In the interest of staying true to all of you recording enthusiasts, I wanted to make you aware of a new iPad app that’s pretty awesome by Tascam. It’s called, Portastudio, and is available now for download at iTunes for $9.99. I purchased and downloaded this app just before the holiday season and have yet to really use it, given the busyness of the Christmas and New Year’s season. Nevertheless, for all of you who have used a Tascam 4-Track Recorder in the past, this nifty app should prove to be pretty exciting. Of course, this doesn’t detract from my enthusiasm for Mixcraft. It’s always a good idea to try other methods of recording vocals and instruments.

The amazing thing about the Portastudio App is that it pretty much works just as well, if not better (given the digital upgrade), than the old Tascam 4 Track portable studio. I should know, I used to have one and thought I was hot stuff for it. Another amazing thing, is that this handy little application for the iPad is a mere fraction of the cost of the old 4 Track equipment. If you like recording your voice harmonically, here’s a way to do so, from any location.

Here’s what Tascam has to say about the Portastudio App:

TASCAM’s Portastudio brings 30 years of easy-to-use home recording to your iPad. Based on the PORTA ONE recorder that revolutionized recording in 1984, the Portastudio app records up to four tracks with a vintage vibe.

Record one track at a time using the built-in mic or a headset microphone connection, monitoring on authentic VU meters. A cassette transport with position counter tracks your position while you mix with level, pan and EQ controls. When you’re ready to mix, the built-in mixdown function saves your song as a CD-quality WAV file. Your mix appears in iTunes when you’re finished, ready to share with friends and bandmates.

A generation of your favorite bands crafted their songs with Portastudios, now it’s your turn. Start capturing your songs with the company that invented home recording using Portastudio by TASCAM.

Click here to visit and purchase Portastudio on the iTunes store. 

Click HERE to visit TASCAM’s website and read all about how it works >>>

The fantastic thing about having your own recording studio with your own computer is that you are in complete control. And you can do it anywhere! You’re not at anyone’s mercy.

Okay, so you’ve planned to record but have to put it off until next week because you’re sick or something comes up. NO BIG DEAL. This particular little fact is MAGIC. In fact, pick a day when you’re ready and in the best voice, mood, state of mind – whatever possible, whether 8 a.m., 11 p.m. or whenever and sing, speak, podcast, mix and record to your heart’s content – with your own computer. This is something that I wasn’t able to do during my first (very expensive) recording project – in Nashville, in a costly, professional studio. It turned out pretty well – all things considered – but I think that my own “LOW-COST” home recordings on my own computer sound much better.

Why? Because I did them at my own pace with ease and creativity.

I’m not going to bore you with all of the details of my recording projects here. The point that I’m trying to make is that you have FULL CONTROL when you have your OWN recording studio. You don’t have to worry about how long it takes, but you can do it at your own leisure, and have a blast while you’re doing it. For fun or for some serious self-promotion, podcasting, CD or mp3 sales (you name it), you can’t beat the control and versatility that you have.

My Recommendation – Mixcraft

Of course, you have to have the right kind of software and you have to know how to use it. That’s why I chose Mixcraft for my home studio recordings and podcasting. Well, actually, I just happened upon it, but it was so awesome that I had to write about it here. If I sound overly excited about it, well that’s because I am. That’s how strongly I believe in this product. Read my reasons below.

Imagine YOU – being the singing artist, podcaster, sound engineer and producer – in the privacy of your own home – ALL FOR LESS THAN $70 BUCKS!

AMAZING!

