Topic: Taping musical theatre - Sony ECM-719/MM Battery Box/Sony MZ-RH1

[bionicman08]

Hi guys!

I tape a lot of amateur live musical theatre, I am aware the taping of Broadway shows is forbidden.

I have the following equipment;

Sony ECM-719 microphone (powered by a standard watch battery, if needed)
MM Audio Battery Box
MZ-RH1 Minidisc



I wondered if anybody who specifically knows my equipment could give me some taping advice? I am aware of my recording options, but have no idea will work best.

As I understand it, my options are:

Mic - Mic in
Mic - Battery Box - Mic in
Mic - Battery Box - Line in
Powered mic - Mic in
Powered mic - Line in


In my experience so far, I have tried;

Mic - Mic in (Set to AGC - overloads constantly in loud parts, fine the rest of the time - can hear dialogue and soft music parts beautifully - horrible distortion in louder parts)

Mic - Battery Box - Line in (Nothing came out when set to AGC, set to manual recording volume level 20/30 - and whole thing on the quiet side. Music audible but too quiet, and spoken dialogue inaudible. Speaking loudly into the mic from only a few inches away comes out barely a whisper)



So when taping an average Broadway style show with dialogue, what should be a general set up, based on your experience? I considered trying a battery in the mic itself, but it seems pointless as I paid quite a bit for the battery box, which does the same job?


Many thanks for your time,

Chris

[boojum]

SONY mic with its battery into mic in, AGC off.  The battery box is redundant, with this mic, so leave it home.  You can get good recordings with the RH1.  I have with mine.

Also, hang out at minidisc.org.  They specialize in the format.  Over here it is recording technique, which is what you are asking, yes.  But hardware questions might be more successfully answered there.

All the best.     

[fmaderjr]

As boojum says, never use AGC. If the show comes out with the dialog much lower than the songs, there is nothing you can do, I think, but boost the dialog in post. Unfortunately this will amplify the room noises as well. This is why it's easier to get a good recording of a rock band than a Broadway show or classical. When things are quiet it seems like you hear every little noise in the room.

You have a great recorder and a mediocre mic. As long as you have a decent recorder, the mic makes the most difference in the sound you will be able to get out of your system. No sense in having a $300+ recorder and using it with a $50 mic.

As soon as you can, replace the Sony with a battery box and a better mic. Normally I recommend Church Audio, but they are not very sensitive (since they are designed not to distort when recording loud rock shows) and you are already having trouble getting enough volume in your recordings. Sound Pros must have something that would suit your purposes when you are ready to upgrade. I'm sure somebody here or Chris Carfagno at Sound Pros could recommend one.