<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>