Topic: taping for idiots. meaning me.

[axlrose]

sorry about this, but ive read this and it makes no sense to me whatso ever.

i should probably then explain what im doing here. well obviously im here because i want to start taping/recording concerts that i go to because usually the only memory i have of the shows is a drunken and drugged blur. obviously anyone who has ever been to a concert would love to be able to relive that experience through the actual audio recording of the show.

recently, well as of today, ive come into a bit of money and plan to use this to purchase the equiment which will enable me to tape live concerts. unfortunately, i am completely and utterly clueless as to what i need and what i need to do. that thread i linked to above was basically gibberish to me. i know that i need a DAT recorder, but thats as far as my knowledge of taping concerts extends to.

now, i know its a tall order but i was hoping that someone would be kind enough to walk me through a step by step process of how i would and should go about getting the equiment. make sure you explain it in as simplistic terms as possible. imagine you were explaining it to a child

start from the very beginning if you can, where do i go to purchase the equiment, bear in mind im in ireland so any reference to american stores will go over my head even more so than the important information. from the money in my hand to the concert to being able to listen to the concert on my cd player a few days afterwards, can anyone help me? please?

[thoman8r]

i should probably then explain what im doing here. well obviously im here because i want to start taping/recording concerts that i go to because usually the only memory i have of the shows is a drunken and drugged blur.

Drunken/Drugged blur and taping usually don't mix.  Sad as it may sound you usually* have to be at least somewhat sober to get a decent recording of a show.

But having said that, allow me to flesh out a little of what Moke was saying.

You obviously need microphones, usually two so you get a stereo recording.  You then need to power those mics with something.  Sometimes this can be a separate unit but usually it's contained in the pre-amplifier, whose main job is to provide gain to the signal coming in from the microphones.  After this stage, an Analog to Digital converter is needed to convert the analog signal to a digital one that a digital recorder can understand.  Sometimes these "ADCs" or "ADs" are part of the pre-amp unit as well, sometimes they are their own unit, and sometimes you can use the one provided in your recorder, whether it be a DAT, MiniDisc, Hard Disk recorder (JB3, iRiver, Sound Devices 722), or laptop.  

The first thing we need to know to help you further is what your budget is.


* Now having said that I'm sure someone's going to chime in with an account of how they made the best tape ever and were so drunk/ripped they don't even remember being there.

[axlrose]

i know what im giving up to make sure i get a good recording of the show. its gonna be tough, but i want the memories of the show so i'll be on my best behaviour while taping.

budget isnt a concern really. i would obviously like to keep it as cheap as possible. can you give me a definative list of items and where i can get them at? and an apx. price?

[Nick's Picks]

ive got some good beginer pointers on www.nickspicks.com
goes over all the basics.  Lots of stuff "borrowed" from the oade's site and dpa....all in one convenient location!
enjoy!

[thoman8r]

i know what im giving up to make sure i get a good recording of the show. its gonna be tough, but i want the memories of the show so i'll be on my best behaviour while taping.

budget isnt a concern really. i would obviously like to keep it as cheap as possible. can you give me a definative list of items and where i can get them at? and an apx. price?

Well you can spend anywhere from $500 - $5000 or much much more.  There's way too many options for me to start listing them all, and what sounds good really depends on the individual.  You may be satisfied with a rig that you can get for < 1000 bucks, or maybe you need to spend three times that to get the sound you're looking for.  Search around the archives here, you'll get a good idea of what equipment is popular, and check out the links Moke and Nick posted above for even more information.

Dave

[Tim]

Drunken/Drugged blur and taping usually don't mix.  Sad as it may sound you usually* have to be at least somewhat sober to get a decent recording of a show.

 

you should come and tape with me sometime...

[axlrose]

right, ok. can you all draw me up a list of what i need for say... $750- $850? is it possible to get a resonably good deal for that?

[Chuck]

Are you thinking of taping in bars, or larger concerts?
If concerts... you should start by patching in to different rigs.

[thoman8r]

right, ok. can you all draw me up a list of what i need for say... $750- $850? is it possible to get a resonably good deal for that?

used D8 DAT recorder - $250
2 Oktava MC012 mics  - $100 used (look in the yard sale now)
Digi-mod UA-5 - ~$275 used (if you can find it) or a bit more new from www.oade.com
Various cables, stand - $150.

That'd be a pretty nice rig for starters.  Add a soundcard to digitally transfer the dat tapes to your pc for $99.

