Become a Site Supporter and Never see Ads again!

Author Topic: Where to start?  (Read 6733 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline shakehurst

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Taperssection Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 3
Where to start?
« on: December 02, 2014, 07:58:53 PM »
I'd like to start recording shows in the new year but have no idea where to begin.

I'll be recording mostly punk / metal / noise shows. Venue capacities of 50-300 people usually.

My budget is small, $100-$200 maybe.

I would like something simple and easy to use, as long as it can get a relatively decent recording.

Thanks in advance

Offline dyneq

  • Trade Count: (12)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 821
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2014, 08:26:42 PM »
Howdy and welcome!

Before spending a dime, I recommend spending a decent amount of time listening to different recordings to get a feel for what sound you prefer. As you can imagine, the combination of different gear and techniques can be used in a lot of different variations, resulting in a lot of different-sounding results.

Also recommend trying and tag along with someone locally who is experienced. There are regional boards here where you could introduce yourself and arrange a meetup at a show.

Are you interested in recording open on a stand, or...? That will help us narrow down our recommendations.

Once you have an idea what you're looking for, keep checking the yard sale forum to find something decent that matches your budget.

Offline edtyre

  • Trade Count: (85)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 2261
  • Gender: Male
  • Team Philly " No Excuses, Just Tapes"
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2014, 09:08:34 PM »
Good starter mics
At 933's $120.00
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=167952.0

Recorders
Tascam DR-05 $99.00
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/757065-REG/Tascam_DR_05_DR_05_Portable_Handheld_Digital.html
Roland R-05 $199.00 (Recommended)
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/687099-REG/Roland_R_05_R_05_Portable_24_bit_Digital.html

tough to get good sound with 100-200 budget, the above is pretty good on a small amount of cash
bump it up slightly
music>mics>pre>recorder

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2014, 12:25:35 AM »
If you are spending 200 on a recorder the m10 http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/638090-REG/Sony_PCM_M10_BLACK_PCM_M10_Portable_Audio_Recorder.html smokes the 05 IMO
To bad you missed the church audio black fri sale. Current sale is out of the budget.
All in alli recommend saving up to 300 and going from there.

Pair of church mics just came up http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=170842.0
Grab a battery box and recorder and away you go. Could be done for $200 depending on recorder you get.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2014, 12:28:18 AM by willndmb »
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline rhinowing

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 4238
  • Gender: Male
    • SPLRA - Smashing Pumpkins Live Recording Association
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2014, 12:33:49 AM »
I like sound professionals bmc-2 as far as a budget mic goes. $70 and I've made some real nice tapes with them

add $100 for a DR-05, I don't know if you could find a battery box for $30 though, and you'll want one for loud shows...if you had $225 or $250 you could definitely make it work and sound pretty decent
Please contact me if you've ever taped the Smashing Pumpkins or a related group!

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2014, 12:38:59 AM »
I like sound professionals bmc-2 as far as a budget mic goes. $70 and I've made some real nice tapes with them

add $100 for a DR-05, I don't know if you could find a battery box for $30 though, and you'll want one for loud shows...if you had $225 or $250 you could definitely make it work and sound pretty decent
ill second that. Got mine on sale for 25 at had nice results
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline nulldogmas

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1626
    • How I Escaped My Uncertain Fate
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2014, 07:21:48 AM »
The current Church Audio sale has an Ugly Battery Box for $25.99, which should do you nicely:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=170828.0

If you're really strapped for cash, you could also pick up something older like this iRiver as your recorder:

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=170585.0

That plus the UBB plus the CA-11 mics would get you in under $200, and should work fine as a starter rig.

Offline sos

  • Trade Count: (56)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 268
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2014, 10:56:00 AM »
Note, that the DR-05 mentioned above, is going for $74 thru the New Year, with $25 rebate  :o
Mics
AKG:  Naiant actives (CK61/62/63-ULS) & C568 B
Audio-Technica:  AT853 (all caps)
Nakamichi:  Franken Nak(s): CM-300 (CP-1/2/3) & CM-700 (CP-701/702)
Primo:  EM4052PMI4 (CP-3)
Pres  Naiant: littlebox (v. 1.5/ot) & tinyboxes (v. 1.0 & 2.5)
Decks  Sound Devices: MixPre-10T | Sony: PCM-A10 | Roland: R-05 & R-09HR
Juice  Krisdonia LiPo 50k (NJF-5X) | LADDA rechargeables | Powerex MHC9000

Offline daspyknows

  • Complaint Dept.
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9636
  • Gender: Male
  • Don't ask, don't tell, don't get get caught
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2014, 06:38:44 PM »
Just don't be a  :zoomie1:  Its a recorder AND mics (and preamp/battery box in most cases)

Offline 2manyrocks

  • Trade Count: (12)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1664
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2014, 08:48:33 PM »
Another thought is to get the Sony PCM m10 for $199.99 and use the internal mics until you can afford external mics.  It is a keeper unit.  Great battery life, good sound, compact, solid feeling, easily adjusted thumbwheel input control, peak led warning - a very nice recorder.

