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  FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & RESSOURCES
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How do you record songs on your PC? Where to find karaoke tracks? How to find a local singing teacher? How to make a demo and shop it to record companies? You'll find simple answers to all these questions in this section. (If your question is not answered in this category ask us in forum we'll add it)

Recording

  1. How Do I Record Songs on my PC? (Mics, software, tutorials, mixers)
  2. What are some online ressources on recording?


Karaoke

  1. Where to find karaoke tracks ?
  2. What are some karaoke forum/communities online ?


How To Find A Voice Teacher ? Singing Ressources Online?

  1. How to find a voice teacher ?
  2. How to find singing ressources online ?


Mp3 and Video Hosts

  1. Where to upload your mp3s, songs and videos ?


Original Songs for Demo, Songwriters, Beatmakers, Bands & Gigs?

  1. Where to find original songs to record for demo, album etc ?
  2. Where to find beats to compose songs ?
  3. Where to find collaborators ?
  4. Where to find bands/gigs ?


Ressources on the music industry, Record Deals ?

  1. Where to find ressources on the music industry (books, copyright info, promotion etc) ?
  2. Where to find how to get signed to a record deal?

RECORDING

To record you'll need the following:

  • PC with harddrive.
  • Soundcard 
  • Multi-track recording software. 
  • Microphone

And depending on your needs, you might also use

  • Your instruments
  • A mixer
  • Good quality cables with plugs that match the jacks of your soundcard and mixer.
  • Headphones for monitoring during recording and mixdown.
  • A monitor amplifier and speakers for mixdown monitoring.

Computer: If you have a PC with good enough RAM and harddrive, this will make things easier for you to record

Soundcard: Computer soundcards are one of the most overlooked elements of a computer purchase, and with little information users have a hard time figuring out what exactely they are getting. In general, if you wish to record with decent quality get a "full-duplex soundcard". Full-duplex means that you can record a track at the same time you listen to a previously recorded track. Many multi-media soundcards such as the Soundblaster Live, Monster, Turtle Beach, and other Soundblaster-compatible lines are capable of full-duplex recording. Prices range from $30 and up. Soundcards more specifically dedicated to recording, such as the M Audio/Midiman Delta Series, the Echo line, Mark of the Unicorn and Yamaha are available but are significantly more expensive.
For advanced info on soundcard click here

Microphone: There are several types of microphones you can get, from the basic to the . Princes will range from the low end of 10$ for a dynamic microphone to $300 for a professional condenser microphone. One of the most commonly used mics by amateur musicians is the shure 58 or 57.

Multitrack software: There are several software that you can get

  • Free software:
    1) Audacity : Audacity is an open source audio recording application. It has solid complement of editing features with an interface simple enough for a novice. You can output/save MP3-format by downloading the additional Lame MP3 encoder. With Audacity and Lame installed you can get all your recording needs met from then on. [Audacity Tutorial]
    2) Krystal Audio Engine : Krystal is another multichannel audio recorder.. it's a little less simple to use than audacity however.
    3) Multitrack Studio : They have a lite edition that is free, and its limitation is you cannot record more than 3 tracks at once.
  • Shareware
    1) Cool Edit / Abode Audition: This is probably the most popular shareware program for recording, a virtual studio of sorts. It costs $300 in its full version. A free trial is available [Abode tutorial @ kantstopkaraoke]
    2) Cubase: Another audio sequencer that provides a comprehensive environement for editing, arranging, mixing and mastering multitrack audio projects.
  • Many more programs
    Free and shareware at www.hitsquad.com      


WHAT ARE SOME RESSOURCES SITES ON RECORDING ?

If you need more info, like microphones, how to record with live instruments, how to use mixers or preamp to achieve a great sound, where to buy them, etc..we recommend that you visit the following sites and forums for information.
Trick: Usually just using the "search" function on a forum will bring up past topics and all the answers to your questions within 30 seconds, so you won't need to wait for someone to answer you.

http://homerecording.com/bbs
http://www.recording.org/forums.html
http://www.recordingproject.com/bbs
http://www.recordingwebsite.com/forum

KARAOKE

Karaoke files (.cdg format) and instrumentals (.mp3 format) can be found many places. Most popular songs evantually come out on karaoke compilation albums available for sales at record stores, karaoke stores and even places like itunes. A few other sites to check for availability:

http://www.kjpro.com/browse
http://www.expresskaraoke.com
http://www.prosing.com
http://www.musicbookdeluxe.com
http://www.karaokewh.com

WHAT ARE SOME kARAOKE FORUMS ONLINE ?