[creekfreak]

come on...drucken taping is fun!!!!

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

Yes, before any real recommendations can be made, you have to tell us what you will want to do with your rig...  Different situations call for different solutions...

Also, do you want to mostly tape soundboard?  If so, you really only need a deck and some cables.  Do you want to mostly tape audience?  Then you'll have to get a full rig.

What kind of quality do you want?  Do you want to enjoy it later but aren't really concerned about Super-Duper quality???  But a Minidisc and a Sony stereo condensor mic...  Maybe $300 at the most...

Depending on the quality you want you can go from the cheap (crappy) minidiscs to the very pro and very expensive Sony TCD-D10II Pro Portable DAT...  You can buy mics in various sizes and qualities...  Radio Shack sells clip-on lapel mics (stealth style) for $24 each...  Or you can get a pair of Neumann's for several thousand...

And to tell you the truth, it is kind of hard to answer your question...  it is very ambiguous...  

I think your best bet would be to read that first post lots...  And keep referring back to it.  Lurk here for a couple of months, read the FAQs, ask questions, read other peoples questions, etc...

Also, figure out what you think you will tape most often and try to work around that...  I tape 90% of my stuff at a local bar where I have free access to the SBD and taping is very much allowed...  So I bought all my stuff with this in mind...  If you are going to be taping bands that don't allow taping, or you frequent a place that doesn't allow soundboard...  well, you have to take all these things into consideration...  I starting watching the guys that already tape at this bar and asked them questions...  I talked to every taper I could think of or find...

I did that for a month or so - hard core research and let me tell you, I was one dumb newbie at the beginning (still dumb, though not so new)...  Anyways, I eventually bought:  ADK A-51S LEs > Edirol UA5 (Oade) > Nomad 3.  My whole rig cost me about $1000 including all the details (stand, cables, bags, straps, batteries, etc...)  But with it, I can tape anything (except stealth).

Anyways, good luck...  You've made the correct decision coming here for answers!  I think you are well on your way!!!

Terry
db.etree.org/twatts

[axlrose]

yea, things are definately clear..er hahaha. anyway, yea i'll be taping in bars and clubs and smaller venues. not arenas or stadiums, well not yet anyway. so for the time being just take it that the biggest venue id be recording in is a hall, 500-800 person venue. the security is that tight, but they could well be dickheads if they wanted to be (but then thats the same with security at most venues).

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

I tape a local bar LOTS (3 nights this week alone).  I have SBD access and AUD is no problem (albeit loud). I'm taping Bloodkin tonight...  

As a recording device I bought a Nomad Jukebox 3.  It was half the price of the typical Sony DAT Walkman and recorded 16/48 (or 16/44) wav files onto a 20 gig HD.  Optical input allows for digital recording.  I was just going to go SBD>RCA-1/8" Y-Cable>Nomad 3 for SBD recordings and I did this for a couple of shows...  But the internal AD (analog to digital) convertor sucked and gave me dropouts and such...

So I was going to buy an external one...  Well, a friend suggested I get an Edirol UA5 from the OADE Brothers (as opposed to one from EBAY or elsewhere).  He told me to get it from them - that they do the REQUIRED modification to get it to work in the field.  They also do other mods to the unit (and ONLY on units they sold to you - no outside stuff).  I ended up buying the unit because of its flexiblility:  it has Phantom Power and Pre-Amps for mics, it is a nice AD convertor, and it allows me to make matrix tapes "on the fly" (with mixed results) and it is portable (with radio shack battery pack).

Lastly, I was going to pick up some Oktavas or AKG 1000s or something "starter" (I just got a pre, gotta get mics now!), but after talking to several folks that have raved the ADK mics up, I went for those.  I was very lucky in that I found an old pair of ADK A-51s LEs (Type IV) for cheap on EBAY.  Those mics have now been superceded by the Type VI and now also by the Hamburg and Vienna mics - they were brans-new, but older models...  Lots of people like the ADK TLs because of the switchable patterns (changes the mics recording field).

Look around here on the Yard Sale, I think you can find "rig-parts" pretty quickly and inexpensinvely there...  OADE brothers also has a new message board wiht a used equipment board...

Good luck!

Terry


Good luck

[axlrose]

can i not just go into an electrical shop with a list of things and just tell the guy to get me the things on the list? hahaha, seriously i have no idea at all how the system of bootlegging begins.

[axlrose]

hahaha, why? what have i done wrong? honest, i didnt know!