Digital voice recorders have played an essential role in businesses for a number of years, providing great convenience and efficiency in a range of environments.

Having voice recording ability is undervalued by most people. Perhaps one of the most valuable benefits of having one is the ability to record your thoughts on the run. For example, if you are in the car and some powerful thoughts pop into your head, it's easy to push the record button.

Whether they're thoughts and ideas about work or social life, having a voice recorder is far more effective than writing them down on paper. To make things even easier, most voice recording equipment comes with voice activation, which means you don't even have to push any buttons.

It's incredible just how often someone thinks of something at a time when the thinking juices are flowing but by the time they go to recall their thoughts most of them have escaped through the cracks.

Lawyers, doctors, detectives and politicians are a just few examples of people who benefit greatly from these great telecommunications tools. They're available in a variety of sizes and offer various features. A compact recorder is perfect for recording notes and reminders or even small group sessions.

With each unit comes a certain memory storage capacity. With a lot of models, you have the option to record in Long Play, which can give you over 444 hours (18 days) of recording time. You can even choose your record quality and this can also affect just how much recording space you get.

Digital voice recorders are the ultimate way to record notes, meetings and ideas without the fuss associated with tapes. Most of the models available on today's market enable you to transfer the information to your computer. The first digital recorders came out in the mid 1990s. Prior to that, the only way to transfer your recorded information was to play back the tape and write it down.

A family tree digital video can be great fun when you are creating your family tree. And the best part is that it's really easy to make; just the same way that you would make any other kind of family video, you would do the same to get this one done.

What do you need? Not much, fortunately. All you need are some details of your family history or some genealogy, your video camera and a voice recorder.

You'll start by making an outline of what you want your video to tell. Maybe you want it to tell the story of a particular person in your family. You will gather all the information about that person, the people who were close to him and learn all the events that shaped his life that made him or her so compelling.

After that, you are ready to start filming, but before you do, you need to get organized so that at the end, everything is in chronological order. Maybe you will want to use different folders for the different kinds of information that you will need as you film. You will be using your video camera while talking to all the people who will make your story come together. It helps to let them know in advance that you will be filming them so that they can be ready. As you film, make sure that you capture your voice very clearly as that's where your narrative is coming from.

You may get to the point where you want to film places and things that were associated with a particular person. You can give the narrative yourself on your voice recorder. Filming places can be a little tricky because it may require that you travel to the place where this person lived. This of course is an excellent idea because you get the feel of their life better and you can also talk to the people who knew him or her. If you can't really travel, you can use Google Maps accompanied by voice narrative.

It's likely that there are older people in your circle of family friends who have some early memories of your great grandparents and other members of your family. Maybe they remember the town as it was in the 1930's or what impact one of the wars had on the family. Maybe they went to school with the uncle who never returned from the war. You won't know until you start investigating!

These people are invaluable sources of information that can describe people and events on camera. Be aware that you can have someone else record or interview for you if an elderly person would be more comfortable. If there's someone they are particularly used to spending time with and with whom they feel a bit freer, let them do the interviewing for you as you film.

Don't forget that you can lay out photographs, school reports, awards and certificates and video those. Record yourself describing them. If the person who owns the photos and awards is alive and able to assist you, ask them to do the narrative description as you do the filming!

Your family tree video can also include family mementos and pieces of furniture, old houses, buildings and schools. Include everything that you can think of that has been associated with the family for years.

Once you have planned what you want to record you are now ready to put your film together. Edit it as well as you know how, add music and any other features that will make it seem more real. Because you have organized your material in advance, this should be easy to accomplish.

Get as creative as you want when thinking up family tree ideas! By planning your project ahead of time you should come up with a compelling family tree digital video that the rest of your family will treasure and enjoy.

