Frequently Asked Questions

Whether you have already purchased a re.corder and need assistance, or you want more technical information before purchasing, you will find the answer to most of your questions in this section.

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1. General

What is re.corder by Artinoise?

We call the re.corder by Artinoise an ‘augmented’ recorder for the modern age.
It is basically a real, acoustic sounding soprano recorder in C with an internal electronic that implement many functionalities through sensors and bluetooth connectivity.
You can turn on the electronic, connect to your mobile platform where our free app is running and play to a score, with the sound of many other instruments, with a virtual teacher or with your friends connected to the same tablet or phone.
Or, you can connect to your host PC and use every virtual instrument, on every platform that is compatible with MIDI over BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).
re.corder can be played in 3 modes:
1) as a classic recorder – In the traditional analogue sense, no app connection is required or battery drainage.
2) as a classic recorder with digital output – Use the app as a digital teaching tool or enjoy the sound output from the app with earphone or speakers. Use ARTinoise’s iOS app to play assisted mode, virtual teacher, share with classmates or social media accounts.
3) as a MIDI controller – output playback with other sounds such as wind, string, wood, keyboard, percussion and synthetic instruments. Use as a MIDI controller with ARTinoise’s app or any platform which supports MIDI over BLE.
watch this video on our YouTube channel to learn more about re.corder!

How much does it cost?

The suggested retail price is 149€ (excluding shipping costs).
The price may vary slightly depending on the distributor/shop.
Click here to find out which dealers are closest to you!

Where do I buy one?

You can currently buy re.corder on the Thomann website.

We are working to distribute re.corder by ARTinoise on all continents through local distributors in order to make the price as advantageous as possible for you.

Additional stores where you can buy the product are added every day! Click here to find out which dealers are closest to you!

Can I play re.corder in mute with my headphones?

Sure you can!
Put the cap on, plug your headphones in your smartphone or tablet and you’re ready to go!
Your neighbours won’t have any reasons to complain and you’ll be free to play as much as you like!

How many sounds are available in the re.corder App?

The digital sounds of the re.corder are not internal to the instrument hardware, but come from the SoundBank contained in the App, which you can download for free and install on your mobile phone or tablet. Watch this short video tutorial to learn how to install the app
This allows us to keep your re.corder up to date with the latest features developed and to add new and exciting sounds all the time!

The SoundBank currently consists of 32 instruments of various types, not only wind instruments as one might expect, but also strings, percussive sounds, synths and even drums.

We are also developing exciting partnerships with third parties to provide our users with professional sounds of the highest quality.

And if you are a truly demanding musician, don’t forget that re.corder is also a powerful MIDI controller, so you can connect it to your PC to control any external sound library. Learn more in the video Third Party App Configuration – re.corder as MIDI controller

Does it need a battery?

The re.corder uses an internal rechargeable battery (LiPo battery, 8/10 hours of use from full) that can be refilled using any USB port or powerbank.
You can’t change the battery, but we find that the instrument is lighter and more efficient that way.
You can also connect re.corder to a small Power Bank since re.corder also works while charging.

What fingering style is it using? Is it customisable?

The ‘acoustic’ fingering is Baroque, allowing for forked positions and correct pitch on many notes and variations.
The holes of the recorder have embedded invisible capacitive sensors and the C, D and thumb holes are doubled to allow sharp notes and octave switch.
With the app configuration page you can change between different fingering and scales and even setup your own, also allowing for microtuning fingerings. This will allow other instruments fingering styles like tin whistle, bagpipes, and your own!
Learn more on how to customise fingerings by watching this video

Can I switch octaves for the same fingering style?

Absolutely, you can switch octaves up/down covering the whole 0-127 midi notes span. You can decrease an octave by pressing the CIRCLE + TRIANGLE keys simultaneously and increase an octave by pressing the CIRCLE + SQUARE keys simultaneously.

Learn more about this topic by watching this video
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and click on the notification bell to be informed about upcoming video tutorials!

Can I connect re.corder to my favourite Synth?

