Digital Audio Recording Hardware

[zepterfd]

Hey Everyone,
I work for a church here in Richmond, Virginia. Currently, we have a tape deck hooked up to the sound system for recording Sunday services, concerts, weddings, etc. It works fine but it is cumbersome and requires someone to stop, start flip tapes and the like. Moreover as an analog source it is difficult to do much with the tape once we have it. I would like to find a way to have a computer/digital recorder, whatever, in that room hooked to the sound system and recording the services and the concerts as MP3's or some other audio format. We have everything outputted into a single channel cord right now, so it doesn't need to be a huge device that can take multiple inputs. I would like to be able to remotely access it for ease of posting services on the website and for creating podcasts of various sorts. I don't know if a wireless device exists for such a task; however, we do also have the capability of putting a computer in the recording room and plugging it into the network. If we were to get a system like this, how could we set it up so that we could automatically record services at scheduled times?

[GZsound]

Most new computers could accomplish your task easily. Simply take a stereo line out of your mixer into the stereo line in of your sound card. Get a decent audio program and you are ready to record your service.

It would be better to have a computer that is designed for audio recording with two hard drives, more than standard ram, decent interface, etc., but for your uses, any newer computer or laptop should work.

You can also do podcasts or load your sound files onto the internet, etc. if you are using a DSL or high speed connection.

As to having it all on a timer that turns on the computer, tells it to start recording and when to stop, etc., that is something I am unfamiliar with.

It is a very easy task to record an entire program, edit it into smaller sections or tracks and burn it to CD (or multiple CD's) for distribution or backup.

[AndyH]

Various programs will do timed recordings (e.g. Audition, WaveRepair) but none that I've used can do periodic recordings. You can set up to start at a particular time and date, but after that recording, you have to reset it.

[zepterfd]

thanks for your help guys. from the sounds of it i guess i will just go with using a computer that takes everything into the line in port. However, do you know if there is any type of device that is cheaper than a computer and sole purpose is to record such things directly to a hard drive and network to other computers? I guess what i'm looking for would be something like a media center PC or a stand alone recording mixer. I was just thinking it would be easier than turning on the computer, waiting for it to boot and everything.

[poorsod]

A portable recorder with line-in will do what you want (if I understand you correctly). Most of them function just like USB sticks and some let you name the file without connecting to a computer.

I don't know if any will do recurring records for you.

[sabianq]

personally, i cant think of anything cheaper than an old computer with a sound card.

all you need is a computer and sound card. can be up to 7 years old. get someone from your congregation to donate you one, reformat the hard drive, install windows xp and put in a CD burner.

200 bucks at the most.

if you want real cheap, dig a computer out of the trash, buy a 19.00 USB thumb drive and install a old copy of windows 98.

if you want ridiculously cheap, go on Free cycle, and get someone to give you a computer with a sound card, install Linux

also, you dont need to ever turn you computer off.