Recording Grandparents/Family Stories

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tee.Que
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Tee.Que

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Hello all! Looks like a really swell forum you've got here.

I am so fortunate to have all of my grandparents living (I'm 26), but they are getting on in age. I really value their insight and love to hear their stories about the family, distant relatives, and growing up in the old days. Because of this I've decided to start a project recording as much of this as I can while they are still with us in the hopes that I can keep these recordings forever and start a sort of family library that chronicles everyone's life/experiences.

I have some previous experience recording bands that I've played in, but it's been years and my recordings were amateur at best. I'm hoping that you lovely people can give me some insight into the easiest way to get started with this - my subjects are old and a bit impatient, so I'd like to get it right the first time.

Here's what I'm working with:

-EMU 0404|USB
-MXL 990s mic
-Adobe audition
-Laptop with 4gb RAM, (1) Intel Pentium 2.20 GHZ and windows 7 64 bit

The two things I'm most concerned about are:

1) Proper mic placement and getting the levels correct. My paternal Grandfather loves to tell stories with the whole family sitting around in the living room and I would so love to capture the dynamic of everyone laughing and interjecting, but I'm afraid one mic won't work and if I do use just one mic Grandpa will be too loud and cause distortion and everyone else will be very faint.

2) Adobe Audition was awesome for what I used to use it for and it was super easy on computer resources compared to pro-tools or the like. Is this still a viable option or is there a new program out there I should try?

Thanks for the help!:thumbs up:
 
Use what you got. I wouldn't change a thing. Maybe the mic, but I think you will have a great time/recording with what you already have. Place the mic in the room, away from gramps a bit. :)

If you have issues later, then we can talk about upgrades, or adding of more mics.

Love your spirit.

:)
 
Ever thought of using a Zoom H2 or H4 and just sitting it in the room. Then edit later on the lap top.

Alan.
 
witzendoz said:
Ever thought of using a Zoom H2 or H4 and just sitting it in the room. Then edit later on the lap top.

Alan.
Click to expand...

That's not a bad idea. I've always thought those looked interesting. Will they really do a good enough job to end up with a quasi-professional sounding recording?
 
They will do a fine job. Best thing, though, is that they are small and unobtrusive. If you go round setting up mikes and stuff, there's a good chance you will lose a heap of spontaneity.

They are ok for 'quasi professional'. However, what is the important thing here? The value of what you are doing lies in the memories and the stories, and not necessarily in the quality of the recording.
 
First let me say that is wonderful idea - my parents and grand parents are all gone. I did not appreciate what family history we had (my dad and his paretns came over the ocean to the USA from Norway - and my mother was 1st generation American from Ireland). I would really cherish having stories of our history - but alas it is too late.

I'm a fan of work with what you have and I think the mic placed a few feet if front of grandad would catch his dialog and still capture some of the family response.

That being said -using something like the Zoom (as was suggested) would be very easy to work with and as indicated would be a much lower profile - to reduce the potential for people to freeze up when that see a mic.

However you do it ......... do it!!!!!! Generations of your family will appreciate it!!!!!
 
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