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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: phonophobie on September 27, 2004, 07:36:04 AM
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Hi !
i am searching for a nice portable recorder (md/whatever) to record mostly sounds from nature.
i hope there are some people here, who do same things like me...
I don´t have that much money these days - so i was looking at the more budget ones, and heard about the hi-md´s ... i guess these are not the best when i comes to good microphon preamps etc.. but i like the fact that hi-md can record in uncompressed pcm format. However i don´t know much about them, so any comments and recommendations would be very welcome!
If there is a alternative to (hi)-md recorders please let me know! But, remember i don´t have the money for the BIG ones.
btw.: i currently use OKM2 Microphones, which are a bit noisy but they are ok for the price. Maybe i pick up better ones later..
and i just found a site where they sell portable preamps:
http://www.microphonemadness.com/categories/preamplifiers_stereo.html
what do you think about those?
hope you can help a little. afterall i am not That experienced...
cheers ;D
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Go with a Creative Labs Nomad Jukebox 3 (if you can find one).
Terry
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thanx!
it does not have a mic-input right?
otherwise it looks not bad, but how do you use it with mic´s ?
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it has mic in and line in in the same jack, also, the optical in is there too, its def a versatile input :)
BUT, id run line in and get some line transformers which would get you sufficient gain and make up for running line in instead of mic in :)
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ah :) ok i will have closer look at this jb3 thing. Thanks for suggestions !!!
btw: i´m glad i found this nice forum here :-*
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okaaaaaaaaaaaaay ! i did a little search on this forum here and noticed that everybody like the jb3. Well i am completly new to this units, since the only recorder i ever had was a simple sony md .... hope you have the nerve to answer some more questions ;D
-are there any disadvantages about the jb3 ?
-is this the only recorder that can record *wav files ? or is it just the best for the price ?
-when was that thing released - it´s hard to find it in stores - is it a older one ?
-any good reviews outhere?
-is there anything i should check out before buying a jb3 ? maybe firmware of older ones ? anything that i should check, when buying it second hand maybe ...
-are you using it mostly with a preamp ( i would like to record silent things too )
hmm... guess thats enough for now
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Have you browsed the NJB3 FAQs yet?
http://www.taperssection.com/yabbse/index.php?board=14;action=display;threadid=16338
It is the only unit that currently records to .wav that is reliable. And yes it has been discontinued so you have to try and find a refurb off of eBay.
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great! thanks a lot !
i guess i will go for a JB :D
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you will need a pre for the jb3. The mic input setting is unusable because it severely rolls off the high frequencies.
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i'd definately recomend having a preamp for the jb3 ... but line transformers might do a good job, i dont have any experaince with them. But if you can afford it, get a preamp.
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just received my jb3 :)
so i am just looking for some infos about it here.
btw.: is it normal that some audiotracks are on the hd when it´s new?
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Yes it comes pre-installed that way.
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ok. thanks. i just wanted to get sure that this is a new / unused unit...
well .. i have the jb just for a couple of hours now, but i think i need a preamp, since i have to boost levels +48 always!
i connected 2 mics on "Line IN" of jb3, and recorded some sounds.
first thing i noticed when boosting in-levels was a high noisefloor.
a highpitched sound and humming stuff...
i also did firmware update and installed this new software called " nomad explorer "
i transfered those recordings from jb to pc via usb and opened it in sound forge ( audio editor )
afterall those recordings are useless :-\
i hope i get better results with a micpre or something? i am no expert about these stuff, so any help would be very welcome...
i guess i could also use a micpre with build in A/D converters and use optical in on jb3, for even better results- right?
are there any tips for doing better recordings sofar?
thanks!
