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Author Topic: Are the Zoom H* devices good enough for concerts to get decent audio quality?  (Read 13374 times)

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Offline vr46

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Newbie in audio recording devices... Need a little guidance!
So... i am going to a concert next year.. the venue takes around 15 000 people at maximum... It's a rock concert.

I have read several pages about different audio recording devices, such as Zoom, Tascam, Yamaha PR7....

Are the Zoom devices good enough, (even the H1n) to get good audio quality? Or only the latter versions like H5, H6?

Are they better/worse and other brands with similar price? I am thinking about a maximum of 150 USD approximately, If you recommend me to go a bit higher if there is significant difference in quality, it's not impossible.

Do you have any specific settings you can recommend to get the best audio quality?

I have never owned any of these audio recorders before, and will not go to any concert before this one..
So i really should have the settings all setup so I can just press record and get that decent audio quality...

But I need some input on what device to choose, what settings to get the best out of it...

Cheers

Offline ycoop

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Getting a decent sounding recording at a 15,000 person venue with a handheld recorder’s internal mics will be difficult (impossible?).
Mics: Avantone CK-1s, AT853 c+o
Pres: CA9100
Recorders: DR-60d mkII, DR-2d

Offline unidentified

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Where will you be sitting in this venue relative to the PA array or to the stage?

Offline heathen

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Well for starters, something is always better than nothing.  So if your choice is between recording with internals versus not recording at all, then by all means run what you brung!
Mics: AT4050ST | AT4031 | AT853 (C/SC) | Line Audio CM3 | Sennheiser e614 | Sennheiser MKE2 | DPA 4061 Pre: CA9200 Decks: Zoom F8 | Roland R-05

Offline rocksuitcase

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No one answered your specific question yet and I have zero experience with the Zoom products. I know generally the opinion on here is the Zoom H series products are entry level and can have solid competitors:
https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=187937.0

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=184822.0

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=186744.0

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=148631.msg1900893#msg1900893

http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=159584.0

https://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=174474.msg2157787#msg2157787        The last post claims the Roland R-05 (now R-07 or 09) are slightly worse when compared to Zoom or Tascam DR-08
music IS love

When you get confused, listen to the music play!

Mics:         AKG460|CK61|CK1|CK3|CK8|Beyer M 201E|DPA 4060 SK
Recorders:Marantz PMD661 OADE Concert mod; Tascam DR680 MKI x2; Sony PCM-M10

Offline Ozpeter

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There's also the small matter of whether you are permitted to bring the recorder into the venue in the first place.  Recording even with a Zoom H1N in standalone form is a fairly conspicuous thing to do.  As for results, it will depend on the arena and where you are in relation to the sound source as anything.  Personally I find listening to any concert recording from the audience in an arena to be a fairly unpleaseant experience, but that's probably just me.

Offline rippleish20

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I owned a Zoom H6 for a couple of years and it was a reasonable, prosumer recorder. Whether its a good choice for recording a show at a large venue is subject to debate but I dont think its necessarily a terrible idea. If you dont need the XLR inputs, or at least four, however, a Roland R-07 will most likely lead to similar sound quality and would be a lot easier to get in.
AKG C480B (ck61, ck63, ck8) /  Neumann KM100 (AK40, AK50) / AT853s  (cardiod, omni) / CA-14 (cardiod) / CA-11 (Omni) / Mixpre-10t / Mixpre-6 / Roland R-07 / Zoom F-3
paypal: rippleish20@gmail.com

Offline unidentified

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Get yourself a nice pair of small external mics and a battery box.  Yardsale should have something pop up soon, like as not. 

Offline nulldogmas

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Get yourself a nice pair of small external mics and a battery box.  Yardsale should have something pop up soon, like as not.

I think that's the general consensus you'll find on here: You'll get way better results, especially from farther back at a large venue, if you get external mics to go with a recorder, any recorder. Might be tough to do all that for $150, but maybe $200-250 if you buy used?

Offline Dan33185

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I use a Zoom H2 and am content with the results I get. I've never recorded an arena show, so I can't speak to that unfortunately. You're obviously not going to get the results that you can get with a thousand dollars worth of equipment, but if you're just looking for something decent and to record a memory, something in the Zoom family should be ok.
AUD: Zoom H2
SBD: Tascam DR-60D


Make the best out of the equipment you have, something is better than nothing!

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Offline ycoop

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If you decide to go the external mics > battery box > recorder route I can send you a DR-07 recorder for the price of shipping (a TS member recently included it as a throw in for a recent sale).

PM if interested.
Mics: Avantone CK-1s, AT853 c+o
Pres: CA9100
Recorders: DR-60d mkII, DR-2d

Offline vr46

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Where will you be sitting in this venue relative to the PA array or to the stage?

I am hoping to be seated in the front rows in front of the stage. There are seats on the side in this arena as well, but my hoping is to get a seat not too far from the stage.
If you decide to go the external mics > battery box > recorder route I can send you a DR-07 recorder for the price of shipping (a TS member recently included it as a throw in for a recent sale).

PM if interested.

I guess this gear is much i better than a small zoom device with it's small mics?

I am hoping to be able to record the sound without too many people noticing. There are only seats at the venue so there won't be tickets where you can stand up in front of the stage.

Thanks to the rest of you for all replies, I will read and get back.

Offline vr46

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Get yourself a nice pair of small external mics and a battery box.  Yardsale should have something pop up soon, like as not.

I think that's the general consensus you'll find on here: You'll get way better results, especially from farther back at a large venue, if you get external mics to go with a recorder, any recorder. Might be tough to do all that for $150, but maybe $200-250 if you buy used?

That sounds interesting... Do you recommend any specific setup?
There are only seats at this venue so no standing, like I said in previous post I am hoping to be seated in the front rows closest to the stage.

The venue has not written anything about audio recording, what they do have said is that compact cameras and cellphones are allowed, and larger system cameras are not... So unsure about audio recorders, might be OK ;)

Offline Ozpeter

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Clearly it's important to you to record this show, so assuming it's not downright prohibited, then it would still be good not to have to faff around and fiddle at the start of the show.  So, whatever you get equipment-wise, ensure that you know how to operate it, and having practiced at home in front of the hifi or whatever, see if you can do some practice recordings at smaller local gigs where people won't mind.  That way, on the big night, you'll go about it like a pro and not like... someone less than.  The thing about live recording is - you only get one chance!

Offline hoppedup

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If you decide to go the external mics > battery box > recorder route I can send you a DR-07 recorder for the price of shipping (a TS member recently included it as a throw in for a recent sale).

PM if interested.

I'd take this offer. I have made decent internal recordings with the DR-07 close to stacks:

 https://soundcloud.com/user-933274576/steam-powered-aeroplane-jerry-douglas-sam-bush-2015-04-24

The internals are omnis so they will probably not do very well in a large venue away from the PA stacks.
AKG SE300B CK91
JB Mod NAK 300 CP1 - CP2

Tascam DR-40, Tascam DR-60D, Tascam DR-22WL, Marantz PMD-706
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7K

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