You will need an adapter, unless your synth has Bluetooth MIDI in.
The re.corder connects only through MIDI over BLE which is a wireless MIDI standard and allows for full wireless MIDI compatibility.
Your Synth probably does not read BLE MIDI in but it is likely that your laptop or smartphone will.
Both modern versions of Windows and OSX support it and IOS does as well. Latest versions of Android does connect reliably with BLE midi controllers.

Learn more about this topic by reading the following post on our FB Group
“How to connect your re.corder directly to MIDI instruments (without a computer or smartphone)”

Can I use the re.corder without blowing air into it?

yes! the re.corder can be used as a controller even without blowing (lip sensor mode).
This can be useful for people with disabilities or conditions that render difficult breathing.
You can also use re.corder on a flat surface playing it as a piano or percussion pad (keyboard mode)!
Learn more about re.corder by watching this video on the re.corder instruments YouTube Channel

How can I amplify the sound of my re.corder?

Simply connect the headphone output of your smartphone or tablet with a cable to the AUX input of a speaker.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Avoid using a speaker connected to Bluetooth as the delay in sound reproduction will not allow you to play correctly!

Is re.corder polyphonic?

Yes, it can be polyphonic.
We are also developing a way of associating chords to buttons! There are a few demo videos in our YoutTube Channel where the re.corder is played this way.

What about latency?

BLE midi latency is inherently very low (few milliseconds). Depending on the host platform, the software used and CPU performance, your final latency (midi + audio) may vary. Normally, with most systems, the latency is not noticeable in most situations but might require some adjustments from the player when working in close sync with other instruments at virtuoso speeds.

How did the story of re.corder begin?

re.corder was born after 2 years of design and development in the laboratories of the Italian start-up ARTinoise. Between October 2019 and September 2020 the company launches a crowdfunding campaign in which almost a thousand backers from all over the world participate.
In early 2021, the first production is released, almost entirely for the project’s backers, and ARTinoise begins to introduce the product to the general public by collaborating with musicians and social media influencers in various parts of the world.
The product is officially released at the end of August 2021 in partnership with Proel through major international distributors as Thomann.
Want to buy your re.corder? Click here to find out which dealers are closest to you!

Can I get involved on the future development of re.corder?

Of course you can, and we would be delighted!
We have created a specific group on Facebook where we give support to users, exchange experiences with re.corder, and also discuss about future developments.
Join the re.corder Community now to interact with early adopters and help the further development of re.corder with your ideas!

Where can I see the re.corder in action?

You can watch several videos made with re.corder in our YouTube channel
In addition to the videos made directly by us in the channel you will find a section dedicated to video reviews and musical performances of various YouTubers.

We recommend you to join the Re.corder Community on Facebook, where you can interact with early adopters and see what they are doing with re.corder.

Also, follow us on social media!
FACEBOOK . INSTAGRAM . YOUTUBE . TWITTER . TIKTOK

2. Using re.corder

I just got my re.corder, where do I start?

First of all thank you for purchasing re.corder!

1) If you have not already done so, we recommend that you download and read the user manual.
2) Check out the FAQ on this website.
3) Subscribe to our Youtube channel and click on the notification bell to be informed about new video tutorials.
4) Join the re.corder Community on Facebook to get advice from the Admins and other experienced users, ask any questions and share your experience with re.corder
5) If you can’t find the answer to your question, don’t hesitate to contact our support team by writing an email to [email protected] specifying the devices you are using with re.corder

Where do I get the user manual?

You can download the beta version of the User Manual for re.corder here

At the moment the manual is only in English and there are some topics that still need more details.
We intend to complete it as soon as possible and translate it into the main languages.

Where do I download the App for Android?

Download the re.corder App for Android from Google Play

Where do I download the App for iPhone and iPad?

Download the re.corder App for iPhone and iPad from Apple Store

Where do I download the App for Huawei?

Download the re.corder App for Huawei from Huawei AppGallery

How do I connect re.corder on Windows 10 to use it with a DAW??