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for the best results, hands down, get a pre/ad all in one box if possible, you really need that digital in, it does wonders ;D
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ok. Is there a small one for less then 200€ ? otherwise i have to sell the jb3, i think :'(
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what about a used ad/20, does anybody know if those have gain ???
that would be suitable, i say thats your best bet, maybe some line transformers before the ad/20 to boost the signal a little, and the a/d stage of the ad/20 ispretty clean, IMO and would take care of your noisefloor a great bit, so i say thats your best bet ;)
max price there, maybe like 200 for the ad/20, and then maybe 40 bux for line transformers, that sounds about right
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if there is a analog one with more boost it would maybe be enough for me ???
i just had a look at this site here: http://www.micsupply.com/ad20.htm
only +15db is not that much, right?
what do you think about those devices i posted in the beginning of this thread?
http://www.microphonemadness.com/products/mmsterpreamh.htm
good size and +40db boost
well, i am totally new to portable mic preamps so i don´t really know what to buy. afterall all i need is amplify my okm2 mic´s
( soundman.de)
thanks
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under features of the ad/20, it says max gain is 45db, it just says that it improves a dat or MD machines gain by about 15 extra db, so that should almost be enuf gain right there :)
some of the things you record will be softer too, so you will need extra gain, buy line transformers and an ad/20 for the budget, the ua5 is a lil big for your applications, especially if you'll be on the move :)
but seriosuly, let your ears decide :)
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i think the ad20 applies a minimum gain of 20db
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ok, thanks - i should have read everything better before i posted this 15db-thing ;D
i found this infos about linetransformers here at taperssection:
A great way to add gain without buying a relatively expensive preamp. Short on gain and don't have the cash for a preamp? Or starting out and want to put as much money into your mics as possible and save for a preamp later (a wise choice) - line matching transformers are the way to go. Clean, inexpensive gain to hold you over until you get the cash to support your upgrade bug. Some options:
Audio Technica (http://www.audiotechnica.com)
CP8201
CP8305
Hosa (http://www.hosatech.com)
MIT-176
Shure (http://www.shure.com)
A85F
okay, if i buy a linetransformer and the ad20, i have to find a way to connect my okm2 mic´s. ???
the okm2 has a stereo miniplug ....
i noticed that it´s not that easy to find any of these things in stores here in germany..
and yes, it should be a small and easy setup, since want to record things on the fly
puh.. that whole thing gets really complicated for me ...
maybe i should open a thread in newbie section too ;D
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okay, if i buy a linetransformer and the ad20, i have to find a way to connect my okm2 mic´s. ???
the okm2 has a stereo miniplug ....
Typically, you shouldn't need both the line transformers AND the AD-20. The line transformers apply gain. The AD-20 applies gain. You don't need both. And you'll need some sort of power for the mics (sorry, I'm not familiar with the OKM2's, so I don't know if they require internal power, battery box, or phantom). At any rate, with the gear you've mentioned, you'd run one of these setups:
[1] OKM2 > power for mics > line transformers > JB3
[2] OKM2 > power for mics > AD-20 > JB3
In [1], you're using the line transformers for gain and the JB3's ADC. In [2] you're using the AD-20 for gain and ADC. I think [2] will sound better, but it's also the more expensive option. Line transformers are cheap (approx USD$40/pr), so if you're on a budget I'd recommend [1] and see if you like it. If you decide it doesn't sound good enough for your tastes, then you can always sell the line transformers and pick up an AD-20.
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the okm need 6Volt power, and comes with a battery box ( my batteries are empty - always ;) )
infos here : http://www.bluthard.de/preise/mikrofone/mikrofonevonokm.htm
and here: http://www.soundman.de/
so it´s not neccesarry to have an additional powerbox for the okm´s.
but i still have to get a couple of adapters to connect everything with Stereo-miniplugs!
also soundman dealers suggests to use the Sony SBM1 in addition to portable recorders:
(http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005LEIR.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
but this is a expensive thing again - and like the deneke, it´s hard to find.. :P
that line transformer only options sounds good, but how much gain will such line transformer provide?
hmm setup would be:
OKM2 > adapter from stereominiplug to > Stereo Linetransformer or 2 Mono Linetransformers > adapter from transformer(s) to miniplug > jb3
is that correct ::)
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what's up with Europeans and the OKMs?
SBM-1s used are $300
AD-20s used are $175?
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Odd, why would anyone talk about portable recorders for "field recordings" on this board ? ;D
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:-X