Why I Prefer Mixcraft for Recording & Mixing

Ok, so to recap, here are the immediate benefits to doing your own home recording – MY PREFERRED WAY – with Mixcraft:

1. IT’S AMAZINGLY AFFORDABLE - that’s right, and with today’s troubled economy, who has thousands of dollars to pay for a recording engineer or to rent time at a recording studio, especially when you can do it at home for next to nothing? You only need to have the right software – hence the PHRASE – LOW COST (not in quality, mind you, but in price only).
2. IT’S EASY, IT’S EASY, IT’S EASY - Anyone can use it! I’ve got the CDs, the mp3s, and the recorded audios to prove it. I’m totally a self-taught technogeek. Nobody showed me how either – it’s all self-taught and I do all my recordings myself.
3. IT’S TOTALLY VERSATILE - meaning – You can record ANY TIME or ANY WHERE you want to. If you’re like me and have a laptop, you can take it any place you want to record. That means, (if you don’t want to use the built-in effects, which by the way, ARE AWESOME) if you have a favorite church, room, auditorium or building that you love to sing, podcast, play or speak in, you can take your laptop there and record to your heart’s delight. I even recorded part of my first Christmas CD in the bathroom at my parents’ house, because I like the echo there. How’s that for a funny story?
4. YOU ARE THE BOSS - literally. I mean you have FULL CONTROL. Like I said before, you will literally be the speaker or singer or musician AND the sound engineer AND the producer – all in one. Or, of course you can can have your friends or fellow artists work together on a project. Again, this is totally at your discretion and leisure. Nevertheless, when you spin your recorded mixes down to that first completed track onto CD, you’re going to feel pretty slick. I know I did.
5. IT SOUNDS PROFESSIONAL & GREAT - Ok, so you may or may not be the best singer, podcaster, narrator or speaker in the world, but there are some pretty cool things you can do to your own sound or voice recordings that you’re going to make. And it’s all included with the software that I recommend. That’s not to say that you can’t do it with other software programs, but the one I use – I BELIEVE – is BY FAR, the easiest. It’s self-teachable. Hey, if I can do it, you can do it! especially since I’m getting ready to show you how easy it is.

Read more details about Mixcraft . . .

A compact solution for getting 24-bit audio recordings in a variety of settings.

Record stereo or four-capsule omni audio directly to an SD card with the pocket-sized PalmTrack. You can capture live sound anywhere and anytime without a single cable. The PalmTrack is perfect for recording quality sound in a wide variety of settings, including rehearsals, jam sessions, gigs, conferences, lectures, classes, interviews, and meetings. The possibilities are virtually limitless.

Recording with the PalmTrack is easy and flexible. Just insert the included batteries and SD card and press record. You can monitor while recording in headphones and watch the realtime level meters, or just switch on Auto Mic Gain and let the PalmTrack take the hassle out of recording. When you’re done recording, you can check out your recordings on the PalmTrack’s built-in speaker, using your own headphones, connecting the PalmTrack to your Mac or PC with its mini USB jack, or by removing the SD card and inserting it into your computer’s SD card slot or reader.

While you’re tracking, you’ll be able to easily tell that the PalmTracking is recoding thanks to its red Record light. You can easily switch the mic’s gain from high to low with the left-side switch, and you can adjust the input level with the up and down buttons on the right.

You can choose between 44.1 and 48kHz sample rates, select an MP3 bitrate from 64 to 320kbps for maximum recording time, or choose uncompressed 16- or 24-bit WAV for broadcast-quality recording. For all-in-one recording, the PalmTrack has four microphones housed in its protective grille. You can select two mics for stereo pickup pattern, four mics for omnidirectional pickup pattern, plug your own mic into the PalmTrack’s 1/8-inch mic input, or any line-level source into its 1/8-inch line input.

The PalmTrack also gives you powerful processing onboard, including bass compensation for reducing the proximity effect in close-miked situations, as well as Chorus, Pitch Shift, Delay, and Reverb settings for adding flavor and creative effects to your recordings. There’s also an MP3 voice cancelling more that enables you remove vocals from MP3s. On top of all of that, there’s even a handy tuner.

The PalmTrack has a bright, clear OLED display that shows you blue-on-black text and metering information, even in a dark club. It records running on the two included AA batteries, or using an optional power adapter.

At The Guitar Center’s great price of $179, you can be assured of complete satisfaction and the lowest available price, or your money back!