To connect re.corder on Windows 10 follow the steps below or watch this video tutorial

To make it easier, more intuitive and reliable to use re.corder in MIDI mode on Windows 10, we have created the Re.corder Bridge, a simple application that relies on the excellent loopMIDI.
It’s a beta version, so let us know if it works for you and feel free to suggest how it can be improved.

Step 1 . If you don’t already use it, first download loopMIDI on your pc https://www.tobias-erichsen.de/software/loopmidi.html
Install it and create a MIDI port by clicking on the symbol on the left leave the app open.

Step 2. Download the Re.corder Bridge here and install it on your pc.

Step 3. Open the Re.corder Bridge, connect re.corder and keep your finger on the circle button of the recorder when pairing. While playing you should see the note appearing in the UI. At this point you should hear the windows synthesis (Microsoft GS Wavetable synth is selected in the combo at the top).

Step 4. Select the virtual device from the combo

Step 5. Connect the virtual device in your DAW

Troubleshooting: If you still don’t hear any sound after performing the above procedure, check the re.corder connection on loopMIDI, if the “Total Data” value is 0 the connection has not been established correctly. You can try repeating the procedure or you can try using an alternative application to re.corder bridge such as MIDIBerry or Bluetooth LE Explorer.

You can also read this step by step guide with pics in the re.corder Community

How do I connect re.corder on Mac Os to use it with a DAW?

To connect re.corder on MacOs follow the steps below or watch this video tutorial

Step 1 – Enable Bluetooth

Step 2 – Open “Audio Midi Setup”

Step 3 – Window -> select “Show MIDI Studio”

Step 4 – Click “Bluetooth” button

Step 5 – A list of bluetooth devices to choose from is shown. Select re.corder. You’re ready to go! Now you can use re.corder as midi instrument with your favourite DAW (Garageband, Logic, Cubase, Ableton, FL Studio etc.)

Read this step by step guide with pics in the re.corder Community

Can I switch octaves for the same fingering style?

Learn more about this topic by watching this video
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and click on the notification bell to be informed about upcoming video tutorials!

Playing basics: breathing & tonguing

Not every recorder player has the same technique. Some things make a difference when playing the re.corder.

BREATHING

This is only what recorder teachers tell us anyway, but don’t blow notes separately, keep up a steady stream of breath and use your tongue/fingers for articulation.

TONGUING

This is really important; only tongue lightly and on your palette, not on your teeth or on the end of the recorder. Do not tongue ‘hard’.
There are a few good reasons for this:

1) There is no point tonguing hard because, playing digitally, it won’t alter the sound in any way at all – you can’t produce percussive effects, slight overblows, etc.

2) Tonguing hard interrupts the air stream and can add to delays.

3) You need to avoid tonguing in a way that propels saliva into the mouthpiece – a build up of saliva interferes badly with response.

(Guide by John Harrison – re.corder Community expert)

App Settings: velocity, sensitivity & breath response curve

These settings are really key. The three that are most relevant are Velocity, Sensitivity and the Breath Response Curves. These interact to a certain extent, but we’ll consider them separately.

VELOCITY

Think of this as a volume control. To alter the velocity setting, go to ‘Settings’, select ‘Midi’, turn on ‘Advanced Mode’ and then select ‘Sensitivity’. Velocity is shown on a slide bar. The default ‘factory’ value is 80. Basically, the higher this number is, the louder the re.corder will play at maximum volume. Some users actually set it to 127, although some instruments can sound a bit harsh if they hit this volume. Remember to send this setting to the re.corder by holding the circle button and touching save. Continue holding the circle button until you get a confirmation message.

SENSITIVITY

To change the sensitivity setting, go to ‘Settings’, select ‘Midi’, then ‘Sensitivity’ – it doesn’t matter if you have ‘Advanced Mode’ enabled or not.
There are three sensitivity settings. High’, ‘Default’, and ‘Low’. Select the one that best suits your playing, send the change to re.corder.
EDIT – If you have the latest version of the app, the names have been reversed – so set the threshold to ‘Low’, rather than ‘High’ as above.

