Topic: Problems Recording with Tascam DR-07

[stgomez91]

How's it going, tapers!
{n00b here, i'm sure you're all used to it, though)

I recently got a Tascam DR-07 for the holidays along with a pair of SP-TFB-2 microphones, binaural mics from Sound Professionals. I've used it since I received the set-up, from random conversations and subway trips to local shows. While I was satisfied with the conversations and subway trips I recorded, I was disappointed with a certain show I recorded.

I was standing in the middle of the crowd (not too many people) and I had the mic's actually in my ear with the windscreens on. I set up the Tascam INPUT recording settings as:

[MIC]
GAIN: HIGH
TYPE: STEREO
POWER: ON
FILTER:(DON'T REMEMBER, BUT IT WAS EITHER -80Hz or -120Hz)
Level CTRL: LMT

CaliSmile _bad_1.wav - 6.45MB

CaliSmile _bad_2.wav - 5.05MB

If you listen to the clips above, the recordings came out crappy and way too muffled by the bass; the 2nd one worst than the 1st, but still bad. I don't remember the recording level of the first one nor the 2nd, but I did up the vol. on the 2nd recording (as I was recording).

Now, I'm wondering why these recordings came out as bad as they did...Is it because I'm not using a bass roll-off?

I would appreciate any help or advice at all to prevent this from happening again.

Thanks in advance!

[acidjack]

I'm not familiar with that particular deck, but they all work about the same.  I assume this was loud/amplified music?  In that case, NEVER set the gain to "HIGH".  You will always get distortion.  Only use high gain for very quiet, unamplified music, or voice.
 
First question: Do you have a battery box?  If not, stop reading this, go back to Sound Pros, and get the SPSB-10 or one of their other small boxes.  You need to have a power supply for recording amplified music. 

The general rule, taking it from there, is to plug the mics into the power supply, and plug that into the LINE-IN.  If you can't get high enough levels with that, plug into the MIC input with "LOW" on.  Only if you still can't get decent levels, go to MIC input "HIGH".

Turn all of the filters, level controls, and all that crap off.  That stuff is not for recording music.

If you do all of this and you're still unhappy, then you are probably in the market for a mic upgrade   Virtually every person on this board unrepentantly fluffs the Church CA-11 and CA-14 small mics, and while I don't own a pair, it is true that nobody has a bad thing to say about them.  Church also makes a small omni mic, the CAFS omni, that you might want to look into as well.

[stgomez91]

So, I went to a show tonight and did as you suggested: set the gain to "LOW," and turned off the filter and I got a GREAT recording. Even though I did get a good recording I'm still going to look into that battery box.

Thanks A LOT for your response and your advice!

[rjp]

Glad you got a good pull. I've used SP-TFB-2s into an LS-10 mic-in for quite a bit of stuff. Even at the LS-10's low sensitivity setting, I have to run with the level control at about 4 - 5 to avoid overloading.

The windscreens are especially important when recording quiet material - I had a few recordings marred by eardrum clicks before I figured that out. If I was recording LOUD amplified material, I'd want a battery box. However, I've captured a very large pipe organ without any problems using the mic-in.

Once in a while, you might need to apply a high-pass filter to deal with HVAC rumble, but that should be done in postprocessing.

[the_artist]

SP-TFB-2 into the mic in on a DR-07 is exactly what I have used since March 2009.  A couple of times I out a SP-PREAMP in line but really I couldn't tell the difference.  The SP-TFB-2/DR-07 combo can take a very loud sound.  links to mp3 on my blog http://turnitupto10.blogspot.com/  there are a few Box hosted single tracks you can listen to.

I leave the sensitivity on LOW most of the time but occasionally with quieter artists I'll switch to MID.  Don't think I have ever used HIGH.