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I just downloaded WavePad from NCH Software. It said it was free, (maybe-yet to be seen since you can buy it on their site.) and looks like nice software with good tutorials inside the software. I obviously haven’t played with its options to clean up tracks but maybe it can do magic with laptop mics.
Would it be worth it to buy an inexpensive, $5-$10 stick on or clip on, pickup for the ukulele rather than use my built in laptop mic? I realize the sound quality of a cheap pickup isn’t ideal, but do you think it would it be better than the laptop mic not being connected directly to the ukulele?I
I started to watch Andrews video on recording, but stopped when the equipment looked a bit more the ten bucks…. I’m not looking for studio sound right now but if I do challenges or just want to take a musical note of stuff I figure out while messing around, I was wondering if there was a $5-$10 solution.
I have a usb adapter that came with a old headset with a microphone. (headset broke) It looks like some of the pickups available have these tiny jacks.
Can’t get the software to clean up the frying egg noise the Dell laptop mic adds to each note I play, sadly.
Any opinions on those pickups?
Sorry in advance for torturing people’s sanity when I share. I swear on everything that’s holy, my ukulele actually has sustain after a note is played, but feel free to cringe at my contributions.
I have found my mobile phone records way better than my laptop, and then I just airdrop it to my laptop.
Sadly I don’t have a smartphone, although my camera might be an option.. I’ll look into that right now! I never used it for video before.
Just tried taping an old desktop mic I borrowed (because it was small) in the sound hole, but it caused ear splitting noise if the cord was barely touched or moved. A different mic I jammed in there worked great but it was on a stick and I couldn’t use the bottom string lol.
A friend might have a pickup I can borrow -if- he can find it. If not i’ll grab a mystery one from the music store or amazon. Was hoping someone tried one that wasnt too bad.
Katie from One Music School (who was just featured as the vocalist on the new lesson for Taimane’s Moon) did reviews of ukulele accessories found on Amazon. One of them was a $8 pickup that she was skeptical of.
See what she had to say on this video (starts at the 4:58 mark). I don’t know myself because I don’t have an amp but maybe it’s worth trying for that price. Not much to lose?
My ukulele is a Lohanu Concert style that was a gift to me a year ago. Many of my notes sound muted. I have ordered Aquila 8U Nylgut Concert Low-G Strings & also tried oiling ukulele to help sound become more mellow. Any suggestions for improving sounds? Perhaps, the problem is my own fingerpicking & not the ukulele but I practice everyday & have truly given my best at learning to play.
Thanks for suggestions.
This stick-on pickup might work Becky: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06ZYH4RRN/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?smid=A2LYZALPA8A4PN&psc=1
It has great ratings and is very inexpensive. I’m going to try it soon because I didn’t want to drill a hole in my uke.Thanks for the link to one of Katie’s videos Kanae. My wife thinks she’s great. She gets intimidated by the stuff on here, but Katie’s stuff is right at her level.
Yay, Robin! I’m so glad. 😊
I discovered One Music School on YouTube probably in May and have been enjoying the videos ever since. The second uke I bought is a Bondi because of Katie’s review.
I can’t sing and play at the same time, but I still subscribe to the channel. She’s so likable and I think it’s because she’s honest, relatable and has great energy.
-Kanni
I bought one of those $7 pickups? It works pretty well! I took One School Katie’s tip and just used painters tape to attach it to the front of the ukulele because it’s only going to be an ‘every now and then’ thing for my low G uke. I’m hoping to record Moon using the pickup for the next challenge.
Oh, cool! I guess you can’t go much wrong with occasional/casual use for $7.
For anyone curious, here’s the pickup on Amazon (US).
Hmmm 7$ for a new uke toy? Now you’ve got me curious. Is it complicated? Does it help? What does it do? Lol.
Lisa, it enables you to plug your ukulele into an external amp. Lets you play super loud if you like that sort of thing 😉 or play with different sound effects. If you look at my video this month of Andrew’s creepy etude, you can hear how I play with some of the sound effects. I’ve got a cute little amp called the Roland Microcube — $150 on Amazon. I use the amp sometimes if I want to play around with different sounds, or if I want to hear myself better. It’s super fun but you also hear the mistakes very, very clearly!
Some ukes come with a pick-up already installed (my new Kala cedar did, ala how I recorded the creepy etude). You can also have a pick-up installed in a uke; I recently did some research on that and I was quoted about $150.
The doo-hicky I bought is described in the video link that Kanae posted above. Like the demo, I just used painter’s tape to attach it to the uke and plugged it in and away I went!
Hmmm. I’m pretty sure learning to play quieter, not louder, is what is wished for in my home. Amplifying my many mistakes might not be to my advantage. But it sounds fun. Would it amplify my wimpy hammer ons and harmonics? I may consider that!
@lisadmh ;D ;D ;D funny!
Our daughter is coming home tonight for a few months (from Prague)… like you I shall have to learn to play quieter, or go down to the dungeon to practice.
Husband is VERY tolerant and encouraging, not sure how our daughter will be – especially when I practice up to six hours a day :O 😀And I blame my wimpy hammer ons on the ukulele – my Aeirsi resonates well, my Kala Tenor – not so well (see, it’s all the ukulele’s fault).
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