BREATH RESPONSE CURVE

To alter the response curve setting, go to ‘Settings’, select ‘Midi’, turn on ‘Advanced Mode’ and then select ‘Pressure’.

This is the most important of all. The re.corder app has 17 available response curves, the default ‘Linear’ and ‘Embedded’ 1 to 16. It’s important to match the response curve you are using to the type of music you are playing. Some of the curves are designed for expressive, legato playing – others have no dynamics at all and play at full volume (as set under ‘Velocity’) at the slightest breath pressure. Some of them are actually quite weird and are there with midi in mind rather than playing tunes. You can try them out, but the following are the ones that work best for most users.

Expressive, legato playing – Embedded3

A balance between expression and being able to play fast without delay and attain high volume without blowing hard – Embedded1

Fast and furious – Embedded7 or Embedded10 (these have no dynamics at all but also no delays, because they play at full volume at minimal air pressure

Most users “default” setting is Embedded1, which seems to work nicely for almost everything.

You’ll notice a number on the slide bar which, if you haven’t changed it, will be 11. Don’t change it, or if you have, set it back to 11. This is the value that allows the recorder to respond to your breath. If you change it to something else then (a) you lose all dynamics and (b) you may introduce some random behaviour that you don’t want.

Remember to send your selection to the re.corder.

All of the above applies to playing through the app. It also applies when using the re.corder as a midi controller, but there are many other aspects to consider.

(Guide by John Harrison – re.corder Community expert)

Which are the best settings for playing fast passages?

In order to play fast passages on re.corder you may need to make some changes to your playing technique (blowing and tonguing) and also make some changes to the settings in the app.

PLAYING TECHNIQUES – BLOWING AND TONGUING

These are key to playing fast.

1. BLOWING

Play each phrase on a single breath and blow steadily all the way through the phrase – don’t blow individual notes separately.

2. TONGUING

You must tongue VERY lightly, more lightly than you would typically tongue an acoustic recorder; just a light touch of the tongue on the palette. If you tongue too hard you will interrupt the breath stream and this will cause latency and/or non-sounding notes. Double and triple tonguing are possible, but you don’t actually need to tongue every note individually – you can, for example, just tongue the first note of a triplet or the first note in a group of four sixteenth notes and let your fingers do the rest; when played digitally, the re.corder does not slur and the notes will sound individually, whether they are tongued or not.

APP SETTINGS

There are changes that you can make in the app settings to maximise response and minimise latency. These changes make it easier to play fast passages.

1. BREATH RESPONSE CURVE

The default ‘Linear’ breath response curve is not ideal for fast playing. If you are going to play a fast piece, it is best to change this to a curve that responds more quickly over a shorter range of breath pressure.

To change to a different curve, do the following:

a. select ‘SETTINGS’ > ‘MIDI’ (turn on ‘advanced mode’) > ‘Pressure’

b. use the upper arrowheads to cycle through the available curves until you find the one you want

c. save this curve to the re.corder.

I suggest that you try ‘Embedded1’, ‘Embedded2’, or ‘Embedded3’ and see which suits you best. They are all good – the difference is that ‘Embedded2’ is slightly more expressive than ‘Embedded1’, and ‘Embedded3’ slightly more expressive again. Personally I use ‘Embedded3’ – and I use it for everything, not just playing fast as it is expressive enough for slow, lyrical playing.

If you want to play very fast you can use ‘Embedded10’ or (drastic) you can use the lower arrowheads to change the CC number (which defaults to 11) to something else (127 for example). This will make the re.corder respond immediately, at full volume (as set in ‘Velocity’), to the slightest breath pressure – but it will also mean that you have no dynamic control at all, so you will need to put it back to 11 when you want to play with dynamics again.

2. SENSITIVITY

You should change the sensitivity setting to its most sensitive. To do this:

a. select ‘SETTINGS’ > ‘MIDI’ > ‘Sensitivity’

b. use the arrowheads to cycle through the ‘Threshold’ values to ‘Low’.

c. save this setting to the re.corder.

