Trent-
I'm all for recording oneself regularly. Here's some thoughts.
1. One teacher said to record everything and play it back immediately. That way, you can "rest as much as you play", in addition to the other obvious benefits.
2. It can help you learn how your sound interacts with room acoustics, how the AUDIENCE hears you in front of the bell. It can give you an idea of your sound's directionality. See how subtle movements in horn position can change your sound as the audience hears it.
3. It can help you learn to play with intensity. If you can tranfer your intensity when you "print to tape", you're in good shape. Do all the sublties in your playing make it to the playback? Play it back at a softer volume. Does it still sound good or do you depend on loud volumes for intensity?
4. Edirol R9 is a flash recorder that is very small, very light and makes good quality recordings. The mic is built-in and it records to flash card. It's smaller than a deck of cards and about as light as a pack of cigarettes. Fits in your shirt pocket. Check it out.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/produ...der?sku=240219
Garry