pasted/trimmmed etc etc and then consolidated into totally new clips/.wav or .aif files.
This would leave the original source material intact and give you plenty enough editing tools and options IMHO.

I tend not to use an external audio editor for this very reason any more as any .wav edits in arranger mode can be consolidated into totally new clips anyway and it saves me having to use an external audio editor at all.
It also keeps all the original source material totally intact for use in future projects.

FaX-01 · Post by **FaX-01** » Sat Nov 19, 2005 9:04 pm

Sales Dude McBoob wrote:Yeah Benno, if you're going to make music with your samples Recycle is the ticket. It slices, it dices, it... yeah.

If you look around for a used copy I imagine you can snap it up on the cheap.

Before you grab that R1 though, have you checked out the Micro Track 2496? It's smaller, cheaper, and has with two balanced mic inputs with phantom power.

It's also limited to the size of the .wav files used .
No more than 8 meg an is actually better suited for chopping up riffs / melodies / basslines and loops IMHO.
Not what I would use for field recordings or very long ambiences myself.

Gygaxian · Post by **Gygaxian** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:46 am

May I suggest the Edirol R4.
by night I play with Ableton and strange noises, but by day I work in a small post production house, doing sound for film and animation.

We have been using the edirol R4 recently for our field recordings, and we are very, very pleased with it.
If it can handle quad recording for 5.1 surround to picture, then Im sure it will do what you need.

As far as wave editing and such, many many routes you can go. It just depends on what you need for your particular projects.
All of the suggestions youve got so far are pretty good.
cheers and good luck.

sans soleil · Post by **sans soleil** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 3:54 pm

i think that minidisc is still the most cost effective way of making field recordings...the new hiMD recorders allow digital file transfer as well. i'd take the money you save on the recorder and invest that into a decent/good stereo mic (like an audio-technica at822 or rode nt4).

to edit and mangle the samples i'd suggest audacity and soundhack, both free, but soundhack is mac-only.

www.phonography.org is a great resource for field recording info, btw.

Gygaxian · Post by **Gygaxian** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 5:57 pm

minidiscs are decent for most things, however they do attenuate high frequencies due the type of compression they use.

So, not the greatest for ambience and etc, but would probably work fine on other types of sound.

gaspode · Post by **gaspode** » Sun Nov 20, 2005 8:52 pm

I love my microtrack 24/96 long time...

DJ_DIRTY_D · Post by **DJ_DIRTY_D** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:25 am

The new Hi-MD minidisc recorders can record in 16bit linear PCM mode (ie no compression). They can also accept 1Ghz discs and offer usb transfer straight to your p.c.

conny · Post by **conny** » Mon Nov 21, 2005 1:33 am

So thinking Edirol with built in mics or MiniDisc with stereo mics, it still the latter if being cost effrective?
Latter is like 2/3 of the first, I recon.

// C