Recording Instructions for May All Children

Choose the option that best fits your circumstances and follow the instructions below.  Everyone will be sent a personalized guide track as an MP3. Your guide track will have some sequenced (computer generated) parts and the parts recorded by musicians who have recorded before you.

Here’s a link to access the Score and Parts

Option 1: Record at UVMC if

  • You don’t have access to a smartphone
  • You only have access to one device for recording
  • You don’t have access to an acoustically “dead” space to record at home

Option 2: Record video & audio with a smartphone if

  • You have access to a smartphone
  • You have access to two devices, one for recording and another for playing track

Option 3: Record video with smartphone and audio with computer if

  • You have access to a smartphone, computer, and decent external microphone
  • You feel comfortable using a DAW (digital audio workstation)

 

Option 1: Record at UVMC

Please let Erin know ASAP if this is the option you are choosing, and we will make arrangements to set up the equipment and assist as necessary.

Option 2: Record Video & Audio with Smartphone

  1.  Find a well-lit room with that is as acoustically “dead” as possible. Test out different rooms in your house by clapping loudly. Choose the room with the least echo/reverberation.
  2. Setup one device (phone, tablet, computer) to play your guide track through headphones. You might want this on a music stand next to your music, so you can easily press play on the track when you’re ready to record.
  3. Set up a second phone, on a stand or held by assistant, to record your video. Please record in landscape (horizontal) orientation, using the front camera, not the selfie camera. Try to get the camera as close to you as possible, capturing an unobstructed view you and your instrument. The closer the camera, the better the sound will be! If you want to get ambitious, set your camera setting to 1080p 30fps.
  4. When you’re ready to record, start your camera, get in place, then begin your guide track.
  5. You’ll hear a metronome click for two measure, then 4 cowbell strikes. Clap, with you hands visible in the video, with the last two bell strikes. This “slate” will allow us to sync your part a little more easily.
  6. Treat this like a live performance; don’t be too much of a perfectionist about getting the absolute perfect take! We can make some minor edits to the audio in a way that won’t be noticeable in the video, but we want the energy of a live performance.
  7. When your video is done, share with Erin via text, google drive or dropbox. If you know how, label your video with you name. If you trim the beginning, please don’t eliminate the “slate” clap!

Option 3: Record video with smartphone and audio with computer

  1. Create a session in your DAW (Digital audio workstation: garageband, logic, protools, audacity, etc) that is set to 48k, 16bit. If you don’t know how to do that, don’t worry, we can convert.
  2. Import guide track into the session
  3. Follow steps 1-7 above. Your DAW will be “device one.” Make sure you start the camera first!
  4. Export your track as a mono WAV file, 48K 16bit (stereo only if you used a stereo mic setup) making sure you bounce from the very beginning, so it will line up correctly. Label with your name, specify whether you used a mono or stereo mic setup,  put it in a folder with your video and share with Erin.

Useful things: 

  • Erin’s email: erin@uvmusic.org
  • Erin’s phone number: 802-291-3736