Topic: Olympus VN-100 Digital Voice Recorder VN100

[aturner]

Specifications:
Recording Format    Multi Codec - SP: SubBand, LP: CELP
Recording Media    Built-in 128 MB flash memory
Recording Time    SP mode: Approximately 13 hours, 20 minutes
LP mode: Approximately 74 hours, 40 minutes
LCD    24 mm x 24 mm
LED    Two colors (red = record; green = playback)
Folders Messages    1/100 per folder
Sampling Frequency    SP: 10.6 kHz
LP: 6.6 kHz
Overall Frequency Response    SP: 300-4,700 Hz
LP: 300-2,900 Hz
LP Mode    Yes
Voice Activation    No
Practical Maximum Output    120 mW
Speaker    28 mm round dynamic speaker
Microphone Jack    3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 2k ohms
Earphone Jack    3.5 mm mini-jack, impedance 8 ohms
Power Supply    Two AAA alkaline (LR03 or R03) batteries or
two AAA NiMH rechargeable batteries
Batteries    Two AAA alkaline batteries
External Power Supply    N/A
Battery Life    Alkaline: Approximately 39 hours
NiMH: Approximately 22 hours
Size    4.0 x 1.4 x 0.8 in. (102 x 36 x 20.5 mm)
Weight    2.2 oz. (63 g), including batteries

Record up to 74 hours and 40 minutes of uninterrupted audio in LP mode.
Select from two recording modes to meet your specific needs: SP and LP for extended recording.
Large LCD for easy, quick viewing of file locations, recording status and battery life.
Certified as an Olympus Eco-product, this voice recorder has a reduced environmental footprint across its entire product lifecycle, which encompasses not only the product and its packaging, but also the manufacturing and logistical processes in bringing the product to the marketplace.

    * Slow and Fast Playback modes let you listen to audio 25 percent slower or 50 percent faster than real time.
    * Easy operation with one folder storing up to 100 files.
    * Long 35 hours of battery life.


I'm Going A Miley Cyrus concert which is my first show and want to tape a decent audio for this show. Would this work okay. I'm In the Balcony Row 206 if that helps

[DaveH]

A voice recorder will turn out horrible, it is designed for voice, not a concert. There are many options, check out the recording equipment section for more information. Most people around here favor the Edirol R-09 digital recorders. But you will need a decent microphone and either a battery box or pre-amp in order not to overload or brickwall the recording. I'm sure others will chime in here, but I hope this gives you a starting point.

[aturner]

well i  really doubt i'll go to many shows after this how about if i used cannon digital camera a470 also dave is there anyone someone can retouch the audio with this device

[fmaderjr]

Overall Frequency Response    SP: 300-4,700 Hz

Don't waste your time. It costs $20 for God's sake and look at the frequency response specs! You probably need to spend at least around $150 to get something that will record "decent" audio and for not much more you can get something that will record very good sounding audio. Nobody around here shoots for decent because you can go way above that for not too much money.

And as DaveH said, you need something designed to record music.

[anonymous_user]

A digital voice recorder would just be a perfectly good waste of whatever amount of money it costs. You could achieve better quality by bringing a cell phone and calling someone back at home, and having them try to record it.

I saw one of your other posts as well. To get anything that's slightly listenable, go to a local music/instrument chain like a Guitar Center or something and try to buy an R09, R09HR, or maybe a Tascam DR 1 or DR 07, maybe a Zoom H4, and use the internal mics. It won't be great but it'll beat trying to record audio with a camera like you mentioned elsewhere. You'll need to get an extra memory card, at least 2gb or more, to have enough room to record in quality so that the sound won't come out all wishy-washy or sounding like it's through a tunnel. That will happen if you try to capture in a lower quality on-the-fly to fit on a small card, you'll need to originally record directly in at least 16/44 wav. As far as not being able to hold a camera for 10min, you could stick the audio recorder in a front shirt pocket with the built-in mics sticking out and make sure there's a direct and clear unblocked path from your chest to the speaker stacks. Otherwise it won't work. If you're trying to record from the balcony or from far away like you mentioned though, it's not going to sound very good at all anyway. You'd also have to check back in at this site once you have a device and make sure you have all the correct settings on the recorder so that nothing gets messed up with the sound.

It wouldn't be all that good, especially from a balcony or far away, but it would at least get you something more than a scratchy mess or from recording audio with a digital camera. Voice recorders are designed for someone's speaking voice from office meetings or taking down voice memos in the front seat of your car, at a show it would just be nothing but random noise and distortion, you'd actually get clearer sound through a cell phone.

[aturner]

I actually got 4 gb SD Card.  Here all the info on the camera I have. What settings would i need it on to get decent audio. there
320 by 240 30 fps
640 by480 lp 20 fps
640 by 480 20 fps

Bought from Walmart

[fmaderjr]

Settings you show are for video.

Most cameras like this have no settings for audio and the audio is invariably NOT decent.

I can take pretty decent video with a similarly priced Panasonic point and shoot but have to patch in the audio from an audio recorder if I want anything better than over compressed but listenable mono.

[junkyardt]

i don't think i have ever contemplated a more horrifying idea than than listening to a Miley Cyrus recording made with a digital voice recorder or a digital camera. i wouldn't even want any part of a Schoeps MK4 Miley Cyrus recording. if you want something that will at least qualify as "well below average but somewhat listenable" and you want to spend the least possible money, get a used Zoom H2 or something like it off eBay and use the internal mics.

[sunjan]

I'm Going A Miley Cyrus concert which is my first show and want to tape a decent audio for this show. Would this work okay. I'm In the Balcony Row 206 if that helps

Sorry, but no.

You'd achieve better results with a second hand minidisc recorder for 30 bucks and bundled mics on plug-in power.

[DaveH]

Don't know too much about video, but as for audio, check out the yard sale for something like a Zoom H2, mini disc recorder, or a NJB3. Get some mics and a battery box and you're ready to go. However, if you'd prefer and want to go for a cheap, but possibly listenable recording, you could check out the handheld cassette recorders on EBay. (Make sure they are not microcassettes.) I got a passable recording from a Optiumus SCR-100 job I picked up at Radio Shack several years ago. (By passable, I mean the vocals were clear, the instruments were a bit muffled), but it was still better than anything you'll get on a voice recorder. I also doubt they will do any thorough pat downs at a Miley Cyrus show, so you could probably slip it in your pants pocket or at least crotch it. I think I might be interested in getting a copy if you do record it, my daughter despises Miley and I think it would be a good way to annoy her, LOL!

[fmaderjr]

Don't know too much about video, but as for audio, check out the yard sale for something like a Zoom H2, mini disc recorder, or a NJB3.

In my opinion, nix on the NJB3 for analog in. A rockboxed iHp120 has so many more useful features and is so much easier to use it is well worth the extra $25-$50.

The Zoom H2, while not a recorder I would select for myself, has much better sounding built in mics than most of the pocket recorders out today.

[aturner]

Can someone give me links? I'm not looking for it to be to pricey as it be waste for me. I don't concerts unless can find someone to take me but other than that this be it.

like this? EDIT thats huge I couldn't get that in
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-Pressman-M-560V-Handheld-Cassette-Voice-Recorder_W0QQitemZ280405451812QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVoice_Recorders?hash=item414977a424

[sunjan]

Can someone give me links?

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=127107.msg1686309#msg1686309

That's less than $100 for a decent 16bit rig. If you're not willing to pay that, you have to go for lossy media (like the $30 legacy minidisc rig I mentioned earlier, like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250508969011).