Weenie Campbell Members, either through the internet or at workshops like Port Townsend's Country Blues Workshop, have always encouraged performance. Performance often starts by playing in front that little red recording light (and it's amazing how intimidating that red light can be!). The Back Porch is a place where members of WeenieCampbell.com can post mp3 files of their playing. Any member may post mp3 files, regardless of their level of ability. It's a place to share handmade music and to get constructive feedback. You must be a forum member to download mp3 files from the Back Porch.
The Back Porch is a place to
There are alternatives to the Back Porch if you're interested in promoting yourself, Soundclick is one. It is a free service that allows you to upload sound files and sell CDs. If you create an account at Soundclick, be sure to create a topic in the Performance Corner, announcing your CD so members can check it out and buy it.
Making mp3 files
We limit mp3 file size to 1,010kb (1 megabyte). If you need some pointers or tips on how to record an MP3, just ask for some help in the Jam Session board. In the meantime, we hope that you will find the following information helpful.
There are a couple of issues to resolve if you're interested in creating an mp3 file
1. Record audio in some way
2. Get audio in some digital format
3. Convert digital format to mp3
No matter how you deal with the above issues, you'll have to have a decent soundcard (most computers made in the last few years probably came equipped with a sufficiently good sound card). The sound card needs to have a line-in jack or microphone input. For step 3, you'll need some kind of encoding software. If all you've got is a soundcard (with no line-in) and a cassette deck, you're either going to need access to someone with the right hardware and software, or you'll need to do some shopping!
Here's a process that assumes a minidisc recorder or cassette deck is used to capture the audio:
Record the song into the M/D recorder or cassette deck. Repeat as necessary.
Connect the line-out or headphone jack (for M/D) or line-out (for cassette) into the line-in of the soundcard. Play the audio from the M/D or cassette while simultaneously recording it on the computer. Software that can be used to record audio on your computer includes:
CDex
Audacity
These two are free. There are a number of commercial alternatives depending on how much you can spend. CDex is intended as a CD ripper, but can also record from the soundcard as well as convert to mp3. Audacity can do some sound file editing.
When recording from the M/D or cassette, you may need to set the Sample Rate and Resolution. Here are some suggested settings:
Sample Rate: 22050 (22khz, try 32khz as well))
Channels: Mono
Resolution: 16-bit
Once the song had been captured digitally by your computer, it needs to be encoded as an mp3 file. In order to keep the file size under the 1,010kb limit, it is recommended that the target bitrate (compression) be set at 24kbps. This can be changed to 32kbps, depending on the length of the song, but 24kbps is probably a good place to start. If you want better audio quality, you could opt for less aggressive compression, of course. Whatever mp3 encoding software you use, experiment with the options - you can learn a lot about the effects of compression just by experimenting.
We look forward to your contributions! Have fun!
The Back Porch is a place to
- share Country Blues you've figured out or written yourself.
- demonstrate licks you want to share with others.
- post the Country Blues tune you've been working on.
- show how the Country Blues tune you play has changed in the last six months since you first posted it.
There are alternatives to the Back Porch if you're interested in promoting yourself, Soundclick is one. It is a free service that allows you to upload sound files and sell CDs. If you create an account at Soundclick, be sure to create a topic in the Performance Corner, announcing your CD so members can check it out and buy it.
Making mp3 files
We limit mp3 file size to 1,010kb (1 megabyte). If you need some pointers or tips on how to record an MP3, just ask for some help in the Jam Session board. In the meantime, we hope that you will find the following information helpful.
There are a couple of issues to resolve if you're interested in creating an mp3 file
1. Record audio in some way
2. Get audio in some digital format
3. Convert digital format to mp3
No matter how you deal with the above issues, you'll have to have a decent soundcard (most computers made in the last few years probably came equipped with a sufficiently good sound card). The sound card needs to have a line-in jack or microphone input. For step 3, you'll need some kind of encoding software. If all you've got is a soundcard (with no line-in) and a cassette deck, you're either going to need access to someone with the right hardware and software, or you'll need to do some shopping!
Here's a process that assumes a minidisc recorder or cassette deck is used to capture the audio:
Record the song into the M/D recorder or cassette deck. Repeat as necessary.
Connect the line-out or headphone jack (for M/D) or line-out (for cassette) into the line-in of the soundcard. Play the audio from the M/D or cassette while simultaneously recording it on the computer. Software that can be used to record audio on your computer includes:
CDex
Audacity
These two are free. There are a number of commercial alternatives depending on how much you can spend. CDex is intended as a CD ripper, but can also record from the soundcard as well as convert to mp3. Audacity can do some sound file editing.
When recording from the M/D or cassette, you may need to set the Sample Rate and Resolution. Here are some suggested settings:
Sample Rate: 22050 (22khz, try 32khz as well))
Channels: Mono
Resolution: 16-bit
Once the song had been captured digitally by your computer, it needs to be encoded as an mp3 file. In order to keep the file size under the 1,010kb limit, it is recommended that the target bitrate (compression) be set at 24kbps. This can be changed to 32kbps, depending on the length of the song, but 24kbps is probably a good place to start. If you want better audio quality, you could opt for less aggressive compression, of course. Whatever mp3 encoding software you use, experiment with the options - you can learn a lot about the effects of compression just by experimenting.
We look forward to your contributions! Have fun!