Making music
Turn your LPs and vinyl into digital music
Create audio samples from a microphone, record or tape with Plus! Analog Recorder
Sound sampling
Audio on PC part 2 of 2
◆ Create your own sound samples
using Plus! Analog Recorder
◆ Make digital music files from
tapes and albums
◆ Record instruments or singing
NOW YOU CAN…
◆ A PC running Windows XP
◆ Plus! Analog Recorder
◆ An audio capture device
◆ Fast Audio Converter
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
PROJECT TIME
3
HOURS
SKILL LEVEL – ADVANCED
KEY DETAILS
M
icrosoft Plus! Digital
Media Edition is a
photo, music and
movie enhancement pack (to
buy separately for $19.95) for
Windows XP, which comes
with Plus! Analog Recorder.
This is a superb tool for
recording music samples from
your old albums and tapes, or
from an instrument or
microphone. Copyright may be
an issue in your territory: in
some places you might be
able to record audio segments
as long as you don’t re-sell
them. Seek independent legal
advice if you want clarification.
Plus! Analog Recorder
automatically reduces noise
using complex algorithms that
search for signatures (such as
sudden spikes or constant
hums) in the recorded
waveforms. It also looks for
unusually high or low
frequencies. You can record at
360kbps and save to the
Windows Media format as a
lossless file, or with varying
levels of compression.
One of the great things
about lossless compression
is that the files are typically
about one half the size of an
uncompressed file, yet retain
the digital fidelity. As most
synthesisers support WAV
files, however, you’ll need to
convert the WMA files to use
them as samples on the
keyboard, using Fast Audio
Converter – a free download
by Litex Media available from
www.wma-mp3-converter.com.
Test the recording
In Analog Recorder, skip past
the Welcome screen. As our
audio-capture device, we’ve
used the EDIROL UA-700
– a high-end audio recording
interface that looks like a
small mixer board (see www.
edirol.com/products/info/
ua700.html). At the ‘Adjust
your recording level’ screen,
select the EDIROL UA-700 as
the input device. You’ll see a
warning about Analog
Recorder not understanding
the device. This means
Windows XP isn’t interpreting
the EDIROL as a valid sound
card, which is true – it’s an
audio interface that does
more than just play music and
record from one audio input.
You’ll want to use your PC
soundcard as the output
device so you can hear what’s
recorded, so make sure your
PC soundcard is the default
playback device. In the
System Tray, right-click the
Volume icon and select
‘Adjust Audio Properties’.
Click the Audio tab, and select
your soundcard from the
Playback pop-up.
Back in Analog Recorder,
click Start to test out the
recording levels. Assuming
you have connected the
microphone, MIDI keyboard, or
any other audio input and
LAST MONTH
Record sound samples onto PC
THIS MONTH
Use Plus! Analog Recorder
NEXT MONTH
Master Microsoft Works
In this series
Missed a previous issue?
It may be still available! Call and
order on +44 (0)870 444 8475
You can record from an
instrument, into a microphone,
or a record or tape playing.
Name and save the recorded
sample, then complete the
Analog Recorder Wizard.
IT’S A SUPERB TOOL FOR
RECORDING MUSIC SAMPLES
FROM YOUR OLD ALBUMS
◆ www.microsoft.com/windows/
plus/dme/dmehome.asp
◆ www.microsoft.com/windows/
plus/dme/music.asp
ON THE WEB
78
Windows XP: The Official Magazine Autumn 2004
WXP38.cre_sound_grb 078WXP38.cre_sound_grb 078 10/9/04 1:06:05 pm10/9/04 1:06:05 pm
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