Alesis Palm Track Handheld SD Recorder Features:

• Handheld SD recorder with stereo and four-capsule omni pickup patterns
• Record 44.1/48kHz, 64–320kbps MP3 and 16/24-bit WAV
• Four onboard mics with high, low, and auto gain for overload-free recordings
• Bass compensation, Chorus, Pitch Shift, Delay, Reverb, MP3 Voice Cancel, and Tuner
• Inputs for connecting 1/8″ (3.5mm) mic and line-level audio
• Stereo 1/8″ (3.5mm) headphone output and built-in monitoring speaker
• Includes SD card; works with virtually all SD cards up to 16GB
• USB jack for mass storage connection to Mac and PC
• AC/DC operation on 2 AA batteries (included) or AC adapter
• Threaded mounting point for tabletop and stand-mounted applications

Includes:

• PalmTrack recorder
• SD card
• (2) AA batteries
• Quick start guide

Click Here to Get Yours!

Get Mixcraft 5 Now for Download or Purchase!

Mixcraft 5 by Acoustica (their latest and most amazing version) is a multi-recording track studio software program for your home computer (PC). I used Mixcraft 2, 3 and 4 to record my own vocals, music album CDs and to podcast on my PC and currently use Mixcraft 5 to podcast, record and mix vocals, instruments and now, edit video.

Mind you, I had NEVER done any of my own recording before I purchased and downloaded Mixcraft. Read More >>

Prior to using Mixcraft BY MYSELF, I had paid a whopping $10,000 and spent a week in Nashville, TN doing an extensive recording project that resulted in a CD that I didn’t have much control over. I had a limited amount of time to use the studio and a limited amount of input from the sound engineer and ZERO CONTROL over the final product. While I “produced” my own CD, once I left the studio and headed back home, my creative input into the project consisted of no more than choosing the song order and the artwork and writing that was to go on the album cover.

With Mixcraft 5, you can easily take a recording project from start to finish, WITHOUT USING ANY OTHER SOFTWARE. You don’t even need live instruments, as there are many that are already contained within the program, along with percussion kits and effects galore.

With Mixcraft 5, you can perform, record, mix, remix and even edit video to your heart’s desire – all while sitting at your home computer. And the amazing thing is it only costs about $75 bucks. For what you get, along with the EASE OF USE, you cannot beat this amazing product. Take a look at the demo video to the right.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click Here to Read More About Mixcraft 5!

Recently, one question that keeps coming up about recording and mixing with Mixcraft is that of editing vocal effects. I created a simple tutorial video a while back on how to add simple effects to your voice using Mixcraft. Since then, many have been asking how to actually edit or create a custom effect preset with Mixcraft. In response, here’s a quick overview on how to edit to achieve a particular overall effect on the voice or track. Keep in mind that I do not show you how to achieve a particular sound, but give a general overview of how to tweak the effect presets to achieve a custom, desired result. Using effects when recording vocals or music is purely subjective and really depends upon what you’re trying to achieve as an end result.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As always, feel free to leave a comment below, if you have something to add or if you have a question.

Every once in a while I come across something that seems to be unique and worthwhile to share with my followers. This week, I’m sharing a little about Pandora Internet Radio, which I believe is pretty fantastic. Many of you may already be familiar with Pandora, but many of you may not. For this reason, I’ll tell you a bit about it.

The facts about Pandora Internet Radio

• It’s completely free.
• You can create up to 100 of your own unique radio stations.
• It works on a PC, Mac or mobile device
• It uses the “Music Genome Project” to analyze and create your own unique mix of music

Here’s a short video overview of Pandora Radio:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sign Up for Your Free Internet Radio at Pandora

Here’s another video tutorial for Mixcraft 4.5. As you probably already know, it’s my strong opinion that Mixcraft is the best online recording software that you can download, for the money. Mixcraft is easy to use and works great for recording a podcast, recording vocals, mixing, and other home recording projects. It’s great for beginners and recording professionals alike.

