I bought a portable tape recorder to hear myself playing, but the quality is not what I want it to be. How far away from the piano should I place it? (with the piano lid down). Also, if I want to get a good recording system, that would be of good quality, where do I look? Does anyone have a recording area setup? I just want to record my own things for personal critique, so It does not have to be high end, just good quality. Thanks!

CrashTest, are you aware that this site has some relationship with Musician's Friend? I purchased from them and now I get a catalog periodically and it has a lot of recording equipment in it. One possibility.

we had a talk about this before, but it seemed more for higher end recording, like making cd's for friends. i just needed something simple for practicing and ended up buying a cheap 4 track (100 dollars) and a cheap mic (about 30 dollars). it's easy, good quality (nothing near professional of course) and not too expensive at all.

So you recorded with the device you bought, and then hooked it up to your computer and loaded in the music? And what does (track) mean? Like a 6 track or a 3 track? I think someone told me but I forgot.

this FAQ can answer questions about a four track much better than i can: 4 track FAQ

the mixdown can be done straight into a computer if you have the right software and connectors, and from there you can put it on cd's or turn it into mp3's.

I find I can make very good tape recordings with an ordinary Pioneer tape deck. Well, admittedly I did pay a hell of a lot more to get the best model then available. The only satisfactory way I've found to record my playing is to prop the lid open and thread the microphone lead through that metal ring the lid knob hooks into. It then dangles a few inches from the strings, slightly toward the treble. This sounds like a rather jack-up method but it works a treat !

I just went through this journey and if it anybody tells you you can do it cheap I wouldn’t trust anything they ever said again. I went to Mars and they told me a cheap dynamic mike would work with a Tascam Porta something. With cables, this ran nearly $200 and the recording was awful, I mean worthless. I found someone, I believe through this site, who is experienced in recording
acoustic pianos and he set me straight. First, the cheap $15 dynamics don’t work, period. They
are for singers only. A condenser mike is the only mic for an instrument but it’s going to cost at least $50. I got two for one at Shreve Audio for about $75, a site highly recommended by this guy in LA who said he has lots of experience in this area. He also said I needed an amplifier, and
recommended the Presonus Blue Tube which was about another $160 or so. I finally ended up
paying about $500 total but I got the thing making very accurate recordings playing the tape back on my Sony stereo receiver. The recordings are intended solely for me to monitor my progress
and are not CD quality but do give me a very good picture where I am at in a piece. I went down
this road, and from all my research and all the people I talked to I am now convinced you won’t get it any cheaper for anything worth listening to. Of course, you are free to try.

Tom