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Features - Olympus VN-8100PC Digital Voice Recorder with Olympus Case

• With 2GB of internal memory and 843 hours of recording time, you'll be able to capture notes, lectures, and more
• PC link with hi-speed USB 2.0 uploads files directly to your PC using a simple cable connection for easy file management, emailing & editing
• Large LCD for easy, quick viewing of file locations, recording status and battery life.
• Record and play back in both of the standard high-function formats: MP3 and WMA
• Long battery life-51 hours of continuous recording-gives you the on-the-go confidence you need (Alkaline, LP mode recording)
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Features - Olympus Digital Voice Recorder (VN 6000)

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Once a musician (of any age) starts writing and playing his or her own songs, or joins a band and starts playing in front of actual people, it's not long before the urge to get some of this music recorded for the ages begins to settle in. After all, why write a song if the only way to play it for someone is to grab your guitar and actually, well, play it for them? And why should everyone in the audience know exactly what your band sounds like playing live when you yourself have no idea?

So the idea dawns. "Hey! I ought to have some kind of recording setup here in my basement (or spare room, etc.) so that I can record my songs and put them on a CD! And wow, maybe I could take the recording stuff to one of our gigs and record the band playing, then put that on a CD too!"

It's a great idea, but for someone brand new to the world of recording, that phrase "some kind of recording setup" raises a lot of questions, beginning with, what kind of recording setup? In the Ancient Days, there was only one answer: get yourself a multi-track tape recorder and use that as the basis for your home studio. The audio world has changed, but the descendants of those early units still exist in the form of "standalone" DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations) such as those made by Korg, Tascam, and others.

These economical standalone DAWs have evolved to the point of becoming truly "a studio in a box." Want reverb? It's built in, with 100 variations. Want delay or chorus? Built in. Distortion? Guitar amplifier simulations? Compression? Mastering algorithms? Yup. All built in and ready to go. Everything works together because it was designed that way. The amount of equipment needed to provide similar flexibility 20 years ago would have filled half of your studio!

The Lure Of the Computer

"But what about a computerized studio system?" you may ask. "Isn't everyone running ProTools (or CuBase, or Sonar) on a computer these days? Why should I limit myself by using some obsolete overgrown tape recorder instead?" Well, that's a good question, except for that crack about the tape recorder!

Yes, "everyone" is using these advanced, sophisticated, leading-edge tools and systems, if by "everyone" you mean Madonna, Beck, and the seasoned audio engineers at your local pro studio. These are music professionals who have been doing this full-time for years. You are a newbie. A brand new pilot doesn't fly a 747. And no, you probably should not start out with a computerized studio setup.

I don't know how many posts I have read on home recording forums that read something like this:

"I got my new ProTools system set up on my laptop, but I can't get any audio through my sound card. I've been through the manuals over and over and user support is no help. There are three levels of menus to set up the routing and I don't know what any of the words they are using mean. Help!"

or

"My CuBase setup seems to be recording OK, but when I play it back there are lots of pops and crackles. Last time it stopped in the middle and a message about 'cache or buffer overflow' came up. What do I do now?"

or even

"My computer locks up whenever I try to download the required software upgrade from the Internet through the firewall, and now it won't run the original version either! Is there a workaround??"

Is this the kind of questions you want to be asking a week (or two, or four) after you first set up your brand new home recording studio? I think not! But this sort of setup trauma is a fairly common experience, especially for those brand new to recording, or computers, or both.

You Better Think Twice

But not just them! My music partner, whom I shall refer to as Mr. A (although his real name is Jack Burgess), recently upgraded from an 8-track standalone DAW to CuBase software, running on a computer system specifically designed for recording studio use. Now, Mr. A is a smart guy, and is a certified expert on both recording and computers, having worked with both for literally decades. And yet, it took nearly a month of telephoning and trouble-shooting before he was able to successfully record a track and then play it back, one of the more basic studio functions.

If it took Mr. A a month, how long would it take you?

So, no. If you really are just starting out in recording, don't be swayed by the siren song of the high-end pro systems. You'll get there. But try walking first. Check out the Boss BR-1600CD Multitrack Digital Recorder, for example. Look it up on the Musician's Friend website and read the reviews left by pleased users. You can be recording with this unit (or one like it) the very day it arrives at your house! With a computer-based system, not so much.

