We are going to make recordings, featuring as many parody authors from Amiright as want to be involved, whether they are playing an instrument or singing.

The first song looks like it will be a recording of Kristof Robertson's "Billy Ray's Movie Theme Tunes, No. 2: Speed":

http://www.amiright.com/parody/90s/billyraycyrus22.shtml

So far, the following people have responded to the original thread called "Recordings". I am assuming that they are all interested in recording a part in the song. Please let me know if you were only responding with advice and, are not interested in recording a part:

Stu McArthur
Kristof Robertson
The Charnstar
The conqueror of parodies
Tim Mayfield
Matthias
Red Ant
Jeff Reuben
Luke Brattoni

Please respond to this thread if you want to contribute. If you have a PC and, can listen to music on it, all you will have to spend is around $10 US on a microphone and you can record.

THAT'S ALL!!!

In the "Recordings" thread, are instructions for a free recording program called "Audacity". This program allows the user to load an Mp3 file and sing along with it, karaoke style, resulting in a .WAV file containing the original Mp3 with the user's vocal (or instrumental) part now added to it.

.WAV files are too large to be emailed so, you will also need a program that converts .WAV files to .Mp3 files. There are free programs that will do this.

While "Audacity" allows you to blend the music file with your voice or instrument, it would be best to  record just your voice or instrument in "Audacity", while listening (on a CD player or iPod with headphones) to the .Mp3 file. This method results in an "isolated" track of your part. When you email me the isolated track, I can add effects to it and blend it in with whatever everyone else has done so far.

So, to recap, this is what is needed:

Hardware:

a $10 microphone.
a CD burner or .Mp3 player to take the music file off of your PC so you can record a solo track.
a CD player, iPod or other .Mp3 player and headphones.

Free Software:

"Audacity" available here:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/download/windows


"Xilisoft WMA MP3 Converter" available here:

http://www.gold-software.com/XilisoftWMAMP3Converter-file9053.html

Any new takers?

I dont have a microphone or anything,but somehow someway Ill gert something recorded, probaby either Inflatable or iM Jacque Clouseau

I dont have a microphone or anything,but somehow someway Ill gert something recorded, probaby either Inflatable or iM Jacque Clouseau
For $10 you can join us in this collaboration or, you can do it on your own, Jack. Instructions on how are in both of these "Recordings" threads.

Stu McArthur reporting on his adventure so far...

Had another go at Audacity.

Put on the headphones - recorded all of Kristof's song as a single vocal track - to best of my meagre ability (despite cracking up at Kristof's "prayin' she'll start to undress" line)

Played it and it had recorded fine, although on low volume

tried to save it - Audacity said it will only save the data as seen on screen - I did that

then I tried to export it as an mp3, which Audacity implied it could also do

said it can't do that exactly, and that first I must download Xilisoft mp3 converter, which I already had done from Rick's link above, and load the saved data into there for conversion

I start my Xilisoft converter program, and load my saved data file (or, that is, 1 of the 12 short saved data files, as it had broken my recording up into 12 segments!) into its input window

error message: "unable to read input file"

over

(startin' to get tetchy.......)

Stu McArthur reporting on his adventure so far...

Had another go at Audacity.

Put on the headphones - recorded all of Kristof's song as a single vocal track - to best of my meagre ability (despite cracking up at Kristof's "prayin' she'll start to undress" line)

Played it and it had recorded fine, although on low volume

tried to save it - Audacity said it will only save the data as seen on screen - I did that

then I tried to export it as an mp3, which Audacity implied it could also do

said it can't do that exactly, and that first I must download Xilisoft mp3 converter, which I already had done from Rick's link above, and load the saved data into there for conversion

I start my Xilisoft converter program, and load my saved data file (or, that is, 1 of the 12 short saved data files, as it had broken my recording up into 12 segments!) into its input window

error message: "unable to read input file"

over

(startin' to get tetchy.......)






Stu, one of the export options in Audacity is to export as a WAV file. If you export it to your desktop as a WAV, you should then be able to convert the WAV file to Mp3 with Xyphilis or whatever it's called.

gotcha, Rick  :)

done it, recorded it and emailed it

but I reckon you'll be a wiz if you can make anything out of it :-\\

Do you want us to record the whole song so you can take the 'best' parts and splice them together?

I'm still interested, though I need to overcome a rather nasty cold, get some time off from work, install the Magix Music Studio 11 Deluxe (70$ if anyone wants to know...) and the DSL kit I got (sh*tty Netzero won't let me e-mail a full length MP3 file) before I can get it done.


