Digital Recorder

I have one big complaint about the unit. The USB interface is proprietary, and requires a Windoze driver. Fortunately, you can simply put the CF card into a reader and transfer files to/from a big computer. The MR-8 records 16-bit digital samples. It can record 2 channels while playing and mixing 6. Because it is only 16-bits, you have to get the scaling just right when recording to avoid audible quantization on soft parts.

The nice thing is, it is small, portable, and can even run on batteries (6 AA) - so I expect to use it even when I'm rich and have a full 24-bit setup with hard disk.

All samples in 128 bit MP3 format. Music by Stuart D. Gathman, copyright Stuart D. Gathman, and licensed under a Creative Commons License.

• Had many demands throughout the day, and a sore throat when I finally got to sing. But I've found that it pays to strike while the inspiration is hot. So I hope you enjoy this rendition of We Three Kings.

Dec 18, 2005

• Recorded Mishi Noyes singing And Can it Be? with an acapella quartet for her grandmother.

Dec 04, 2005

• I still haven't had a chance to sing with an acapella group, but it occured to me that with my multitrack recorder, I can start practicing. So, tonight I recorded 3 verses of Are you washed in the blood? . The rules are, no instruments to provide pitch. The pitch is set by the first part I record. I snap my fingers to start in sync.

  It turned out a little better than previous attempts. My voice was getting tired by the time I did the melody, and so it gets flat in places. Maybe I'll do it again later.

Oct 06, 2005

• Recorded Rock of Ages in the children's chapel. Truro has started locking up the old chapel. There are no mike stands in the children's chapel, so I laid the mike on some bubble wrap inside. Unfortunately, the pedal vibrations are transmitted through the bubble wrap and mar the piano recording. I also have a cold, but that doesn't hurt it too much.

Aug 10, 2005

• Redo of Psalm 42 because the harmonies in the 1999 version are off key. So the solo voice is sharp at the beginning of this one. Sigh. I think I ought to start doing warm-ups before voice recordings. I fixed some voice mistakes with punch-in, punch-out, but ran out of time before getting to the annoyingly sharp "My tears".

Jul 30, 2005

• Took Elissa to church and had time for just one take. I've discovered that the voice sync problem is just good old fashioned rushing on the piano part. When I sing while playing, the voice acts as a natural regulator on the tempo. This time I tried mouthing the words while recording the piano part. It's ok for just one take: Blessed Assurance.

May 22, 2005

• Recorded Leaning on the Everlasting Arms at the chapel. I tried punching in "Safe and secure from all alarms" on the second to last chorus, but I was no longer at the chapel. The ambience is totally different, so I see that any punch-ins have to take place in the same environment. I wish I had a studio I could use regularly. Oh well, it is pretty good listening.

May 06, 2005

• Composed a quick ditty for the comic strip. PDF MIDI
• Recorded Psalm 86. Used a dynamic mic pointing inside the top of a real upright piano (Truro Chapel). Recorded voice afterward. Still have problem of voice not quite in sync with piano when recording separately. I'm not sure what the problem is.

Feb 05, 2005

• Dear Lord and Father of Mankind I learned how dramatically microphone placement affects the sound. For my voice, the mic is best pointing down toward my mouth instead of up toward my nose - it picks up less nasal sound that way. This time I also did not use the piano - pitch is much better without an electronic approximation confusing the issue. I am having problems with the speakers rattling when I try to optimize the mix - so I don't know whether the noise is from clipping or the speakers not hacking the harmonies. The speaker rattling version is here. It sounds great on the full size speakers that came with our old stereo - but still has just a tad of rattle on a few of the deep notes. This is why all the recording pros say to spend money on good monitors first. So far, I have $10 computer speakers and a Radio Shack boom box. Another item for the wish list.
• He Set Me Free This is an upbeat number from the Assembly of God hymnbook, but set to a forbidden time signature signature. I've included clapping for those who need help. I wish I had a percussionist to help me - I am no good at percussion . I also need a way to keep the bass on a separate track. I would like to turn it up on this number.

  Feb 7 - Beth said the vocals didn't sound in sync with the piano. I think part of the problem is that the piano bass doesn't come through well - lousy electronic piano, and the downbeats are bass notes. I tried running the mix through compression and equalization to boost the bass. This helps, but the compression gets confused in a few spots causing the volume to wobble noticably. I think the only way to fix this is a separate bass track.

• Se tu m'ami, se sospiri Elissa sings an Italian love song. Again, I can't tell whether the rattles are clipping or crudy speakers. Sigh.
• If Thou Lov'st Me Elissa sings a jazzed up version of Se tu m'ami (PDF).

Jan 23, 2005

• Dear Lord and Father of Mankind (MP3 replaced with better version below.) Another hymn. I learned how to punch-in to redo one verse without redoing the whole track. Still doesn't sound professional. Off pitch in places, breathing at different times. Sigh.
• Jesus Loves Me Gail's first recording.
• Ballad of Sam Lord Ukulele and Bongos - recording acoustic instruments with a dynamic mic is hard. A condenser mic with preamp or mixer and phantom power is on my wish list. I am not sure how old this song is - it is a folk song (I think) on an old record from Barbados by the Merrymen. It is "Sam Lord" or "Legend of Sam Lord". The Merrymen version has more exotic percussion.

Jan 21, 2005

• My Immortal Elissa sings and plays the guitar: she says DO NOT listen to this, it is sooo bad!
• Psalm 139 Elissa and Stuart try a duet.

Jan 19, 2005

• Come Thou long expected Jesus verse 1, my very first recording!
• Come Thou long expected Jesus I learned how to start at the same time on each track.

Musical Offerings

Hymns transcribed to ABC notation format.

Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott	PDF	ABC	The original German is much more interesting than the anglicized version.
All my Heart is fixed on Thee	PDF	ABC	A passionate 16th century hymn
Hark the Herald Angels Sing	PDF	ABC
Be not afraid	PDF	ABC

Some MIDI sequences used to help learn pieces for our recorder ensemble:

Scripture in Song

To listen to all the scripture songs, click here. Music by Stuart D. Gathman, copyright Stuart D. Gathman. Licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Psalm 2 Not recorded yet Psalm 19 Not recorded yet Psalm 37 Not recorded yet Psalm 42 MP3 PDF ABC 1999 recording with Beth Gathman MP3 2005 recording at Truro Chapel Psalm 58 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman MP3 Live performance at Assembly of God church Psalm 62 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Psalm 63 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Psalm 64 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Psalm 65 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman MP3 Live recording at Casa De Oro Baptist Church Psalm 66 Not recorded yet Psalm 67 MP3 PDF ABC 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Psalm 86 MP3 PDF ABC MIDI MIDI Percussion by Jonathan Gathman Psalm 96 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Psalm 139 MP3 PDF ABC Elissa and Stuart try a duet on the new recorder Psalm 149 Not recorded yet Psalm 150 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman Isaiah 52 In progress Isaiah 53 MP3 1999 recording with Beth Gathman MP3 2005 recording with timidity virtual piano Isaiah 54 Not recorded yet