Recording MFL and Music Exams

[enjay]

We're in the early stages of a review process for how we record our MFL oral exams and the Music composition pieces, so I was hoping to pick some brains here and see what other people are currently doing/considering for these tasks. At present, MFL record onto cassette (which the exam boards are about to withdraw) while Music use a hideous process of mini-disc>PC>MP3>Audio CD. I'm not going to say "money no object", but we would be willing to pay extra for something which is easier to use.

 

Suggestions on a postcard please...

[Marci]

MFL Oral - Mic > iMac > CD

Music -

For bands / ensembles of 4 or more... Mic(s) > Motu 8PRE(s) > PC running Cubase > CD

For solos / duets... Mic > iMac > CD

[K.C.Leblanc]

Olympus make voice recorders, some of which I think record straight to MP3.

[Andrew_C]

I believe that the MFL oral recording is not going to be with us for long. I'm not counting my chickens yet...

 

We're still using cassette and expect to do so until the end.

 

Music are doing there own thing with MDs, often bringing them to me when they cock it up. (Every damned year!!)

[Ric_]

The machines at Real Time CD Recorder Range seem to be standard kit in most schools I thought.

[elsiegee40]

The school where I'm governor use something like this: Belkin : Voice Recorder for iPod®

 

...a voice recorder attached to an iPod for many things. It may not produce the quality you need for music exams... although it's probably better than the cassette

[sin65]

We use Audacity (free recording software)

 

Audacity: Free Audio Editor and Recorder

 

It multitracks and exports as wav or mp3.

 

In the music practice rooms we have some older PCs running audacity and boundary mics which the students use to record their practices and exams. Languages are using Coomber tape recorders this year but will be moving over to audacity with a desktop mic or boundary mic next time they need to record.

 

Boundary microphone, unidirectional and omnidirectional, 1k Ohm - Microphones - SoloTechnic

 

Files can be kept small on disc by using the mp3 export and then burnt to disc for archiving or sending to the exam board.

[Andrew_C]

Languages are using Coomber tape recorders this year but will be moving over to audacity with a desktop mic or boundary mic next time they need to record.

Your linguists can cope with using a PC and Audacity during Oral exams? Ours run round like headless chickens when told to "Press play and record at the same time"... Sheesh, what a school you must work in!

[enjay]

We're still using cassette and expect to do so until the end.

 

Same here, and (to quote the phrase of today!) the end is nigh. Our exam board have said that will phase out cassettes in January 2010.

[SteveBentley]

We use Audacity (free recording software)

 

I wouldn't trust Knoppix as the one and only recording of a one-off performance! I've never found it to be stable enough for that.

[sin65]

I wouldn't trust Knoppix as the one and only recording of a one-off performance! I've never found it to be stable enough for that.

 

We have Acid and cubase in the music suites but in the music practice rooms we've been using audacity for about 3 terms now and have never had a problem. We also use it in the IT suites for creating podcasts because the kids get their heads round it quickly.

 

Maybe we're just lucky. (crosses fingers:) )

[enjay]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys, keep them coming. I'd also be interested to hear from anyone using a portable solution, as these exams often happen in various places and some don't have PC provision (unless we use laptops, of course).

[RichCowell]

The machines at Real Time CD Recorder Range seem to be standard kit in most schools I thought.

 

This was used loads at my last school - records direct to CD, pretty awesome, and portable.

[plexer]

I wouldn't trust Knoppix as the one and only recording of a one-off performance! I've never found it to be stable enough for that.

 

Did I miss a reference to knoppix somewhere?

 

I saw audacity mentioned but that was all.

 

Ben

[Andrew_C]

We looked at the Edirol R-09 as an option. Works well, but we weren't sure what the boards would have to say about us copying from it to CD. When we asked, they told us that the exam wasn't likely to last so we stopped looking.

 

The Edirol is still used for recording talks, and is quite useful.

[Arthur]

Re: The R-09. Maybe I'm being thick, but why does it matter how the exam is recorded as long as the end product is a standard audio CD? The R-09 can record straight to a WAV file. I don't understand why this would be a problem.

[SteveBentley]

Did I miss a reference to knoppix somewhere?

 

I saw audacity mentioned but that was all.

 

Oops - I did mean audacity sorry, - think I wrote that post while trying to track down a version of knoppix with a working antivirus (as f-prot's site was down) to clean up a bit of a mess somebody had made!

[wlaidlaw]

How about a Zoom H4. This records onto SD Cards.

 

ZOOM | H4 | PA, Disco & Musical Equipment | Audio, Video & TV | CPC

 

I would have said the quality was more than sufficient for music exams, and it will take external mics if required.

 

Obviously for a full days session you will need a few SD cards, and need to remember to burn the files to audio CD later.