Processor Speed

2manyrocks · Aug 31, 2009

We don't have any budget to pay for that. It's all donated.

Maybe we'll add another audio track of the recorded track music onto the DVD and cut back on the audio level of the performance DVD except for the individual solo performances when the kid wasn't screaming along. We may have some sync issues here--

Or look for some close up footage of the kid screaming and make it into his own solo performance for the DVD.

Next post may be on the subject of resisting the impulse to wring a kid's neck.

Soundguy · Aug 31, 2009

That's why multi-track recording is so popular... all the tracks are preserved, and can be dealt with individually.

A guy with a pro-tools setup could help you.. but for a free job.. I think you are stuck.

next time, have the guiy on the sound mixer solo the 'tape out' or aux out line he is sending you.. and if one source is bad.. adjust it accordingly.. he's already doing it for the house.. not to hard to twist another knob in addition to the fader he's already tweaking.

soundguy

2manyrocks · Aug 31, 2009

We made several rookie mistakes. In the six years we've done this, we've never had any screamers before. We've had a kid or two go off key, but never any screamers. So we were totally caught off guard.

For the performance, we are using a community center that isn't set up for sound or lights. We use the community center because the performance has outgrown the church facilities--and it's a community kids choir anyway. Everything has to be hauled in for each performance. Some of these problems would have been discovered if we had recorded a rehearsal, but we're pressed for time as it is. The entire performance came together in one week. And we only had the community center on a limited basis for two of those days. In between those two days, we had to tear down and move out for a senior citizens dance.

The sound board operator should have muted the solo mikes except when a solo performer was using them. Then we wouldn't have recorded this kid in the front row so well. Or we should have put the solo mics off to one side of the choir.

For future use, is there an inexpensive way of doing a multitrack? What I have to work with right now is a PC with a M Audio 1212 two channel sound card, but I'm not so keen on hauling a PC around, too. Whatever we get will probably have to come out of my pocket.

Soundguy · Aug 31, 2009

setup and teardown daily is no big deal.. I setup and tear down my gigs daily.

cheap and easy? not really. Best bet is to have an attentive soundguy .. that's the 'easiest' way to handle this if you are just tracking it down to mono without using multi tracks.

other option is to use those 2 tracks as solo and group.. have the soloists go to one track... and everything else to the other.. thus you can control those hot solo mics that way. If someone has a laptop.. you can get a cheap usb audio adapter from behringer. a u-control / uca202.. 2 in / 2 out... cost less than 50 bucks.. comes with recording software to 2 track on hdd.. just about -ANY- windoes xp+ laptop will handle it.

soundguy

2manyrocks · Aug 31, 2009

Thanks. That is certainly inexpensive. Will a netbook with something like the 1.6 speed atom processor work for recording in this application or do I need a more powerful laptop with a faster processor?

Keep in mind that I do this about once a year. By the time the next year rolls around, it takes me a while to remember how it all connects.

Soundguy · Aug 31, 2009

here's the sys req right from the manual ( I have one of these on my laptop I carry to my gig to make quick 'test' burns.. etc.. )

PC req's

intel, or amd cpu, 400mhz or higher

minimum 128mb ram

usb 1.1 interface

windows xp or 2000

An intel atom.. I believe is sold as low as 1.6ghz / 533mhz bus. Even if it is about as half as slow as a celeron 220.. or somewhere around an athlon 64 single core.. I think it *beats* the 400mhz requirements that old 2006 usb audio hardware wants..

soundguy

2manyrocks · Aug 31, 2009

I just ordered a netbook and the audio interface.

If for nothing else besides curiosity, maybe I will try using the noise removal tool or compression in audacity to see if I can cut back on the screaming. There are also some filters in some of the video editing softwares, but I have no clue if they will help this or not.

Thanks very much for all the suggestions.

Soundguy · Sep 1, 2009

good luck.. I'd just group all the soloist mics on one side.. and everything else on the other.. that way using ballance controls you can bring out or bury the soloists.

soundguy

2manyrocks · Sep 9, 2009

The UCA 202 arrived today and I've just barely started trying it with a Dell mini 10. Behringer has free sound editing downloads on its webside for Audacity, Kristal audio engine and another one called energyXT 2.5.

I didn't have much luck editing the screaming in Audacity. It will let me reduce the overall volume of the entire audio track, but otherwise I haven't found anything else helpful with this specific problem.

Generally, what would be a good (cheap, too) sound editing program for future use to make a second audio source? Is there a relatively cheap program that might work on the screaming or is this strictly a job for something pricey like Protools?

Soundguy · Sep 9, 2009

yep.. audio editing is expensive if you want it to be featured. there are things like wavelab that give you some hands on controls, .. but mostly.. it is track volume... like I said.. put the soloists (screamers ) on one channel (left) and the rest on the other (right).. and then you can just turn down the screamers channels till needed.... 1 minute of handwork will preclude the need of hours of editing...

soundguy