Question for you tech-y music type people

[eurydicebound]

I currently have a request in from a friend to make a CD of my singing. The last time I did anything of the sort, it involved a tape recorder, a mic, and buttons. I suspect that the only thing similar in the process these days would be a mic, assuming I had one.

I don't have a lot set up for this. I'm basically assuming it'll have to be a cappella, as I have no instruments nor any local contacts that play, and I can't afford to invest a lot of money into things. There won't exactly be multiple tracks, so mixing or worrying about any of that isn't really relevant -- not only do I not have the equipment, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea what to do with it. So given the bare bones needs I'm looking at trying to fill, is there any free/cheap software out there for recording? Any ideas where to get an inexpensive but functional microphone?

In short, any suggestions you could give me as to how to not fuck it up would be profoundly welcome. If any of you have ever heard me sing, I'm also open to suggestions as to content. Said friend was amazingly un-picky about what they'd like to have on it, and it's been a hell of a long time since I had anything like a set list.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I don't have a lot set up for this. I'm basically assuming it'll have to be a cappella, as I have no instruments nor any local contacts that play, and I can't afford to invest a lot of money into things.

If you sing covers of other folks' songs, then you should be able to find a kareoke version of the music. Or depending on the song there may even be an instrumental version on the extended play version of the band's CD that you can play in the background.

low-tech Spike

[anaka.livejournal.com]

The kareoke version is possible. I find myself resistant to it, though. Not sure why. Granted, most of my experience with karaoke was very early on in finding background tapes for performances in the late eighties. What I discovered then is that most of the songs were either in a different key, at a different tempo, or otherwise off somehow from what I was used to. Not sure if this is the case any more, but it does make me hesitant to fall back on it as a way of trying to record something. Dunno. I'll research it, though.