<p>As it comes to recording for the prescreening, some students record at a professional studios, some students record in their living room.
I'm wondering if it's really acceptable if you just buy the recorder and record it yourself.
What is the ratio of students recording in a studio and students recording in their house?
I think it'll be better off recording myself, but I'm not sure.</p>
<p>The latest in a number of recording insights and technique threads <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/790864-prescreen-recordings-varying-requirements-whats-best-way-record.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/790864-prescreen-recordings-varying-requirements-whats-best-way-record.html</a>.</p>
<p>And a few more:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/756355-macbook-prescreening-recordings.html?highlight=prescreening[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/756355-macbook-prescreening-recordings.html?highlight=prescreening</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/654703-prescreening-media-formats.html?highlight=prescreening[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/654703-prescreening-media-formats.html?highlight=prescreening</a></p>
<p>It depends mostly on you. I think more people have turned to the do-it-yourself approach in the past year or two as the cost of decent portable digital audio recorders has come down. I have known several students who have gained live auditions on the basis of their own recordings (as well as several who have done so with studio recordings). Still, there are advantages to both approaches that you should consider.</p>
<p>Some reasons you may want to record yourself:
- You can work on your own schedule and put in as much time as you need without worrying about mounting studio costs
- The current technology makes it fairly easy to get a recording that is good enough for purposes of a screening tape
- After purchasing the device, you will have it for recording future lessons, recitals, etc.
- You will be able to teach yourself some of the basics of sound recording, a skill that can earn you some money in college
- Your piano may (or may not) be better than theirs, but you will almost surely be more familiar with its action</p>
<p>Some reasons you may want to hire a professional to do the job:
- They should have a very good understanding of the techniques involved, particularly microphone choice and placement
- They should have a wide selection of microphones from which to choose the ones best suited to recording a piano
- They may wish to use several microphones located in a number of different places around the instrument to get the best possible sound
- They free up your time to worry about the performance and not the recording process
- Booking studio time forces you to be ready to play your pieces by that date. Some people benefit from having deadlines.
- Their piano may (or may not) be better than yours
- You will not have to contend with unwanted ambient sounds while recording. There will be no siblings fussing around, no neighbors deciding to turn on a leaf blower or start a lawnmower three-quarters of the way through a brilliant take, no passing motorcycles or helicopters to stop you in your tracks.</p>
<p>There are certainly more that have not come to mind at the moment. Whichever way you go, it always helps to have someone musically knowledgable listening as you make the recording. They often can hear things that you miss because you are wrapped up in performing. Also, many musicians find that they play better when they know they have an audience.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>Agree with all the above. </p>
<p>After you’ve made your recording, no mater where - at home or studio - you’ll need to decide on the “takes” to include on the CD. When you’ve recorded one work multiple times, the “best” take isn’t always obvious. Here are some thoughts for reviewing and choosing:</p>
<p>1) Don’t listen to the takes directly after the session with goal of determining which is the best. Your ears may still be “contaminated” with your memory of how it felt as you were performing. Wait till the next day - the pros and cons of each take may be more obvious.</p>
<p>2) Find the best CD player you have to listen to your recordings. Your computer may not give the best quality. It’s amazing how much difference good speakers can make when listening to a CD - often makes the selection process easier.</p>
<p>3) Have several others listen with you and give input. Another listener is not as “involved” as you were and is often more objective.</p>
<p>4) Take your time. Listening to yourself can be very difficult - we generally have our own concept which may not be what you actually hear on the CD! </p>
<p>5) Very frequently, I’ve known students to record a second time for important CD’s. That can be frustrating, but is also an important learning experience. And - the 2nd CD is often significantly better. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t like the first attempt!</p>
<p>6) Good luck!</p>
<p>Some piano movements are really long, and need to be played multiple times for as close to “perfect” as you want it to be for a very important recording. The problem with a studio session is that it is often very hard to finish in a single session, due to the number of pieces and number of repetitions. It simply gets very tiring for a pianist (or any instrumentalist, for that matter) to play the full repertoire multiple times for schools that require it. Even those that only require two or three pieces for a pre-screening will still want a long sonata movement, for example. </p>
<p>For jazz, a studio session can be a great thing, due to the number of required microphones necessary and set-up space and difficulties. For piano, not so much. Also, we found pianos in recording studios to not always to have the best tone or sound, since recording engineers are not usually pianists.</p>