Audio recording setup for kids

November 3, 2005 3:17 PM

I'd like an audio-recording setup that's so dirt-simple a group of ten-year-olds can use it.

I want a small class of students to be able to create radio plays and news broadcasts. Please consider the following:

-- The kids should be able to layer the recordings with dialogue, sound effects, music, etc. To be able to do so in multiple passes (rather than a live performance) is a huge plus.
-- I don't have loads to spend.
-- It must fit in a suitcase. (I have no fixed classroom.)
-- Not CPU-based (no software for the laptop I don't own, thanks).
-- Format not important (I can digitize the results if I must).
-- Easy enough to use that the kids can take over with a little practice.

Any part of the gear or the whole menu -- both kinds of suggestion are welcome. Thanks!

posted by argybarg to technology (4 comments total)

The jam room at my college had a four-track audiocassette recorder that might do what you need. here are several from musiciansfriend.com.
posted by clarahamster at 3:36 PM on November 3, 2005

Probably given your limitations, either the Korg CR4 (analogue tape 4 track with built-in speakers and effects) or the Zoom PS04 digital 4 track.

But I think it's a tremendous shame that you're not thinking about a laptop-based solution - eg an Apple iBook with Garageband. Apart from fulfiling your description of layered effects and being very easy to use, it's incredibly inspiring. Plus it's much closer to what people in real news studios or recording environments use these days.
posted by skylar at 3:49 PM on November 3, 2005

$99 for those 4 track cassette decks is hard to beat.

One feature you want to look for on overdubbing decks is called SelSync. Without it overdubbing, say voices, will introduce a small shift in the timing when it is played back. Not too critical for sound effects, but defeats singing harmonies in multiple passes.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:54 PM on November 3, 2005

Gemini just released iKey, which is an inexpensive box that will let you record component line-level audio to any USB storage device, including a USB flash key or an Apple iPod for later editing on a computer. You can't do dubbing directly, however.

An Apple iBook running Mackie Tracktion is a pretty easy — and inexpensive — way to do robust multi-track recording and dubbing. Tracktion is probably the simplest multitrack editor I've seen so far, that actually works.
posted by Rothko at 5:16 PM on November 3, 2005