Please bookmark this page so you can easily find it again. I will be updating it throughout the rest of the school year with all of our recording projects.

Pre-Recording Checklist:

  1. Watch the video above. It is only 5 minutes long. Yes, some of the info is repeated (intentionally). Some of it is new.
  2. Use the SoundTrap sign-up link in TEAMS (I added it as a reply to the Big Purple Post) – use the “sign up by email” option, use your student e-mail address, and your real name. This video contains additional help for signing up and using SoundTrap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as6g4Yei74o
  3. Click the Assignment Links below for each recording project (they do not show up automatically in SoundTrap, you must click to add them to your account).
  4. Learn and practice your parts so you are confident you can play them well before trying to record. Double-check your key signature, listen along to your part in the play-along track while doing your fingerings or slide positions, and practice playing with the whole backing track.
  5. Do a test recording while listening to your backing track through headphones/earbuds (just humming or singing your part) to make sure your technology is all working and that you have practiced using it before trying to play your instrument at the same time. Make sure you can use the red circle button at the bottom to start recording,  move your blue time marker back to the beginning (click and drag, or press the button with a left-pointing arrow with a line), and hear both your recorded track and the backing track at the same time when you press play again from the start. This is especially important if you are limited by time or the hours you can play your instrument.

If SoundTrap is not working on your device: Try downloading the free mobile app version of SoundTrap if that is available for your device. If not, watch this video from the 8:17 mark about other ways to record, particularly the 2-device method mentioned closer to the end. The files you need for these other methods are also provided at the bottom of this page next to the SoundTrap assignments.

Recording Checklist:

  1. Use Headphones/earbuds to listen to the backing track while recording (one ear only so you can still hear your instrument at the same time). If you do not use headphones or earbuds, your backing track will be audible in your recording and/or your sound will be very unpleasantly altered as your device tries to filter the signal from your microphone to avoid creating feedback – in either case, your recording will not be usable and you will have to do it again.
  2. Find a quiet time and place in your home to record. Do your best to minimize the amount of background noise that can be heard in your recording, the better the whole band will sound.
  3. Make sure you are playing at the SAME SPEED AS THE BACKING TRACK (making sure that your rhythms and timing match up at the same time as what you hear in the track, just like they should when playing together in band class). You might need to adjust the volume of the backing track in SoundTrap or you’re device’s volume level to make sure it is loud enough in your headphones to hear clearly while playing your instrument. If your recording is faster, slower, or otherwise out of time with the backing track (and everyone else as a result) I will not be able to add it to the virtual ensemble.
  4. Try not to play too loudly (a medium volume is fine, your microphone is very sensitive). Put distance between your instrument and microphone (if possible), and point your instrument away from your microphone (if possible).
  5. When you think you are done recording, listen back twice for mistakes (once with the backing track and once without). If you hear any mistakes, you should go back and fix them. If you are using SoundTrap, you can re-record a section of your song (if it is surrounded by rests) instead of re-doing the whole thing.
  6. Once you are sure your recording is good and finished, e-mail me to let me know and I will be able to extract your part from the SoundTrap project and add it to the Virtual Ensemble.

ASSIGNMENT LINKS

SAKURA SAKURA (due April 29): https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/assignment/_0tkb5jXQoGeNp8KtH53uw/

(If SoundTrap is not an option for you, use (with headphones) this youtube link or this mp3 file or a digital metronome at 72 bpm as a backing track to listen to while recording)

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STAR WARS (due May 5): https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/assignment/uYdh1L9LRpGG3bX_QqIp8A/

(If SoundTrap is not an option for you, use this youtube link or this mp3 file or a digital metronome at 120 bpm as a backing track to listen to while recording)

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District Massed Band – AYRE (due May 12):  don’t forget your key signature (B-flats for clarinets/trumpets/tenors, A-flats for flutes/trombones/baritones/bass, F-naturals for altos)! https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/assignment/TBcnheeuTSaBtngAFKQRQA/

Special note for Ayre and Dance: We will be splitting this piece into two separate recordings, and then I will be re-combining them once both halves are recorded. Because the backing track we are using for this project is a real recording (and not a computer-generated track), the SoundTrap metronome will not line up perfectly with the recording, so leave it off for this project and listen to the instruments in the recording for your tempo.

Optional alternative for Computer/Laptop users only: If you are using a computer or laptop and prefer to use SmartMusic to record, you can use the AYRE assignment to record up to the end of measure 32, and then click the SAVE button to download the .wav file of your best-sounding recording and email it to me. Pressing the “submit” button is not the same thing and will not work for our recording, I cannot extract a good-sounding copy from what you submit to me, only from the file you save. If your file is too big to e-mail, upload it to your OneDrive and send me a share link to your file there.

(If SoundTrap or SmartMusic are not an option for you, use (with headphones) this youtube link or this mp3 file or a digital metronome at 78 bpm as a backing track to listen to while recording)

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District Massed Band – DANCE (due May 19): https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/assignment/4LHxQNp1TbqVZVOFuTaj5g/

Special note for Ayre and Dance: We will be splitting this piece into two separate recordings, and then I will be re-combining them once both halves are recorded. Because the backing track we are using for this project is a real recording (and not a computer-generated track), the SoundTrap metronome will not line up perfectly with the recording, so leave it off for this project and listen to the instruments in the recording for your tempo.

Optional alternative for Computer/Laptop users only: If you are using a computer or laptop and prefer to use SmartMusic to record, you can use it for DANCE assignment starting at measure 33 to the end of the song and then click the SAVE button to download the .wav file of your best-sounding recording and email it to me. Pressing the “submit” button is not the same thing and will not work for our recording, I cannot extract a good-sounding copy from what you submit to me, only from the file you save. If your file is too big to e-mail, upload it to your OneDrive and send me a share link to your file there.

(If SoundTrap or SmartMusic are not an option for you, use (with headphones) this youtube link or this mp3 file or a digital metronome at 116 bpm as a backing track to listen to while recording)