Xyphilis or whatever it's called.


LOL!

Do you want us to record the whole song so you can take the 'best' parts and splice them together?

I'm still interested, though I need to overcome a rather nasty cold, get some time off from work, install the Magix Music Studio 11 Deluxe (70$ if anyone wants to know...) and the DSL kit I got (sh*tty Netzero won't let me e-mail a full length MP3 file) before I can get it done.

LOL!

It might work out better if everyone records the whole song and I pick the best parts, making sure to include everyone in the end result (as long as nobody objects). Of course, I will have to post a copy of the backing tracks on www.putfile.com first, so that everyone is working from the same source.

Stuart McArthur has sent me his first take. Despite his trepidation regarding his voice, he sounds just fine.

A couple of pitfalls to try to avoid:

Pops in the recording from consonants like "Ps" and "Bs". When you pronounce words with these consonants, try to back off of the microphone a bit to avoid a rush of breath into the mike. Otherwise, it creates a loud popping sound which is very hard (sometimes impossible) to edit out of the recording. You can also avoid this by turning your head away from the mike when pronouncing words with these consonants.

Try to record as loudly as possible but, not to the point where your recording sounds distorted. The cleaner your recordings are when I get them, the easier they will be to integrate into the project.

So, who else has downloaded Audacity and tried recording themselves?

It might work out better if everyone records the whole song and I pick the best parts, making sure to include everyone in the end result (as long as nobody objects). Of course, I will have to post a copy of the backing tracks on www.putfile.com first, so that everyone is working from the same source.

Stuart McArthur has sent me his first take. Despite his trepidation regarding his voice, he sounds just fine.

A couple of pitfalls to try to avoid:

Pops in the recording from consonants like "Ps" and "Bs". When you pronounce words with these consonants, try to back off of the microphone a bit to avoid a rush of breath into the mike. Otherwise, it creates a loud popping sound which is very hard (sometimes impossible) to edit out of the recording. You can also avoid this by turning your head away from the mike when pronouncing words with these consonants.

Try to record as loudly as possible but, not to the point where your recording sounds distorted. The cleaner your recordings are when I get them, the easier they will be to integrate into the project.

So, who else has downloaded Audacity and tried recording themselves?


Rick,
I've acquired a version of Magix Music Maker 6 which will let me put down vocal tracks to Mp3 easily...will that do, or do I have to use Audacity? Do you just want the vocal track? (so many freakin' questions....)

Rick,
I've acquired a version of Magix Music Maker 6 which will let me put down vocal tracks to Mp3 easily...will that do, or do I have to use Audacity? Do you just want the vocal track? (so many freakin' questions....)
Any program that will result in an Mp3 of your vocal or instrumental part will do quite nicely.

So, do you play the instruments you said you play or, was that Kristof being Kristof?

If you do play any/all of them, do you want to do an instrumental track too?

There is an Mp3 I made of a midi file of the backing tracks here:

http://www.putfile.com/ricloose/media

If we all use this as a base to sing or play along to, everyone will be on the same page, key and tempo-wise.

Don't worry about the sound of the guitars, we'll use real ones in the finished recording.

I haven't used Audacity, but I do have recording software...I'm in for the collaboration.  I'll try to record sometime this week.  Thanks for organizing this!

It might work out better if everyone records the whole song and I pick the best parts, making sure to include everyone in the end result (as long as nobody objects). Of course, I will have to post a copy of the backing tracks on www.putfile.com first, so that everyone is working from the same source.



Cool.



A couple of pitfalls to try to avoid:

Pops in the recording from consonants like "Ps" and "Bs". When you pronounce words with these consonants, try to back off of the microphone a bit to avoid a rush of breath into the mike. Otherwise, it creates a loud popping sound which is very hard (sometimes impossible) to edit out of the recording. You can also avoid this by turning your head away from the mike when pronouncing words with these consonants.



Ah, yes, plosives. PITA, even with a dynamic mic. Which reminds me, I need to get a pop screen.


There is an Mp3 I made of a midi file of the backing tracks here:

http://www.putfile.com/ricloose/media

If we all use this as a base to sing or play along to, everyone will be on the same page, key and tempo-wise.

Don't worry about the sound of the guitars, we'll use real ones in the finished recording.


I'll download that later this afternoon. Thanks for providing it.

Any program that will result in an Mp3 of your vocal or instrumental part will do quite nicely.

So, do you play the instruments you said you play or, was that Kristof being Kristof?

If you do play any/all of them, do you want to do an instrumental track too?