Most music today is recorded on a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), the heart of which is a computer and recording software. A few of the major players in recording software today are Cubase by Steinberg Media Technology, Protools by Digidesign, Logic by Apple, and Sonar by Cakewalk. There are basically three things you can do with your DAW: record, edit, and mix. This article is focused on the first process, recording or 'laying down tracks.'

Since it's easy to be overwhelmed by the myriad features, options, and settings in today's recording software, I'll stick to the basics. My examples will use Cubase, since that's the recording software I use. However, the basic process will be similar with other recording programs.

Begin by installing your audio digital interface and recording software and setting them up to work together. For example: if you are using Cubase, go to the Devices menu, select the Device Setup window, and choose the software driver which came with your interface.

Now hook-up your instrument or microphone(s). Most instruments with audio outputs should plug into the -10 db input on your interface; the interface will then amplify the signal by ten decibels. Microphones will require amplification by a preamp (often abbreviated to pre), a feature built-into many digital audio interfaces. Most microphones will plug into the +4 db input, and the interface will pad or reduce the signal by four decibels.

Next, you'll setup your first recording project. In Cubase, choose New Project from the File menu. You'll be asked to specify a location to store your files. Be sure to create a new folder for each new project. Your recording software will then create subfolders as needed. Save your new project. Then set the recording quality for your project, that is the sampling frequency and bit depth. Select Project Setup on the Project menu in Cubase. Keep in mind that CDs use 44.1 kHz and 16 bit. Higher settings improve quality, but also dramatically increase the demand on your computer processor and the size of audio files generated and stored on your hard drive.

If you are familiar with mixing live sound and understand signal flow, you've got a great start on this next step. Create a new input bus (use VST Connections in Cubase's Devices menu). Choose mono configuration for an individual microphone and many instruments or stereo configuration if you're using two microphones or an instrument with Right and Left outputs. Set this bus to use the appropriate input from your audio digital interface. Now create a new audio track to record on (Add Track on the Cubase Project menu), and assign the input bus you just created to this track.

At this point you may elect to record your track dry, use an external digital signal processor (DSP) to enhance the signal (perhaps with compression, EQ, or reverb) prior to recording, or employ an insert to apply effects within Cubase. Plug-ins are either DSPs or virtual instruments designed to work together with your recording software. VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plug-ins work best with Cubase. Before purchasing plug-ins, check to see what plug-ins come pre-installed with your DAW software and what type(s) are compatible with your software. Cubase, for example, provides plug-ins for compression, EQ, reverb, and a variety of other commonly used effects. While major studios commonly apply compression and EQ to tracks before recording, it's quite acceptable and often preferable to record your tracks dry, then edit them later taking time to experiment and find just the right effects to enhance your recording. Consult your manual to learn how to insert plug-ins into the signal flow while recording.

As you begin recording, another important concept to understand is signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Along with the voice or instrument you intend to record, you will virtually always also be recording a certain amount of ambient noise, including both noise from inside the room (such as a computer fan, fluorescent light ballast, or toe-tapping) and outside (such as wind or road noise). Your goal is to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and thereby minimize unwanted noise to the point where it is undetectable. You do this both by sound isolation and by making your signal as loud and clear as possible without distortion.

Now it's time to record. Choose the track to which you will be recording, and make sure the correct input is assigned. Enable record or 'arm the track' by pushing the red button. Take a look at the meter on the transport panel (or click the monitor button) to make sure the signal is coming through. Use the fader to set the level for maximum SNR without distortion. Finally, press the record button to begin and the stop button to end recording.

That's not all! Play back your track and listen carefully to how it sounds. Don't be afraid to record multiple takes until you're completely satisfied. Even professionals record multiple takes. If fact, before you even record onto your first track, you may want to copy it and create several duplicate tracks to save steps in setting up tracks for multiple takes. You may also want to overdub, recording different sections separately to edit and mix later. For those who use Cubase, I've discovered some cool video tutorials on the web at www.maketunes.com/articles/cubase-tutorial-videos.

Happy recording!