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Which audio recorder and which stealth microphone should I buy?

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soulsirkus:
Hi, I'm new to this forum. A few years ago I started recording hard rock shows with my digital camera, but now I would like to get better sound quality. Therefore I would like to buy an audio recorder and a set of small microphones to record the audio separately. I have been looking at Roland R-07 and Tascam DR-40, but the more I read about audio recorders the less I know what to choose. I don't have any technical knowledge, so I really need your advice. So I hope to get advice about which audio recorder to buy for recording loud, hard rock shows. Do I also need external microphones and if yes, which ones would be best? Thanks in advance for your advice!

ycoop:
Buying a pair of external mics is highly recommended. Depending which external mics you choose you’ll take one of two general routes.

External mics that can be powered by phantom power (I.e. power provided by a recorder or preamp through XLR cables that’s in the 24/48 V range). This is the case for most (all?) full bodied mics as well as setups where the microphone capsule is separated from the body/preamp (known as an “active setup”). The latter is preferred by many here, but the kit needed for this is definitely not cheap. In terms of the recorders you mentioned, the DR-40 can provide phantom power through its XLR jacks while the R-07 cannot. If you were to run mics requiring phantom power you would need an external pre amp capable of providing phantom power if you wanted to use the R-07. Keep in mind that providing phantom power can quickly drain batteries, so you’ll also have to consider providing adequate power to the recorder or preamp itself.

Other mics (such as the Church Audio series) are smaller and require less voltage. These mics can be run on what is called “plug in power” which is somewhere in the 5V range. This level of power can be provided by the R-07, but it is highly recommended to use an external preamp or battery box as while the voltage most recorders provide can power the mics enough for them to function, they don’t provide enough power for the mics to function to their maximum potential. Specifically, at the power most recorders provide microphones will become overloaded at higher SPLs leading to audible distortion.

Given that you’re looking to go with a smaller profile rig, I suggest looking at the mics made by Church Audio or the AT-853s. Church audio always makes a few different battery boxes/preamps that you might consider. If you have a significant amount of money available to spend, you’ll be served well going with an active setup. If you choose to go the active route, make sure to do a lot of reading about the gear needed to do so.

I also recommend listening to as many tapes as you can find of different types of mics before making a purchase.

Hope this answered some questions you may have and that it also raised new ones. Taping is a technical hobby, but that makes it all the more rewarding. There’s some excellent information on all of this (and more) on the forums. Poke around a bit and you’ll find a lot of useful info. The crew here are a generally helpful and accepting bunch, so don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Welcome to the section!

soulsirkus:
Thank you very much, Ycoop! You certainly answered some of my questions, but as you guessed, I have some new ones too. If I understand you correctly, with the Tascam I don't need a battery box or pre-amp and with the Roland I do need it. I don't want to spend a fortune, I'm thinking about $ 250 for the audio recorder and about the same for the external microphones. Which setup would you choose for that? 

MakersMarc:
Vote for the Churchie cardioid mikes, a cable extension for open taping, church preamp and either a used sony m10 or R07. Under your budget.

ycoop:

--- Quote from: soulsirkus on September 07, 2018, 07:42:48 PM ---Thank you very much, Ycoop! You certainly answered some of my questions, but as you guessed, I have some new ones too. If I understand you correctly, with the Tascam I don't need a battery box or pre-amp and with the Roland I do need it. I don't want to spend a fortune, I'm thinking about $ 250 for the audio recorder and about the same for the external microphones. Which setup would you choose for that?

--- End quote ---

Something I forgot about was that the DR-40 doesn’t have a 1/8” jack, so you would need some adaptors to make that work. Going with what Marc suggested is a good bet.

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