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Yes, I’ve recorded half a dozen harp based albums plus demos and have done a bit of playing on other peoples records. I use more a traditional recording studio setup with separate control room and performance areas, mixing desk, outboard effects and reel to reel tape player at times. So its very old school. I don’t do much with software except a bit of editing.
Whatever is wrong with your setup is probably something very simple, success could even be one mouse click away. Its just a matter of testing each part of the gear and finding where the fault is ie could be:
a) sound on the computer isn’t working.
b) your software isn’t set up correctly (ie tracks need arming etc)
c) There is something wrong with your audio interface or its connection to the computer. Does the computer recognise it as being there?
d) You may been an additional preamp between the pickup and the audio interface.
e) The pickup isn’t working.
f) the harp isn’t working.I’m thinking the problem is somewhere between b) and d).
Once you get it reliably set up you should have no problems for a long time.
You might want to ask these questions on a recording forum rather than a harp forum. There could be some setup quirk common to Garageband that the regular users on that forum will be familiar with.
Good luck with it.
What sort of pick up do you have on your harp? You may need to use an additional preamp between the harp and the recording interface.
Maybe the recording interface isn’t set up correctly, if you can’t do this yourself ask a friend to try recording an electric guitar or keyboard through there and see if it works.
Can’t really tell without being there, hope this starts you off.
regards
adamMae, that would be great. Double string sounds interesting but I didn’t really get the point and a video would be most useful.
In fact, wouldn’t it be great if there was one place where we could access video reviews of different harps. Its not ever going to be like going and checking the instrument out for yourself, but it would be great for people like me that live in remote areas that have no access to harp makers, shops or conventions.
Janis, I can already tell you that it holds its tune pretty well although since I bought it primary for recording purposes I would be checking the tuning every time I am playing it. Maintenance wise, well that is pretty much zilch, which is one reason I bought it as opposed to going down the pedal harp route. (I actually bought it to see how I would go with the fingering, with the intention of getting a bigger one built but finding it to be quite adequate for the things I want to record at the moment).
Living in a remote area, I don’t really want to be bothered with having regular maintenance and regulation procedures done. This made the cross strung an attractive option. The one thing that could become a problem though, particularly if I start playing it outside, is dust. Everything is ok at the moment, but it looks like it would be very difficult to thoroughly dust/clean the part of the soundboard that lies between the two sets of strings.
Sylvia if anybody gives you a sideways look, just explain that the piece was a request so you are doing it again. Nobody listens at those things normally anyway, although I did an art show last year where some woman came up (a harp student) and said something like “wow you played for all that time and only repeated four pieces”.
I haven’t taught harp in other people’s homes, but I have taught other instruments and yes this can be a problem. They are more comfortable in their own surroundings and that sometimes makes them more likely to reveal their “true self”. (some children that is, many are fine – a general rule of thumb is if the parents are idiots then the children may also be)
All I can suggest is to be firm with them from the outset and close down any undesirable behavior at the first sign of trouble. Bear in mind that its not worth keeping the gig if the kid is a monster. When I used to teach and was contacted by the parent I would ask straight out if the child has any medical conditions or behavioral disorders that I should know about. If there was even a suggestion of the later I would pass. If the parent says something like “they have their moments just like any other normal 10 year old” then warning bells should be going off.
Bottom line, both the parents and kid need to know that if they want to learn to play the harp they need to pull their head in.
New site is a big improvement, will be fantastic once the dust all settles and the bugs are sorted out. Love it.
I’ve only just become recently aware of these instruments and would love one myself. Where do you get one from though? Finland?
These are great. I am glad that rural Western Australia is not the only place where ignorance exists. I’d forgotten there is a journalist in a neighbouring town that has written about me and my harpsichord on a number of occasions. Damn I wish I had one of those.
Nobody gets gigs in restaurants here but could it just be that there is a glut of guitarists. If there is more of them out there looking for that type of work, logic would dictate that there would be more of them out and about.
The other thing I forgot to mention is that you may have more luck if the restaurant is part of another business, ie if its attached to a hotel (same ownership) or other things going on, that way the business has more income streams and may be more willing to take the risk.
If they say no (most say no) just ask straight out if they know of anywhere else that you might be able to work. This has got me more than one gig in the past.
Good luck with it Emily.
Pretty much what Carl said. I would add that if its quiet on the gig front right now its probably quiet on the catering front as well in these economic times. Any restaurant owner would be wary about lowering their profit margin just for the sake of having some nice live music. I would suggest if you want a gig like this that you go in with a low price (maybe even suggest something like a sliding pay scale depending on how many diners there are) and a strategy of how you are going to promote that you are there. After all they are only going to go for this if they get more people through the door, as dreadful as this sounds they probably won’t put you on just to give their clients a “better” experience (even if this might eventually lead to more clients – these people generally only think short term).
So maybe approach them with an idea of how you can make a YouTube video featuring you playing in their restaurant or tell them how you can alter your rep to fit theme nights, if they want to do hungarian night or italian night etc.
The other thing is, as for saturday night, if its their busiest night and its hard to get a table, then they are unlikely to need you there to get more people in. So maybe push for a short day spot or a midweek time and like I said, show them that you are prepared to go out and promote it somehow (facebook, twitter, walking around with a sandwich board whatever).
As for what kind of price to charge, you need to go in low as I said. If there are other musicians in your area doing this kind of work, don’t undercut them though. In the long run its better to knock back the gigs than do that.
My thoughts only, I don’t expect everybody to agree with me here.
Man this smells so bad – I mean “your city” come on.
I wouldn’t answer this but if you want to mess with him tell him you live in Christchurch New Zealand and that you will meet him for lunch.
Mal,
I enjoyed your tune although it would have to sound much better on a real harp. If it was me I would consider making it a couple of minutes longer and building up to the triplet motif that starts it off, that would give the composition more shape than having it just going full boil to start off with. Thats just me though.
