Basic "how to" needed for recording drums

[NMFlygirl]

I have a Roland TD-3 drumkit and I'd like to do some simple recording to my Windows pc. I have read various posts on this site as well as some other articles online and I'm just not certain where to start. I'm not trying to do anything fancy, just want to record myself practicing then listen and analyze what I'm doing right/wrong, and whether I'm getting any better. Questions:

1. Is MIDI the way to go or can I just run a line from the Roland module to my sound card? Pros/cons

2. On my pc I obviously need an app that records the input. Are there any free or inexpensive apps out there to give me basic recording that anyone would specifically recommend or should I just experiment? (Does Windows Media Player record? I can look into that, it just came to mind now.)

I will do the same kind of simple recording from a Yamaha P60 keyboard, but I assume whatever I do with the drums can probably be done to record from the keyboard. If not, I can approach that forum later.

Thanks for the help.
April

 

[ermghoti]

MIDI doesn't carry audio.

WMV will record. Audacity is probably better, but your soundcard will not give terribly good performance. Good enough to play back and understand what you played, but you'll probably never be impressed with the sound.

 

[MusicAddict]

April,

You may want to look into investing in an audio recording interface. Recording directly into your PC probably won't give you the results you're looking for. I know you want to record just to hear yourself, not to make a final product or anything, but it's good to have decent recordings so you don't have to concentrate on "channeling out" the bad production when you play it back and analyze it. For example, I record at home to help with my writing. I used to record using Windows Sound Recorder and Audacity, but I ended up wanting something better so I bought a recording interface about 5 years ago. The make/model is a Tascam US-122. It's one of the cheaper and lower-quality interfaces (in my opinion) but it does the job.

If you decide to buy an interface, it will most likely connect to your PC via USB or Firewire. You then connect your instruments or mics to the interface and record. One thing I recommend is to find an interface that also comes with recording software. My Tascam US-122 came with Steinberg Cubasis, which is a version of the popular Cubase program but with limitations. I don't recommend diving into something like Pro Tools or Cakewalk (they are very confusing programs), but I think you might want to use something better than Audacity if the budget isn't too tight.

Hope that info is helpful.

-Ryan