My Webpage

Hi, I have just set up a website for my job as a luthier, making electric guitars, basses and mandolins and I am wanting to include a sound clipping of the instruments. We have an imac dvd+ computer, and am not sure how to make a digital imput to record. Any suggestions most gratefully received!!
Sandy

well there are many possibilites... it depends on how good of quality you want to get out of the instruments and how much money you are willing to spend. You could actually use the built-in mic and simple sound to record short samples then use a free app like SoundApp fournd at most shareware sites like cnet.com to convert the audio to a .wav file. But if you want something with more professional results... at the cheapest you can go with an imic for $40 US and then get a nice mic such as a Sure SM57 to record instruments. You might want to consider a better audio app too and there lie a ton more possibilites depending on how much you want to spend.

Ideally I would suggest getting a nice 2 channel interface with built-in preamps like the Mbox, Quattro... etc. If file size is important for your sounds... you might want to compress the samples into mp3 or .ra files from there. There are a lot of variables the revolve around quality and cost... I suggest going to www.sweetwater.com and look at their stuff. Then contact them on phone... you can consult with them and they will help point you in the right direction for your needs. You can contact my rep, David at ext. #1398 if you like. He is very helpful and they have the best customer support in the business. Just tell him Dean from Ohio sent you if do call ;-) If you compare their prices... they are sometimes 5%-10% higher on some things compared to say musiciansfriend.com but I pay the extra sometimes just to get the support which is 24/7 I think and if there is ever a problem... they will even pay for shipping on returns which most others don't offer.

Hope that helps a little.

Thanks for your reply Synthetic, it would be nice to have a FAQ for MacMusic, covering the audio aspect of websites...

Anyway handmadetk, you need a line input to record audio, any stereo interface (usb/firewire) will do. But get a decent microphone for the takes.

The question, then, is do you want to stream audio (ie full titles), or just to trigger sound effects when clicking or something?
Most of "audio" websites are in flash format, sadly...

Bye.

Thank you both for your replies. I am in New Zealand, so a bit out of the way to get phone help!!
I am going to look into the options that you have mentioned.
Thanks again,
HandMade.HandMade

I tried an imic (Griffin) audio/digital converter with an SM 57 on my ibook (G3). At the time I knew nothing and used the Recordit programme you get free with Zip drives.

The sound was very weak. I added gain but it was really shitty sound, even for samples on a website

I took the 57 back and still have the imic somewhere. Something was wrong but I still don't know what. Does anybody know?

I opted for an Mbox and Rode NT2 mic - fantastic sound but you don't need it that good.

Oops! This is no answer!

Does anybody on here live in New Zealand? You could do the recordings for Handmadetk or suggest a friend who lives nearby (Te Kauwhata). That would be so much easier.

Handmadetk I suggest you open a topic in the open bar: "New Zealand MacMusicians" "Get together"

Try the same on digidesign.com Perhaps ask for Mbox users as the Mbox is good quality and portable.

I've just looked at your website and it seems you are after very high quality sound for your instruments. If you don't find a local to do the recording for you, I agree with Synthetic, the Mbox solution is appropriate. You probably need to keep your recordings short but of the best possible quality - short so the prospective customer doesn't have to wait ages before hearing it. Perhaps you'll even provide a downloadable catalogue.

What else do you need? Good mics (nice flat recording curve up to 20KHz) require 48volt phantom power. The SM57 does not require this and, although it can almost be used as a hammer on gigs, it only records sounds well up to 10KHz then drops to zero at 15KHz.

You'll need good phones too for monitoring. I like my Beyer DT250.

The Mbox provides phantom power, preamp, audio/digital conversion, mic/line/instrument input etc. The music app that comes with it, Protools LE, will let you make and organise audio files easily then convert them to the format you want for your website.

I've a feeling that 16bit recording may be enough as you are not going to modify the sound, but if you do use 24bit then convert to 16bit, you may need a special plugin (extra bit of software). Protools will do it without the plugin but not as well, apparently. Mr T can advise you on this as I haven't got to this stage yet.

It may sound alot to learn but it's really quite simple. Still, if you do encounter problems, just come back here and ask.

Thanks again every one here who have answered my queries. I am now looking into all the alternatives. This is a great forum to get help. Thanks guys!!
handmadetk