3. VELOCITY (VOLUME)

Velocity determines the maximum volume at which the re.corder will play. The default value is 80, which is not particularly high. You may find that it helps to change this to a higher value. You do this on the same screen as you change the sensitivity threshold, and it can be done at the same time, but you have to have ‘advanced mode’ turned on.

a. select ‘SETTINGS’ > ‘MIDI’ (turn on ‘advanced mode’) > ‘Sensitivity’

b. use the lower arrowheads or drag the slider to the desired velocity value.

c. save the change to the re.corder.

What value you change it to is up to you – you can experiment to see what works best for you. Personally, I set it on the maximum, 127, but that can be a bit too loud/harsh sometimes.

All of these changes individually will make some improvement, but the most important thing of all is how you blow/tongue – which might take a bit of patience/practice to get used to.

(Guide by John Harrison – re.corder Community expert)

How should I clean my re.corder?

cleaning, care

3. Troubleshooting

Why can’t I get the notes out of the re.corder?

When playing re.corder in digital mode a “clean” fingering it is definitely needed.
But don’t worry, you’ll get used very quickly!
It is important to keep the fingers of the right hand away from the touch sensors. So you will have to get used to not touching the D5 or C5 or B5 by keeping the fingers of the right hand on the holes.
Please be careful to rely only on right-hand thumb and lips to “hold” the instrument.
A suitable resting position for your pinky is half an inch toward the bell end. This allows you to balance the instrument and not interfere with the fingering detection.

For more info about this topic watch this video and subscribe to our YouTube Channel

Why I cannot turn off the re.corder?

If the blue led is steady on and when you touch the RECTANGLE or TRIANGLE button the green led blinks, it means that the re.corder is still connected to something, so it will not turn off.
Try to disconnect it from the App in Settings > Devices or turn off the bluetooth on your smartphone or pc.
When not connected the re.corder will automatically turn off after 2 minutes. You can force the disconnection by pressing for at least 6 seconds the CIRCLE RECTANGLE TRIANGLE keys.

How do I restore the default settings in the app?

Currently there is no reset button in the app, so if you want to restore the initial settings you have to do it manually.

The following are the DEFAULT SETTINGS you need to restore:

Sensitivity

threshold= standard (try ‘low’ if you feel like you’re blowing too much)

speed= 80

MIDI Ch= 1

Pressure

curves= linear (try ’embedded1′ ’embedded2′ or ’embedded3′ if you feel like you’re blowing too much)

aftertouch= off

MIDIOut= 11

Tilt

curves= embedded12 (set to none if you want to turn off vibrato)

MIDIOut=1

Rotation

curve= embedded13

MIDIOut= 52

Z axis

curve= None (OFF)

MIDIOut= 53

Even if I blow hard re.corder seems only to produce a very low volume, what am I doing wrong?

Some users have encountered an issue where the re.corder seems only to produce a very low volume – so you blow harder to try to increase the volume, but it doesn’t really work, so you blow even harder until you are blowing so hard that it is exhausting and you can hardly play anything.

The good news is that (a) there is almost certainly nothing wrong with your re.corder and (b) it is very easy to fix.

Here is an explanation of what to do to fix the problem. It is in three parts:

device volume settings when playing through the app on a phone or tablet.
Some changes to the app settings that will increase playing volume
volume settings when using the re.corder as a midi controller for a DAW on Windows PC etc.

1. VOLUME SETTINGS WHEN PLAYING WITH THE APP ON PHONE OR TABLET

The re.corder doesn’t produce the sounds that you hear, it just sends signals to your phone/tablet which produces the sounds. The audible volume of these sounds is primarily determined by the volume settings of the phone/tablet, not by the re.corder settings.

The setting involved on the phone/tablet is the one that controls the volume used when playing videos, music files etc. This will usually be called “media volume” or “video”, “music”, etc. volume on the sound settings menu.

For the re.corder to sound at a good level on the phone/tablet, this media volume MUST be on a high setting – at or near maximum.

However, most phones/tablets automatically reduce this volume to a low level when you connect headphones or an external speaker. They do this to protect the user’s hearing. Unfortunately, this makes the re.corder so quiet that you can hardly hear it.

