Stealth recording ideas please?

[StevieM]

-I've got a sort of problem that maybe one ( or more ) of my musician friends on here might have some sort of answer too.

I mostly sleep very badly and very often have snippets of music going through my head ----sometimes whole tracks------- with no way of making a note of them at silly o'clock in the morning.
There's no way I can drag a guitar or keyboard out at that time in the night/ morning!!!!!!
Not even sure what I'm looking for -------maybe a very small ,quiet and cheap keyboard/synth that can either record direct to itself, or hook up to a laptop/pc.
Or maybe a decent (cheap, or even free ?) software package that I can do basic music on.
Just to be able to get these weird ideas out of my head a bit at really silly o'clock times.
Did I make any sense at all there?
All solutions considered.
Cheers.
Steve.

[T.C. Elliott]

One of those old casio keyboards that would allow you to record over the fake drums. Something like that?

Or a tape recorder... just hum it into the recorder then wake up and wonder what the heck that was. (If you're like me.)

[TPB]

Hee Hee done this before I have garage band on My Ipad  can open play a riff pick out the chords on the auto play or just hum into the on board mic simple and easy. Not sure anymore when I loaded garage band it was free also have it on my I phone
Tim

[Hook]

Look up the Novation Mini Nova, used to have it when I had a real studio. Its awesome!!!

[Greeny]

If you have an iPhone, the voice memo app is a good & quick sketch pad. I use it all the time, because I would never be able to remember my ideas. I record guitar and say what chords they are as I go. I also use the phones notepad to write down song titles or random ideas in the middle of the night.

[IanR]

Just sing the ideas into your iPhone. Lyrics or melody can be sung.

[cuthbert]

I also use an audio recording app on my iPhone at night - not great sound quality, but it usually helps me remember later.

[henwrench]

I'm so outta touch.
Get an iPhone. Or iPad.
Get GarageBand for free.
Plug some headphones in.
So easy to use. Even though it took me about 5 years to figure it out. But if you put in the effort, or have access to a Child, the Child can show you what to do.
But even then you have to APPLY YOURSELF.
Otherwise, it's easy. Just kidnap children. They've got weird power.
Learn. Grow. Or something.

                                                henwrench

[StephenM]

Just sing the ideas into your iPhone. Lyrics or melody can be sung.

yes the phone is a great recording medium...and in a pinch you can send yourself a voice mail