The video below describes a simple, yet important aspect of Mixcraft 4.5 – how to use the “Project” Tab. In follow up videos, I will be explaining the uses of the other three Mixcraft Tabs that are located across the bottom of the Mixcraft User Console.

In particular, on the Project Tab in Mixcraft, you can adjust the recording project tempo, key and time signature. You can also designate the default folder where you can save your project files, as well as add effects to the recording project as a whole.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Learn More about Mixcraft Recording

As always, I welcome your questions and comments below.

As you can see from the title of my website – “Recording Wiz,” I’m all about making the whole recording process easy, whether it has to do with recording audio OR recording video. Mostly, here at www.recordingwiz.com, I talk about audio recording and podcasting, mainly because it’s much easier to listen to something at any time, than to have to watch while you’re listening. In fact, when you’re in the car or on the treadmill or simply walking down the street, your eyes are everywhere, but your ears can be in tune with whatever happens to be on your iPod or mp3 device.

Video for Blogging

That being said, there’s still a place for video in the blogging realm. And, that’s the reason for this particular post. You see, a lot of people are interested in the whole video process, but really have no idea how to go about it. Sure, you may be able to figure out how to embed a YouTube video on your website or blog, but apart from that, do you really know how to create, publish and post your own videos? Well, if you do, congrats. As one who’s now doing his own videos, I have to say that it can be pretty involved and complicated. And since I call myself the Recording Wiz, I felt that I’d be neglectful if I found something that makes publishing your own video a cinch and didn’t share it with you. That’s why I wrote this short blog about the Video Web Wizard.

In a nutshell, here’s what Video Web Wizard does:

1. Multiple Video Conversion – Create video playlists quickly & easily by converting multiple videos at the same time
2. Download Videos From YouTube – Use videos you’ve already uploaded to YouTube & put them in a more professional video player
3. Web Page Templates – Choose from 50 different web pages, minisites, and video optin templates when converting a video
4. Five Brand-New Players – Including two video playlist players, two widescreen players, and one compact player
5. Thirteen Video Skins Included – Spice up your videos with these “picture frames” for online videos
6. Brand Your Videos – Overlay an image or logo on top of your video
7. Generate Code Feature – Easily put your video on an existing web page.

There’s a lot more that Video Web Wizard does. I won’t write about it all here, but if you’re looking for a simple, fast way to put video on your blog or website (that you or someone else creates, then check out their website.

Check out the Video Web Wizard page>>

As always, I welcome your comments!

This brief blogcast gives a quick 9 minute overview of the Mixcraft User Console, explaining all of the icons located on the Mixcraft dashboard. As with any new software, there is typically a learning curve. The video below gives a quick and simple explanation of the functions of these icons for the newbie Mixcraft user.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Learn More about Mixcraft Recording

As always, I welcome your questions and comments below.

Here’s the latest tutorial video on Mixcraft. This video is approximately 10 minutes long and shows how to add vocal effects to your recording project, particularly to a single vocal track. Again, if you’re new to Mixcraft or have never tried it before, check it out by downloading it from the Mixcraft page here on the RecordingWiz.com website.

The audio podcast above is an exact audio of the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Points to remember when adding vocal effects to your recording

• Click the “fx” button to access your “Effects Menu”
• Any time you see a little menu triangle (arrow), click on it to see your menu options. This is how you choose your effect, as well as a preset.
• Make sure that the box is checked to the left of the added Effect and Preset – otherwise the vocal effect will not be processed.
• Keep in mind that the effects listed in the effects popup box will be processed in the order that they’re listed. Reordering them WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your overall vocal effect.
• To reorder an effect, Click on the effect line in the popup box and click the “up” or “down” arrow on the right of the effects popup box.
• There are lots of effects to choose from. Experiment with them to create all kinds of unique sounds when singing or podcasting.

Learn More about Mixcraft Recording

As always, if you have any comments or questions, please use the form below. I’ll try to answer your questions here or in a follow up blogcast.