Here are a few communities of karaoke singers on the internet.

http://www.daretosing.com
http://www.kantstopkaraoke.com
http://www.singersshowcase.com
http://www.mykaraoke.ca

VOICE TEACHERS, SINGING RESSOURCES ONLINE

It's always recommended to get a local voice teacher for some classes if you want to sing professionally, or even take it up as a hobby. Even a few basic classes can help you avoid making some bad choices that will affect your instrument in the long run! For teachers, try your local classifieds or look up online.

Teachers sites
www.nats.org (The National Association of Teachers of Singing)

Singing ressources online
Vocalist.org.uk (everything you wanna know)
Vocalist.org
Virtual conservatory of singing (forum)

MP3 & VIDEO

There are many sites popping everyday where you can upload your karaoke mp3s and videos completely free of charge.

>Permanent and manageable accounts: These sites allow you to manage your files, link or embed them as players on blogs or players, erase the files etc

esnips (audio)
filelodge (audio)
zshare (Audio)
streamload (audio)
Bolt Videos (audio, videos)
Youtube (videos, audio)
Zippyvideos (videos, audio)
Putfile (videos, audio)
castpost.com (video)
Vimeo (videos)
B0rd Vids (videos)
Dailymotion (videos)
Sharkle (videos)
veoh.com (videos)

>Temporary Storage sites: If you need to upload an mp3 or video for a while, here are various sites that allow it. But your files will get deleted after a while or a certain number of downloads.

SendSpace
ClipShack
Megaupload
Upload2.net
http://uploaded.to
FileFactory unlimited
Upload'r
Easy-share
FileFront
MyShareBox
filegone
Bigupload
sendthisfile
Zupload
TurboUpload.com
Spread it

ORIGINAL SONGS, SONGWRITERS, BEATMAKERS

There are various ways to find songs and collabs, from networking with musician friends, to placing a classified in the local paper, and finding material online. If you should put an message online, we recommend getting to know the people in the forum you post at, apply yourself when writing and be sure to follow through when people respond to you! That's the best way to ensure people will want to work with you.

Songwriting communities
Muses's Muse
Just plain folks
Tunesmith
Artist Collaboration
Taxi
Recording Project
F Jam

Musicians mp3 hosting communities
http://www.soundclick.com
http://www.funender.com
http://ic-musicmedia.com
http://www.dmusic.com
http://www.besonic.com
http://www.garageband.com
More..

Band & gig classifieds online
http://www.gigfinder.com
http://www.getgigs.com
http://www.themode.com

RESSOURCES MUSIC INDUSTRY, RECORD DEALS

The best thing to do before getting in the music industry is to learn some basic information to avoid the trappings of it, especially getting ripped off by "sharks" who won't miss an opportunity to rip you off in exchange of false promises and dreams. So hang out at songwriting forums, read, ask, google & use the search key on musician forum before spending any money on a company! Musicians always share info with each other :)

Ressources guides on the music industry (books, references etc)

http://www.natalie-brown.com/forartists.htm (great reference)
http://www.musesmuse.com (ressources, newsletter, forum)
http://www.justplainfolks.org (forum)
http://www.indiebible.com (newsletter, indie scene ressource book)
tunesmith info on sharks (companies to avoid)

How To Get A Record deal

Now that's one thing no-one can tell you for certain! And if anyone proposes you the magic solution, handle it with caution. The reason is getting a record deal, especially with the major labels, is very rare. Especially now with the state of the recording industry. Labels just don't have time to develop artists who aren't already experienced and have an established fanbase. They want products that they can sell right away. As you see even on shows like American Idol where the top 12 performs in front of millions, and this after weeks and weeks of screening and competition, they are still not guaranteed a deal.

So the best way remains -in our opinion- working at it yourself: find a friend who's passionate about music like you to be your manager, make a webpage, join a band, or find collaborators for original songs, record your demo, and sell it to everyone you know. With determination and passion it can be done, and if your music is really good the buzz will be created and record companies will come to you! good luck :)

And remember Singers at Heart is always there to guide you and answer your questions, so don't hesitate to ask
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