Recording Software For Laptop

[Hadi Sapre]

Ihave a laptop that I recently purchased that I hardly use simply due to the fact that my Desktop is so much better. I was wondering though, is there a way to somehow connect my laptop to my Desktop (or even xbox) and use the laptop as a recording device? The laptop is quite good, here are the laptops features:

Assuming you want PVR/DVR capability (e.g., to record audio+video output by your computer or Xbox), you'll need to attach a video capture device to the laptop. Keep in mind that you will not be able to capture HDCP-protected content at full HD resolution, even over HDMI.

Snipping Tool comes as part of Windows 11 and is also available via the Microsoft Store. Snipping Tool already allows you to take an image from your screen, but now it also allows you to select a portion of your screen and start video recording:

Xbox Game Bar is built right into Windows 11 as a native application, but it is also available as an add-on. The Game Bar has several features specifically related to gaming, like access to game-specific widgets and the ability to chat with friends while playing Xbox games. It also has a widget for capturing and recording your screen:

Microsoft Store has a wealth of Windows 11 apps that allow you to stream movies, edit photos, play games, and more. Even though Snipping Tool and the Xbox Game Bar are already built in, you may prefer to use a different app to screen record. Thankfully, there are many, many free and paid options available. To start with a free option, you might try the Screen Recorder for Windows app or the Screen Recorder extension in Microsoft Edge.

To connect the StudioLive AI/RM/Classic to a computer for recording/control purposes, the computer must have a valid firewire port or one that can be used with an adaptor. USB to Firewire adaptors are not supported and in general do not work for audio equipment. If you are buying a new computer the following articles will be helpful.

After watching quite a few videos on sound recording, gear reviews and other usual stuff, there's one particular point I'm still not quite getting: is there any advantage of using an external recorder as opposed to sticking a decent lavaliere microphone into my laptop and record with using Audacity (or some other software)?

The initial plan is rather humble: talking head recorded with a modern smartphone camera plus screencasts, everything to be shot indoors, so portability of sound recording device is not an issue. The question is, should I then just focus on choosing a microphone, or is there any advantage in using a dedicated device in terms of sound quality?

There's no quality difference to where the recording is stored - if you plug the same mic into different recording devices, it should record the same. Different quality mics (and recording environment) will give you more difference to your sound than anything else. Do make sure you are recording uncompressed (WAV) format though, using compressed formats will obviously reduce your resulting audio quality.

I have some external recorders, I use them mainly because you can plug in a large SD card, hit record, and the device will just sit there and do that job for hours, no issue. I don't have to worry about a piece of software or laptop crashing, they're portable and I can plug them in at the back of a sound desk or anywhere I like, etc. If you're recording lots of audio, they're just handy to have and use. Most external recorders do default to higher quality settings than what Audacity might (i.e. mine default to 24-bit/96kHz), but you can change those settings in Audacity as required. Portable recorders can also have other interfaces and features that come in handy if you're using them in lots of different environments - I almost always just use mine with the same standard setup, and most of the extras go unused!

For what you're doing, hooking the mic into a laptop and using Audacity will do the same job just fine. Just make sure to monitor things and check your recordings - make sure audio isn't being dropped due to inability of the system to keep up to speed, and that everything is recording as you expect (mic cable/connection good, levels good, mic close enough to the source to pick up the sound cleanly, etc).

I've not personally used these, but there are various adaptors out there now to interface sound inputs direct to your phone, as well as dedicated external mics (the above adaptor gives you a more generic approach that you could plug anything into, but there are specific mic only devices for phones as well). I would just double check how the quality options would vary on a phone recording vs using Audacity dedicated on a laptop, which might not even matter for the types of recordings you are describing.

I would really appreciate some ideas to get from voice, through a lavalier, into a phone/laptop with high sound quality intact, and in such a way that the speaker can move around (not tethered by a cable).

What you want to achieve is the ability to record voice in the field. Coming from a position of experience in this area, what you don't want to be doing is mucking around with phones, laptops or powered audio interfaces when doing recordings such as this in the field.

The most practical solution is to purchase a small two-channel field recorder. This will cover you for all the requirements you will have when recording voice. A typical device will be a Zoom H5. This will allow use with a lavalier and will also double as a computer/USB audio interface if required.

I would strongly recommend not using a phone to record voice in this way both for practical and professional reasons. Laptops are possible but they will limit your scope in what and where you can record - and you will still need an audio interface.

There are mic preamps that include phantom power and have a USB output (that's a random sample I found, no experience with them). That also solves your fourth point, possibly low-quality analog inputs on the computer.

I would prefer to record into my phone. But since there is no port, I was looking into a bluetooth transmitter/receiver combo. The idea is the transmitter and receiver act as a wireless mic, and the lavalier plugs into the transmitter. Then the receiver connects to the recording device via bluetooth. I'm not sure if/how this would work and how compatible it is with a lavalier.

I have heard warnings about sound cards on computers/smartphones not able to capture high-quality sound. The last thing I want is to spend a several hundred dollars on a good mic only for it to sound trashy in the recording b/c of the recording hardware.

That's the most expensive point. You'd have to go to a wireless mic setup where your Lavalier mic connects to a beltpack with a transmitter. Then you connect the receiver to your computer. The receiver usually has XLR line-level outputs. You could connect these directly to the computer or go via an audio interface (as above) again.

I used to have a Lavalier with its thin cable leading to a belt clip, and a heavier XLR cable with plenty of slack from there to the mixer. This left the speaker mostly free to move around (as long as he didn't trip over the cable) and with his hands free.

If a student's accommodation letter states, "Access to laptop for word processing for note-taking, in-class writing, and essay tests." This accommodation reduces barriers that would prevent students from effectively engaging with the course material.

Some students may be approved for an accommodation to have access to a laptop for word processing for note-taking, in-class writing, and essay tests. Even if a professor has a policy that students are not allowed to have laptops in class, students with this accommodation must be allowed to access their laptop to participate in the class.

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Are you ready to take your music production and recording skills to the next level? Look no further than the Laptop Recording Package included in the cost of education at CRAS. This comprehensive and versatile tool is designed to provide you with the best possible learning environment and prepare you for the ever-evolving world of music production and recording.

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The Laptop Recording Package also includes software and plug-in bundles that provide a comprehensive toolkit for editing podcasts, working on music, or mixing film scores. These software and plug-ins work seamlessly with the MacBook Pro, giving you access to powerful tools for recording, editing, and mixing audio.

The Laptop Recording Package also comes with a high-quality microphone, headphones, and a USB audio interface. These tools are essential for recording and mixing on the go. The microphone is a professional-grade microphone that can capture even the most subtle nuances of a performance with incredible clarity. The headphones are also top-of-the-line, providing accurate and detailed sound reproduction. The USB audio interface allows you to connect the microphone and headphones to your laptop, so you can record and monitor your recordings with ease.

Idea was to have a mobile workstation for mixing on headphones and mobile recording. Only for recording on Ardour, an old laptop works just fine, I have experience on this. But for mixing, battery life, performance and the screen could do better.

Is it possible to achieve a proper setup with just the laptop and the headphones without an external audio interface? I am prepared to invest on new mixing headphones at the same time.

Currently using ATH M50X, but they are more suitable for tracking perhaps.

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