Offline earmonger

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 598
  • 20-20000 Hz
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #10 on: December 04, 2014, 01:33:38 AM »
I love love love the Sony PCM-M10 but its internal mics will not be able to handle the kind of blast-level volume the OP will be attending.

I agree with the post above about SoundProfessionals BMC-2 as a nice starter mic, and Church Audio battery boxes (Ugly works for me) are fine. The problem is that Church Audio is one guy making things by hand and it takes time. If you can order a battery box elsewhere for $20-$30 more, like Sound Professionals or Microphone Madness, you'll get it faster. You don't need bass roll-off or anything fancy.

Or keep an eye on the Church Audio retail thread and get CA-14 plus battery box or CA-11 plus battery box at a steal--but be patient.

I haven't used the Tascams. Through mic-battery box-line-in they may be just fine. But I know the Sony is battle worthy.


Offline nulldogmas

  • Trade Count: (6)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1626
    • How I Escaped My Uncertain Fate
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2014, 08:45:12 AM »

I agree with the post above about SoundProfessionals BMC-2 as a nice starter mic, and Church Audio battery boxes (Ugly works for me) are fine. The problem is that Church Audio is one guy making things by hand and it takes time. If you can order a battery box elsewhere for $20-$30 more, like Sound Professionals or Microphone Madness, you'll get it faster. You don't need bass roll-off or anything fancy.


Chris just posted that he has UBBs in stock and ready to ship out, for the moment at least.

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2014, 09:43:15 AM »

I agree with the post above about SoundProfessionals BMC-2 as a nice starter mic, and Church Audio battery boxes (Ugly works for me) are fine. The problem is that Church Audio is one guy making things by hand and it takes time. If you can order a battery box elsewhere for $20-$30 more, like Sound Professionals or Microphone Madness, you'll get it faster. You don't need bass roll-off or anything fancy.


Chris just posted that he has UBBs in stock and ready to ship out, for the moment at least.
Confirm it before ordering or it might be a while.
SP has some mics on sale today, forget the model and deleted the email but I believe it said $79
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline dyneq

  • Trade Count: (12)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 821
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2014, 10:28:26 AM »
SP has some mics on sale today, forget the model and deleted the email but I believe it said $79

They're asking $199, but they have a frequency response of 200Hz to 15KHz. I'm sure they're fine for what they're designed for (micing actors' voices in a theater setting), but I wouldn't recommend them for the OP's intended usage.

Offline 2manyrocks

  • Trade Count: (12)
  • Taperssection All-Star
  • ****
  • Posts: 1664
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2014, 11:21:46 AM »
Instead of buying this or that and having to spend more to get what the OP really needs later, it would be better to buy stuff he's going to keep and use even if it means saving up his money. 

The AT933s in the yard sale have the 4.7 ohm mod.  Not sure if they will distort on extremely loud music unless a battery box is used.  Worse case is the OP would have to add a battery box if he runs into distortion. 


Offline trubbaman

  • Trade Count: (2)
  • Taperssection Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 23
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2014, 12:43:45 PM »
I love love love the Sony PCM-M10 but its internal mics will not be able to handle the kind of blast-level volume the OP will be attending.

Before I bought mics all I had was the PCM-M10. I regularly put it on stage 6-10' away from amps and got good recordings. They aren't spectacular, but certainly better than no recording at all and as has been stated, the M10 is a keeper.

I didn't put a dB meter on it, but I'm talking about recording Jon Dee Graham, Javier Escovedo, Alejandro Escovedo and the True Believers as a whole, and in their electric versions they definitely know a little bit about being loud.
Mics: Busman BSC-1 (cards, omnis, sub cards, hypers); Church CA-11 cards, CA-14 omni
Pre: Church CA-9100
Recorders: Tascam DR-60D, Sony PCM-M10
LMA Shows: http://archive.org/search.php?query=taper%3A%22Mike.Fickel%22
Archivist for Jon Dee Graham

ilduclo

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2014, 02:18:03 PM »
I love love love the Sony PCM-M10 but its internal mics will not be able to handle the kind of blast-level volume the OP will be attending.