Whaddyamean, "Kristof being Kristof"? :-(..... Have I got a reputation as a fantasist or something? double :-(. No, I was telling the truth, Rick; I do play four instruments. I don't have access to a keyboard, and I'm not sure how a flute would sound on Achy Breaky- but I've got a serviceable electric guitar and bass. I'd be up for laying down a track, if you should require one. Let me know...;-)

p.s., I'll lay down my vocal this week

Whaddyamean, "Kristof being Kristof"? :-(..... Have I got a reputation as a fantasist or something? double :-(. No, I was telling the truth, Rick; I do play four instruments. I don't have access to a keyboard, and I'm not sure how a flute would sound on Achy Breaky- but I've got a serviceable electric guitar and bass. I'd be up for laying down a track, if you should require one. Let me know...;-)

p.s., I'll lay down my vocal this week
Sorry to cast aspersions on your talents, Kristof. I just didn't know whether you were being serious or not.

If you can play any or all of the guitar tracks (there are 3 different guitars playing in the original) or the bass track, that would be a help. If you'd rather just sing, that's cool too.

If you are going to lay down instrumental tracks, do it the same way as recording isolated vocal tracks. Keep them separate and email me a different file for each instrument. That way, I will have more control over the final sound of each.

I haven't used Audacity, but I do have recording software...I'm in for the collaboration.  I'll try to record sometime this week.  Thanks for organizing this!
Great, Jeff! Welcome aboard. This is gonna be fun!

Hey Rick, the midi's good for now, but could you somehow provide a downloadable version of that? Cuz it's really annoying holding the mike up to the speakers.

Hey Rick, the midi's good for now, but could you somehow provide a downloadable version of that? Cuz it's really annoying holding the mike up to the speakers.


Well, technically, it is downloadable TCOP... well, it is if you are a programmer and know a thing or two about disabled right click pages...  ;D

I came for advice originally, but I am really interested in helping, just I don't got a good mic, or any instruments to play *I played violin in year 3 though... 6 years ain't that long... but I kinda almost broke it in a way that it broke*

Hey Rick, the midi's good for now, but could you somehow provide a downloadable version of that? Cuz it's really annoying holding the mike up to the speakers.
I'm sorry conq. I thought it was downloadable by right-clicking it. If you give me your email address, I'll email it to you. If you want to keep your email address private, send me a PM with it.

Well, technically, it is downloadable TCOP... well, it is if you are a programmer and know a thing or two about disabled right click pages...   ;D
Tim, I'm no programmer so, I don't know anything about how to enable it to download. Is that difficult to do?

You could also record it using Audacity, conq. Set Audacity up to record "WAV", instead of "Microphone" in the source selection window. Then start the song playing from Putfile and, you will have a .WAV copy in Audacity. When you want to save it, click "File" then "Export as WAV" and save it to your desktop.

Then you can burn that file to a CD to listen offline as you record your isolated track in Audacity. :)

Tim, I'm no programmer so, I don't know anything about how to enable it to download. Is that difficult to do?


It may depend on which browser you use, but basically, if you can view the source code of the page (or your browser saves all media files in an available folder) it is easy.

So, Internet Explorer is not the best browser for such a task. Netscape Navigator will save the files unchanged on your drive, Firefox will allow you to see the source code.  The right-click disabler is written in Javascript so it can't prohibit a user from viewing the source code as it can only run on the client-side which is never secure.

I'm still in this Rick (esp knowing how easy it was doing my first attempt), so don't leave the station without me

I'm in the process of sourcing a more powerful mike, coz that will solve most of my last problems, so hopefully in the next two days...

I'm still in this Rick (esp knowing how easy it was doing my first attempt), so don't leave the station without me

I'm in the process of sourcing a more powerful mike, coz that will solve most of my last problems, so hopefully in the next two days...



Great Stu! Nobody has sent me any isolated tracks yet so, the train hasn't even arrived at the station yet. To be honest, I was concerned about the weakness of your mic's recording volume. One that records at normal levels would be better. I hope you are able to return the first one.

Cheers,

Rick

I came for advice originally, but I am really interested in helping, just I don't got a good mic, or any instruments to play *I played violin in year 3 though... 6 years ain't that long... but I kinda almost broke it in a way that it broke*
Well, you've already helped a great deal with your software suggestions. If you want to try singing a part, even with a bad mic, I can work it in.

The first track is in, Kristof Robertson sent me his vocal track (very funny). There will be a delay on his guitar track (waiting for an amp repair) but, there's no rush.