I know that a lot of people are doing this and was wondering what people on a shoestring budget are using to record the audio portion of the service.  Is anyone using any relatively inexpensive or even free software to do this on a Windows platform?  Anyone got any "lessons learned" type advice to pass on?  I'd love to be able to put our messages out on the web for the more tech-savvy shut-ins to access.  I know that tape ministries are still important, but feel that we're really moving towards CDs and MP3 (or your favorite audio-format) media.

 Thanks.

-Pete Schott
 

Hi,

Go with ITunes.  It is a free download and you should be able to convert any file to mp3 format.  I find ITunes easier to work with than Windows media player.

Itunes will even create CD's with the industry standard cda track that will play on virtually any playback device.

 If you would like to podcast, just write a simple XML script similar to the one below.

-K

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1" ?
<rss version="2.0">

<channel>

       <title>Meadowbrook Church of Ocala</title>
       <description>Meadowbrook Church of Ocala</description>
       <itunes:image href="http://www.meadowbrookchurchocala.com/podcastmb.jpg" />
       <link>http://www.meadowbrookchurchocala.com</link>
       <language>en-us</language>
       <copyright>Copyright 2006</copyright>
       <lastBuildDate>Sun, 20 Aug 2006 21:00:00</lastBuildDate>
       <pubDate>Sun, 27 Aug 2006 21:00:00</pubDate>
       <webMaster>contact@meadowbrookchurchocala.com</webMaster>

       <item>
          <title>Matters of the Heart #5</title>
          <link>http://www.meadowbrookchurchocala.com/archive/091006MattersoftheHeart.mp3</link>
          <description>Matters of the Heart #5</description>
          <enclosure url="http://www.meadowbrookchurchocala.com/archive/091006MattersoftheHeart.mp3" type="audio/mpeg" />
          <category>archive</category>
          <pubDate>Sun, 10 Sep 2006</pubDate>
       </item>

     </channel>

</rss>

I'll consider that for the publishing, but I was wondering about the recording as well.  What do people use to record the audio onto the computer?  Do you record to HD first, then replicate to tapes/CDs?  Record to tape, then to the other media?  What software do you use?  Are there any special sound card requirements if we just want basic recordings of the messages?

Thanks.

-Pete Schott 

There is a good / free recording program called Audacity, it is a free, open source software for recording and editing sounds.

 

It can be found at   http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ . I have not used it, but at my last church we were considering using itto record to the PC hd for archival plus a Live CD recorder to capture the services for duplication. We were looking at the Microboards Copywriter Live CD Recorder  http://www.microboards.com/new/article.php/20050706093025116.

 

In Christ

Paul

 

Hi,

That depends on the type of service you want to record.  If you want the praise and worship music with the message, then you would need to patch in a CD recorder device or computer where the outputs are on the board.  The easiest method is to purchase a standalone CD recorder device and record the message that way.   Then you would use ITunes to import the CD for publishing.  Audacity is a good basic recording program . . . you can make waveform edits (i.e. editing speech, coughs, etc).

-K

We're looking at a basic recording solution and not including the music portion of the service to avoid the possible unknown costs that could be associated with recording and re-distributing that music. If that's the case, audacity may work fine for our purposes.

Related to that, what are the ramifications of doing audio recording on the same machine used for doing the presentations?  I realize it's not the best idea, but is it possible without adversely affecting either too much?

Thanks for all of the input.

-Pete Schott

 

There are no ramificaitons on using the applications at different times.  Unfortunately when you use both apps at the same time (recording while showing powerpoint slides)then the issue becomes a multitasking one. 

When you are talking about running two application simultaneously on one PC, the issue becomes whether the OS can do true multitasking.  It then depends on how much RAM you have on the computer.  I would suggest a minimum of 1 Gigabyte of RAM on the computer, just to make sure.

My old Commodore Amiga computer was the epiphany of multitasking.  On just 8 Megabytes of RAM, I could play a MOD file (early version of mp3), copy a file from a floppy disk to floppy disk, format a floppy on a third disk drive, and copy a file from one location on the hard drive to another hard drive . . . all at the *same time* without the song skipping one beat!  You still can't do that on a PC.

