Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Teacher? Me?

     Unlikely as it seems, I have to get to work early today, because I will be teaching a couple of classes on using a computer-based audio recording system I recently installed.

     I'm hoping to make a few converts to using the software to do basic editing and level-correcting functions.  For years, we have been using it ("Audacity," shareware if it's for home use) as no more than a digital cassette-tape recorder, when it can do quite a lot more.  But I'll be happy if I can just get users comfortable with the simplified hardware we've put in place, a two-input, high-quality USB analog/digital interface and microphone preamp.  The previous system used a small sound-reinforcement-type mixer, with upwards of a hundred knobs in an 18" by 24" space.  It was thought to be a little daunting.

1 comment:

RandyGC said...

Love Audacity, even if I only use it as a digital tape recorder. And a digital tape cutter and splicer (learned the manual version of this back as a HS student at the local radio station. Quite a useful skill for recovering and resurrecting cassette tapes of dorm mates while in college. Picked more than a few beers that way...)

I don't use it as anything more because, as Brother Eastwood once said, "Man's got to know his limitations" With my decreased hearing and general lack of musical ability, expecting anything I've tweaked with the equalizers and other tools and sounding better (or even bearable) is beyond my limitations.