So, you need to do the following at the start of every session where you are playing the recorder through a phone or tablet:

After you have connected the headphones or external speaker and connected the re.corder via the app, go to the phone’s/tablet’s sound settings and set the “media volume” to maximum or something close to maximum (a bit lower maybe if you are using headphones). Also, if you have a setting that limits the media volume, turn it off.

You might actually find the volume is too loud now, but you can always adjust it down to the level that you want.

This on it’s own should fix the low volume issue, but there are some changes to the re.corder app settings you can make that will also boost the volume a little, which is the next section.

2. APP SETTINGS CHANGES TO BOOST VOLUME

Setting the correct volume level on your phone/tablet, as described above, is the key action to resolve the volume issue, but there are some changes to the app settings you can make which will also boost volume slightly. I would recommend them, especially if you are using the re.corder as a midi controller with a DAW.

a. Set sensitivity threshold to ‘Low’.

b. Set velocity to maximum.

These can be done at the same time.

Go to settings on the app, select ‘MIDI’, then turn on ‘advanced mode’, then select ‘Sensitivity’, then:

a. use the upper arrowheads so that ‘Threshold’ is showing ‘Low’.

b. use the lower arrowheads, or just slide the button to the right so that ‘Velocity’ is set to the maximum value, 127.

c. Save these changes to the re.corder.

You can also try different response curves. The default ‘Linear’ curve is the most expressive, but also requires the hardest blowing to attain high volumes. You could try some of the other curves (like ‘Embedded1’, ‘Embedded2, or ‘Embedded3’ which are slightly less expressive, but play louder for less breath pressure than ‘Linear’. It’s really a question of what works best for you.

To change the curve you are using, go to the app setting, select midi, turn on advanced mode, then select ‘Pressure’ .You can then cycle through the available curves and save whichever one you choose to use to the re.corder.

3. VOLUME WHEN USING THE RE.CORDER AS A MIDI CONTROLLER FOR A DAW.

This is not my area of expertise, so if anyone wants to add to this, please do. My experience here is limited to playing some plug-in VSTs on Cakewalk using the re.corder. There are two things that I recommend:

a. Make the ‘Velocity’ and ‘Sensitivity’ changes describes in section 2 above using the re.corder app.

b. After you have connected the re.corder using Loopmidi, recorder.bridge, etc., make sure that your PC’s media volume is set to the maximum.

After that, the volume is really dependent upon the volume settings available to you in the DAW and there are a number of these: the VST itself may have a volume control; the DAW may have a ‘Gain’ control which lets you adjust the volume on a track by track basis – and there may be others (like I say, I am not very knowledgeable in this area) – so it’s really a question of making adjustments until you are getting the volume that you want.

If you make these changes, then you should find that you don’t have to blow the re.corder hard at all to produce a good volume – in fact you don’t have to blow it as hard as an acoustic recorder. And you should have no need to tape or block up the mute hole to boost volume. The mute is designed to let a little air out, but it should not be audible – if it is audible then either you do not have the mute properly in position or you are blowing too hard.

(Guide by John Harrison – re.corder Community expert)

How do I get technical support?

To whom should I report App bugs?

To report any App bugs please send an email to [email protected] with screenshots information about your device and operating system.
Thank you!

Didn’t find the answer you were looking for? Fill out the form describing in detail the problem and the type of device/operating system you are using with re.corder. We will reply as soon as possible.

Topics

1. General

2. Using re.corder

PLAYING TECHNIQUES – BLOWING AND TONGUING

1. BLOWING

2. TONGUING

APP SETTINGS

1. BREATH RESPONSE CURVE

2. SENSITIVITY

3. VELOCITY (VOLUME)

3. Troubleshooting

1. VOLUME SETTINGS WHEN PLAYING WITH THE APP ON PHONE OR TABLET

2. APP SETTINGS CHANGES TO BOOST VOLUME

3. VOLUME WHEN USING THE RE.CORDER AS A MIDI CONTROLLER FOR A DAW.

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