Here’s a brief summary on how to make a good recording:
- Don’t use the video capture app in your device, because we won’t be using any video, as it complicates the production.
- Download an app to record your instrumental part, and learn how to use it. Some recommendations:
- Learn the basic recording features of the app. Please use the following settings:
- mp3 file type, which could involve a Conversion step, as offered within the app;
- 44kHz sample rate;
- mono;
- 128kbps bit rate.
- A separate microphone on a stand will greatly improve the sound. You’ll need an appropriate adapter to connect the mic to your phone or PC.
Microphone (or phone) placement will greatly affect the quality of the recording. Here is a good non-technical article on How to Mic Woodwinds and Brass.- To get the best tempo synchronization, you’ll need to listen to a reference recording we’ll send you, while recording your part. That means you’ll need two devices: one to play back the reference recording (using headphones), and one to record your part. (There are ways to do this with just one device, but that’s a rather advanced technique that should be left to the more tech-savvy.)
- If any part of this is too complicated, let us know, and we’ll either solve the issue, or figure out a simpler (but lesser) alternative. Because of the inherent limitations of the process, the better we make each step, the better the overall result will be.
- Don’t forget to have fun!
Past accomplishments include:
- Successful market entry of microprocessor-based electronic keyboard with PC interface
- Delivery of pre-production advanced-technology guitar amplifier
- Patent filing for novel MIDI-based musical instrument
Prior to his DTV work, Aldo developed various audio, content delivery and broadcast technologies at CBS Laboratories. He was also Chief Engineer at WKCR-FM and a broadcast engineer at WABC and WPLJ, all in New York City. 
Aldo received his BS and MS degrees from Columbia University, is an inventor on fourteen issued patents in the fields of digital television, audio, and broadcasting, and has served on the Board of Directors of the Advanced Television Technology Center.
A speaker at various industry conferences, he is the author of numerous technical papers and industry reports, including chapters in the 10th and 11th editions of the NAB Engineering Handbook, and has been a regular contributor to several trade publications.
A joint recipient of a 1997 Engineering Emmy® statuette and R&D Magazine’s 1998 R&D 100 Award (both on behalf of Philips), Aldo is listed in Who’s Who in America, and is an inductee of the Academy of Digital Television Pioneers. He is a Senior Member of IEEE, with memberships in its Broadcast Technology Society and Society on Social Implications of Technology.
An active member of the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), Aldo also participates in the ITU-R Study Group 6 Working Party 6A (WP 6A) – Terrestrial broadcasting delivery, and co-chairs its Rapporteur Group on Revision of ITU-R Texts To Include ATSC 3.0. He has also been a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the Audio Engineering Society (AES), and the Consultants’ Network of Northern New Jersey (CNNNJ). In academia, Aldo has served as Adjunct Professor of Engineering Technology and Engineering Science at the County College of Morris in New Jersey.
Aldo holds FCC Commercial General (formerly First Class) Radiotelephone and Amateur General Radiotelephone (W2AGC) Operator’s licenses. He is an inductee of the Eta Kappa Nu honor society, and was a top finalist in the IEEE-USA Congressional Fellowship and New America TechCongress Congressional Innovation Fellowship programs. His volunteer efforts include particpating in the Catchafire initiative, being a mentor and judge with the NSTEP TechXplore program to advance STEM education in America’s classrooms, providing stage lighting design and production for local schools, and as an adjunct musician for various youth and non-profit orchestras.
In his spare time, Aldo has been an avid timpanist with the Hanover Wind Symphony and the South Orange Symphony Orchestra, and now performs with several groups in Frederick, Maryland. As a semi-professional musician, he has performed music by composers ranging from Beethoven and Mahler to Leonard Bernstein and Philip Glass, in venues that have included Carnegie Hall and the Mayo Performing Arts Center in Morristown, New Jersey. His other interests include astronomy, radio-controlled helicopters, ham radio, and writing for Wikipedia and the occasional blog. He maintains memberships in the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA).
A Rich Heritage — and a Debt of Gratitude
Aldo Cugnini has worked with and studied under several widely-respected authorities in their fields. He has benefited greatly by having known them and others:
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AGC Systems has helped turn ideas into profitable businesses. Our capabilities include:
Product Development including product definition; technology development; cross-functional collaboration with design, engineering, manufacturing, finance; budget planning and management, product design process, developing white papers and project plans, project review presentations, prototype & test procedure development.
Technology Strategy & Implementation including needs assessment, requirements definition, technical specs, technology selection, vendor selection and management, assembly and management of implementation teams, documentation, and executive reporting. Intellectual Property management including developing/managing patent portfolios, patent evaluation, defense, assertion, litigation, and technology transfer.
Technology Policy & Expertise including interface with industry, regulatory & government agencies, technical standards, in-depth knowledge of technical issues and product functionality, understanding and development of US and international standards, including AES, ATSC, DVB and ISDB, as well as 4G/LTE/3GPP cellular telephony.
Our expertise includes:
- Audio/video systems architecture and integration
- Digital electronic design
- Startup strategy
- MPEG standards
- VSB/QAM/COFDM modulation systems
- MS Windows, Mac, Unix
- Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Hummingboard
- Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI)
- Radio & audio production
- Test systems design
- Long-distance photography
- Optics
See selected papers.