 -K

Hi Pete,

I would highly suggest looking into an outboard CD-R machine.  They are somewhat expensive. (I HIGHLY suggest the Tascam CDA-500 which retails for around $600)  But you can get by with one that is relatively cheaper. 

I have seen many people suggest that you go with a PC to record, but my advice is DO NOT!  As a best practice and many years as a sound guy, I can tell you that everytime your Pastor says , "Make sure we get a good recording I've got a good sermon in store"  your computer will inevitably crash. So the best practice is use an out board CD recorder.  If this proves to be too expensive, my second cheaper alternative is a mini-disc recorder. 

You can get a minidisc recorder online for around $50 used and they are top quality.  Either way, stick with equipment away from a computer.  The PC will always fail you when it's relied on for mission critical operations unless you've put a good bit of money into it.

Also for posting online once recorded to a CD, you can easily rip to MP3 later in a non-mission critical format, this is highly suggested for your congregation members, as I am sure you know.  If you have a video camera you might be suprised how easy it is to get the video up there too. :)

If you've already made the decision I'd be interested to know what you went with.  Otherwise let us know what you choose and how it works.

We're definitely on a low budget at this point, but I like the minidisc recorder idea.  I may present that and see what they say.  Also, this isn't mission-critical at this point.  It's something we're toying with and the idea of missing a message or needing to rip it from tape isn't too daunting.  We really just want to do some experimenting.  As for video - we're not really there yet, but could be in the future.  We don't use a lot of video now other than for special events or the occasional review of how we're doing.  As we grow - who knows?

Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll check in periodically as we progress.

-Pete Schott
 

I just want to chime in and say that I tend to agree with collinglover. A good solid CDR device is the way to go. Rack Mountable tascams are worth the investment. to save some money you might try going on eBay or somewhere like that to get one that is used (from a trusted seller!).

Additionally, although I have never done it, you can probably go with some consumer grade CD burner equipment for a little cheaper from a place like best buy.

Finally, I like the iTunes/Audacity route. We simply grab the cd master after service, stick it in the mack. Convert to MP3 using iTunes, if it sounds great immediately upload it tou our podcast host (Hipcast) and the whole service is online in about 15 minutes for about $5 per month.

-Eric
www.ericjaffe.org
 

Hey! Take a look at our Streaming Media services at www.livemediacast.net

Our plans start at $25/mo. and include everything needed to stream Live, OnDemand, and Podcasting. Our toolset makes it extremely easy and requires no technical knowledge to integrate into your existing website.

Mike Mason
LiveMedia | LiveMediaCast.net
800.380.6482
 

I'm not exactly sure how to make this device work for recording sermons (but would welcome suggestions), but Belkin makes an attachment for some iPods (new nanos and generation 5 iPods) called a TuneTalk http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Product_Id=277661 that is a stereo mic that allows you to record directly onto your iPod. It's above average audio quality and very portable, so if you are hosting a conference and want to record breakout sessions or something, hit record and set the iPod on the pulpit. I currently use one to practice sermons and have had pretty good success. Cost around $70 for TuneTalk

Greetings  - I am new here - Just got on a few minutes ago and saw this message stream.  I do the Video/Audio for our church services and have found two "tricks" that provide excellent back-up as well as being cost effective as we are also on a very limited budget...

We have had audio feedback issues when we have tried using the same computer/laptop to push our overhead LCD screen and recording software at the same time.

I currently use an older iPod (60 gig Photo model) that I bought a Griffin Mic for $30. The mic plugs into the top, a quarter-inch jack from the Sound Board plugs into that, and when you hit "Record" ---- Presto ! Your service is piped directly into the iPod for uploading later.

My back up is my Video Recording of the service. After I edit the video captured from the church service into a usable movie file for pushing onto the web, I use a free program called AoA Audio Extractor (http://www.aoamedia.com/index.htm) to separate the audio track from the finished video/movie of the service. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to process an hour's worth of audio into an mp3 file for uploading onto the web.

 Dunno if this message stream is still active, but I wanted to share what I do at our church since it has worked great for us so far!

 
Good Luck!

Jon Bradshaw - St Louis, Missouri