I agree with the post above about SoundProfessionals BMC-2 as a nice starter mic, and Church Audio battery boxes (Ugly works for me) are fine. The problem is that Church Audio is one guy making things by hand and it takes time. If you can order a battery box elsewhere for $20-$30 more, like Sound Professionals or Microphone Madness, you'll get it faster. You don't need bass roll-off or anything fancy.

Or keep an eye on the Church Audio retail thread and get CA-14 plus battery box or CA-11 plus battery box at a steal--but be patient.

I haven't used the Tascams. Through mic-battery box-line-in they may be just fine. But I know the Sony is battle worthy.

not so, the m10's internals will handle "... Max input level: 123 dB SPL." per https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-recorders/product-PCMM10%2FB/

that's louder than the Melvins right at the stack.

and, the internals are pretty f-ing good for loud shows. NOT so for real quiet stuff.  I have a number of friends who use the m10 and get pretty good results.

Marshall7

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2014, 04:45:35 PM »
Great mics at a terrific price - Naiant X-X's.

http://naiant.com/studio-electronics-products/microphones/x-x-omnidirectional-lapel-condenser-microphone/

And although I personally hate the idea...you can get a pretty cheap setup to use with an IPhone.


Offline daspyknows

  • Complaint Dept.
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9636
  • Gender: Male
  • Don't ask, don't tell, don't get get caught
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2014, 11:38:14 PM »
Great mics at a terrific price - Naiant X-X's.

http://naiant.com/studio-electronics-products/microphones/x-x-omnidirectional-lapel-condenser-microphone/

And although I personally hate the idea...you can get a pretty cheap setup to use with an IPhone.
No No No :o  ???  :(

Offline willndmb

  • Trade Count: (17)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 6792
  • Gender: Male
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2014, 02:53:18 PM »
If you are going pip mics route, here is a battery box for $15 http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=170892.msg2118894#new
Mics - AKG ck61/ck63 (c480b & Naiant actives), SP-BMC-2
XLR Cables - Silver Path w/Darktrain stubbies
Interconnect Cables - Dogstar (XLR), Darktrain (RCA > 1/8) (1/8 > 1/8), and Kind Kables (1/8f > 1/4)
Preamps - Naiant Littlebox & Tinybox
Recorders - PCM-M10 & DR-60D

Offline earmonger

  • Trade Count: (5)
  • Taperssection Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 598
  • 20-20000 Hz
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #20 on: December 18, 2014, 01:22:40 AM »

not so, the m10's internals will handle "... Max input level: 123 dB SPL." per https://pro.sony.com/bbsc/ssr/cat-audio/cat-recorders/product-PCMM10%2FB/

that's louder than the Melvins right at the stack.

and, the internals are pretty f-ing good for loud shows. NOT so for real quiet stuff.  I have a number of friends who use the m10 and get pretty good results.

Specs are one thing, experience is another. I have twice tried recording LOUD shows with the PCM-M10 internals. One was Soundgarden in an arena. One was the Eels in a club. Distortion. The OP wants to record punk--needs mics and battery box.
« Last Edit: January 03, 2015, 01:56:45 PM by earmonger »

stevetoney

  • Guest
  • Trade Count: (0)
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #21 on: December 19, 2014, 01:05:42 PM »
Dude asked the question on December 2 and hasn't come back to the site since.  Lots of discussion trying to help someone that doesn't have the decency to stick around long enough to read the responses.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2014, 01:12:03 PM by tonedeaf »

Offline daspyknows

  • Complaint Dept.
  • Trade Count: (1)
  • Needs to get out more...
  • *****
  • Posts: 9636
  • Gender: Male
  • Don't ask, don't tell, don't get get caught
Re: Where to start?
« Reply #22 on: December 20, 2014, 07:27:37 PM »
Dude asked the question on December 2 and hasn't come back to the site since.  Lots of discussion trying to help someone that doesn't have the decency to stick around long enough to read the responses.

sounds like a  :zoomie1:

 

RSS | Mobile
Page created in 0.122 seconds with 51 queries.
© 2002-2024 Taperssection.com
Powered by SMF