Instructions - Audition Room

[nilsjohan]

On this board you can upload your own recordings to get comments from other members.

Instructions:

1. Start a new topic for every new piece.
2. Put the composer name and the title in the subject and comments/questions in the message body.
3. Click "Additional options..." and locate the file on your computer.
4. When clicking the "Post" button the upload starts. Please be patient since it usually takes several minutes to upload a file.

Rules:

• Files must be in mp3 format and the maximum file size per post is 20 Mb.
• The recordings in Audition Room must be uploaded as attachments. Posting links to files outside this server is not allowed.
• Uploading recordings of performances that are copyright protected  is strictly prohibited. This includes CD and live recordings by other musicians than yourself, of which you do not have permission to make the recording publicly available here.
• Recordings of your own performances of copyright protected pieces by contemporary composers are OK since we have a licens for providing them.
• Include as many details regarding the recording as possible in your message - instrument, date, place, recording equipment etc.

[steinwayguy]

This is ridiculous. I have been sitting here for an hour trying to upload the freaking fourth ballade into the audition room. First I have to split it two different ways to make it fit the 12M limit. Then, when I try to put both the files in the same post, it won't let me do it because the data is too big. Wow. So then I start another post with just the first bit of the Ballade. Sorry, the file name has already been uploaded. So now I have to change the file name and wait another five minutes, at which point it will bounce back again. Awesome.

[Mozartian]

well steinwayguy, you encoded the mp3's at 192, which is ridiculously high. Try 160 or even 125 next time, the quality will still be good and you won't have to split the recordings.

[nilsjohan]

Yes, the fourth Ballade should definately fit within the 12 MB limit if you use a fair amount of compression.

If the piece you would like to upload is more than 15 minutes you may need to split the file to retain acceptable sound quality. If you do, please post the files in the same topic.

It is also a good idea to use unique file names (for example including the piece title and your username) not least for making life easier for those who downloads the file.

steinwayguy - I have now mergeed your Liszt Mephisto and the Ballade recordings into single topics. I would suggest you encode the files at a lower bitrate but first turn up the volume by normalizing the files to 0 decibel. The normalizing gives a greater dynamic range which will make it sound better and is very important if you use a lower bitrate.

[steinwayguy]

steinwayguy - I have now mergeed your Liszt Mephisto and the Ballade recordings into single topics. I would suggest you encode the files at a lower bitrate but first turn up the volume by normalizing the files to 0 decibel. The normalizing gives a greater dynamic range which will make it sound better and is very important if you use a lower bitrate.

How do I go about doing that?

[nilsjohan]

It can be done in any audio editing software. What do you currently use for making your recordings into mp3?

[steinwayguy]

"DBPowerAmp"

http://www.dbpoweramp.com/dmc.htm

as recommended by Al on http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,10776.0.html

[Kassaa]

Though, it's quite useless without the powerpack.

[lisztwasgod]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, ive been trying for an hour now and my reminiscences de norma recording wont freakin upload?

[arieln]

HOw do I actually get the recording of my piece onto the computer? Do ihave to recrd witha a CD? I'm so confused.......

[classicarts]

Can anyone tell me how you can insert pictures on here?

[violinist]

Can anyone tell me how you can insert pictures on here?

There's a button on top of the page where I'm typing this... it says insert image when I run my mouse over that button... it's under the "italics" icon.



here's a picture of that icon.. And inbetween the (img) and (/img) use the URL to the image


For example instead of the brackets .... I replaced them with paretheses:

(img)http://www.pianostreet.com/smf/Themes/pianostreet/images/bbc/img.gif(/img)


So.... that being said.  The images need to be on the internet somewhere.

So if you want to insert your own pictures... you need to upload them to the internet somewhere before posting to this bboard.  (unless someones knows different).

I use http://www.photobucket.com to host my images.  Like the ones of my steinway B and the Horowitz piano pictures.  It's very very easy to use and it is free.

Let me know if you find this helpful!

Once again.. I'll demonstrate with a never before seen picture of my eggplants:



(IMG)http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b383/modbee/PICT4102.jpg(/IMG)
is the code for the picture

[classicarts]

Thanks 4 your help.   I just posted a  picture of my piano in this forum.

[classicarts]

I can't seem to upload my music file to post it on here.  Help! window pops up and says "file is too large."

[leahcim]

I can't seem to upload my music file to post it on here.  Help! window pops up and says "file is too large."

There's a limit to how big the files can be. Something like 12mb. Unless you host it on one of the many sites others do like www.savefile.com[although they may have limits too] and just post a link instead.

Or split it up, by movement or at some suitable point, or re-encode the mp3 at a smaller bit rate.

[classicarts]

Hey, thanks Leahcim.  I will give that a try.

