Topic: Looking for some direciton on building a taping rig

[bandsthatjam]

I've been doing some research and found quite a bit of useful information but I was hoping you all could help me a little further.

I've been wanting to get into building a taping rig for some time but it's pretty expensive. A friend of mine is putting on an event and he wants me to tap into the sound board and record the nights shows for him. I'm not really sure what kind of sound board it is.

I was wondering what I can get for $300 or $400 so that I can tap into the soundboard and record the show. I found this list here http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,35002.0.html for solid state recorders.

Would the M-Audio MicroTrack 2496 work for recording the soundboards at this show? And then I could purchase the mic's later on? Also what about getting Olympus LS-10? It doesn't have a digital in what difference does that make?

Also I want to make sure that I can get my friend a good quality recording. Can this be done with either of those devices or do I really need to spend the $700 or $800 ??

Many thanks in advance for the help.

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

If he is putting on the event, he more than likely has full reign over the soundboard area.  If so, find a cassette deck and some blank tapes.  That will cost you about $10... 

As for the Microtrack vs. the Olympia, either will work just fine.  The advantage the MT has over the Olym is the Digi-input.  But this is only relevant if you have an external Analog to Digital Converter.  More than likely, the soundboard you are going to be using is analog, so this advantage is negated.

You'll need either XLR or RCA cables that terminate into a 1/8"TRS.  XLR/RCA end goes into the SBD, the 1/8" into your deck.  Hit record.

Terry

[bobt]

You could also go minidisc, an NH700 will give you a fantastic recording, and you can digitally upload it to your computer. I've done a lot of shows that way, works fantastically
Bob

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

You can find a Nomad Jukebox 3 or iRiver...  Those work great and are cheap...

Terry

[Jeremy Lykins]

You'll need either XLR or RCA cables that terminate into a 1/8"TRS.  XLR/RCA end goes into the SBD, the 1/8" into your deck.  Hit record.

And maybe a dual 1/4" mono to 1/8" cable.  I just started taping and patched into a few soundboards while I was waiting for my mics to arrive, and all three of them were dual 1/4" mono out.  Luckily two of the times the soundguy had the cable for me to borrow, but I'm having one made for me now.

[sunjan]

I've been wanting to get into building a taping rig for some time but it's pretty expensive. A friend of mine is putting on an event and he wants me to tap into the sound board and record the nights shows for him. I'm not really sure what kind of sound board it is.

I was wondering what I can get for $300 or $400 so that I can tap into the soundboard and record the show. I found this list here http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,35002.0.html for solid state recorders.

Would the M-Audio MicroTrack 2496 work for recording the soundboards at this show? And then I could purchase the mic's later on? Also what about getting Olympus LS-10? It doesn't have a digital in what difference does that make?

Also I want to make sure that I can get my friend a good quality recording. Can this be done with either of those devices or do I really need to spend the $700 or $800 ??

OK, let me see. Are you looking for the cheapest available option, or you're willing to spend $300-$400 and want the best sound for the money?

From your description, I understand that size/stealth is not a concern. In that case, go for something more sturdy, rather than paying top dollars for the tiny stealthable recorders like the MT or LS-10.

One more question: will you always have access to AC at the soundboard, or do you need to cater for power through battery?

My recipe would be:
Stock UA-5 on ebay: $130-$140 (digimod it yourself)
H120 on ebay: $150 (or JB3 on ebay: ca $100)
Spend the rest of your bucks on an outboard battery for the UA-5, some cables and adapters.

Technically, you might not need all the features of the UA-5 today, but the AD is great, and the upgrade path is open for matrix recordings if you pick up a set of mics later on. 

If you want to record in 24/96, the H4 could also be an alternative to the above. Or if 24/48 is enough, the DR-1 or PMD620. Both are more reliable than the MT or LS-10...

BTW, Brian's overview is getting outdated. Take a look at this URL for more recent gear:
http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/compare-portable-recorders.html

[bandsthatjam]

Thanks for the responses. I ended up getting the Olympus LS-10. It's had really good reviews and will work well for my sound board recording. Also I'm interested to see what kind of quality I can get at a concert if I put it on a tripod. Down the road I will eventually invest i a good preamp and some external mics.

One more question...I know how to use xACT on my MAC to encode to FLAC create FPP and MD5 files. What would I use to listen to the .WAV file and split them where each song ends and begins.

[jamroom]

As I'm not mac, I have no idea what xact does or doesn't do, so try - CD Wave - http://www.milosoftware.com/cdwave/

Great, free, simple track splitting tool.

[darby]

Thanks for the responses. I ended up getting the Olympus LS-10. It's had really good reviews and will work well for my sound board recording. Also I'm interested to see what kind of quality I can get at a concert if I put it on a tripod. Down the road I will eventually invest i a good preamp and some external mics.

One more question...I know how to use xACT on my MAC to encode to FLAC create FPP and MD5 files. What would I use to listen to the .WAV file and split them where each song ends and begins.

you can't get CDwave for Mac
try Audacity since it's a free program

if you feel like spending some money on software
go with Sound Studio or Amadeus Pro

all 3 programs will also handle FLACS
you can track out your WAV file and export as FLAC
you won't even need xACT