[classicarts]

I'm not doing something right.  Am I suppose to convert the file to mp3 first then upload the file to the site? what's happening is, it just gets stuck at upload..

[classicarts]

HOW DO YOU RE-ENCODE THE MP3 INTO SMALLER BIT RATE?  I HAVE SONAR LE (CAKEWALK) SOFTWARE?

[leahcim]

Am I suppose to convert the file to mp3 first then upload the file to the site?

Yes.

what's happening is, it just gets stuck at upload..

Before you said you were getting an error message that the file was too big?

I'd have expected some timeout message if it didn't work - but I don't know how you are connecting to the internet, what bandwidth you have etc.

Typical internet connections, even broadband ones, are usually slower at uploading than downloading. If the file is several mb, it might appear to be "stuck" simply because it'll take several minutes to upload.

For example, 12mb on a 256kbps upstream speed could take over 6 minutes. So if the file is 1/2 that size 1/2ve the time and so on - if your upstream connection is 1/2 that speed double the time and so on. That should give you a ballpark figure of how long to wait before deciding it's "stuck" rather than just uploading.

HOW DO YOU RE-ENCODE THE MP3 INTO SMALLER BIT RATE?  I HAVE SONAR LE (CAKEWALK) SOFTWARE?

I thought teenagers were all computer whizz-kids?

The easiest way, use the original wav and encode that, the same way as you did before, only choose different settings.

But, it's difficult to answer the question because it's not clear yet what you've done that is "wrong", if anything at all.

e.g Common mistakes : some people save a file that's a wav as "something.mp3" and think that's now an mp3, or they try to upload  "something.wav" or they try to upload 30 minutes of mp3, or they try to upload an mp3 encoded at a higher-than-is-worth-it bit rate. All of which point to different solutions.

OTOH, if the file you've been uploading is an mp3 and it is less than 12mb in size, perhaps you just weren't patient enough to let it upload as I described above.

If you encoded at 128kbps or less, I'd suggest cutting up the file into sections  / movements / pieces, whatever makes the most sense, like others do.

If you're still stuck, record a small section [or take a small section from your existing wav] 30 seconds or less, encode that in the same way and upload it - if that works, we can see what you've done without having to type "you could do this or this or that or if such and such is the case then try this..."

You'll find stuff about encoding to mp3 etc from google probably for the specific software you've got.

[pianorama]

Ok, I'm not that great with computers. I've read everything but nothing makes sense to me. Could someone help guide me on what to do? Do I need special equipment?
HELP!

[pianorama]

Oh, never mind. I saw a post here started by ada. I'll try to make a recording, but I'm not sure if I can......

[leucippus]

Anyone know of a freeware mp3 or wav recorder I can download without getting spyware and junk with the download?

Thank you.

[leucippus]

First, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to my question. 

I found a recorder that is only 2 MB.  It's called the Free Hi-Q Recorder by Roemer Software.  It downloads very cleanly with no spyware. 

This works well for my purposes right now.  The only thing I don't like about it is that there is no way to trim down the file after recording.

Does anyone know of any (free) mp3 recorder that will allow trimming off the ends of the file after a recording to shorten the file size.  Right now I have to click on record and it takes a while to get ready to play so all that blank space is wasted at the beginning of the recording.

Thanks ahead of time for all the anxious replies. 

[leahcim]

First, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the overwhelming response to my question. 

:p Your question asked how to record wav without spyware or junk

2 cases emerge :-

(i) Windows fits the bill. Ergo you had your answer installed all the time. The answer is "install nothing" and that's what everyone said :- nothing.

(ii) In the alternative, windows must have spyware or junk [because it certainly records wav] in which case you can't achieve your goal with that OS by installing something except another OS.

Does anyone know of any (free) mp3 recorder that will allow trimming off the ends of the file after a recording to shorten the file size.  Right now I have to click on record and it takes a while to get ready to play so all that blank space is wasted at the beginning of the recording.

You have the audacity to ask us this?

Obviously not, otherwise you wouldn't need to. Get the audacity from here :- http://audacity.sf.net

[teresa_b]

Hi,

Can anyone tell me how to split a 30-minute piece on mp3 format into its 3 movements?  I can't post it because it's on one track and it is too long.  (I ripped it from CD using Windows Media Player.)

Thanks.
Teresa

[piano121]

Hi teresa.

You can do it with Sound Forge. It´s very simple. You just have to open the file in your software. Then you are going to actualy see the sound waves, so it´s very easy to recognize where one movement ends and the other starts.

So, all you have to do is select with your mouse the section of the piece that you want to be movement 1, then copy it (control + C). Create a new window (control + N) and press OK. Finaly, you have paste it in the new window (Control + V). Voilá! just save it with the name you want, and you are all set.  Repeat the process with as much movements as you want!

[teresa_b]

Thanks, piano121--

I'll give it a try! 

Teresa