Topic: Please Help

[Girlygirl]

I am hoping many of you can recommend new gear that would meet the requirements listed below. Please excuse my lack of terminology/knowledge and I would appreciate if you could respond in non-code like language. I have been recording for years and have yet to really be successful. My most recent attempt was a Sony Minidisc with external Sony Mic that I was unable to transfer from the disc to my computer and now have a bunch of minidisks that are mostly useless. Anyway, I want to make the leap and get more serious and am willing to spend approximately $2,000.00 on equipment. Below is a short list that might help in knowing what would best meet my needs. Feel free to ask questions for clarification. You might need to ask me a ton of questions to get the best match for me, but this is basically my situation.
1.   I need something that can be connected to my computer, put on my itunes, and also be able to be copied to a cd easily.
2.   I often travel to shows and would need to have a recorder that uses batteries, or can record about 3 ½ - 4 hours a night on a charge.
3.   The band I record most is Indigo Girls so being stealth is not a huge concern because they have an open taping policy.
4.   Sound Great!

Thanks for any and all help. I look forward to hearing your recommendations.

[MSTaper]

Wish I could help you out, but I'm just getting started myself.

Just wait, there will be plenty of experienced tapers ready to point you in the right direction.

But from what I've gathered, you will be able to get a fine system for two grand. I don't think the equipment's the issue, it's learning how to get the most out of it!

Good luck and have fun. russ3523

[StuStu]

With a $2k budget, there are plenty of options. Without trying to respond in any code-like lingo  ; what are you after big picture wise? Do you want a cd quality recording? Better? Are you more concerned with iTunes/mp3 compatibility? There are plenty of recorders that will run well beyond 3-4 hours. If you could explain what type of playback/medium you plan on listening to your recordings, that might help the people here better understand your inquiry.     

[Girlygirl]

As far as the big picture I want to have cd quality recordings that I can share with others by buring copies. It would be nice to have the recordings on itunes as well. I forgot to mention I need something that is user friendly and not huge. At some places I can put the recorder on a table while others venues don't offer that kind of set-up. Please ask away with the questions! I also forgot to mention that I want something that will last many years.

[jackmf]

You can get a nice set-up for that amount of money. I would consider getting a modded Fostex FR2LE through either Busman (who you can find via the retail section of this forum) or Oade Brothers Audio (find on web). The modification that either of these outfits do will allow you to make nice sounding recordings, very nice in fact. For microphones, perhaps something like a Studio Projects C-4 microphone kit, this would give you a good bit of flexability and a decent sound. Add a couple of 4 gig compact flash memory cards and a manfrotto 3336 microphone stand plus some decent cables and a storage solution. All this would put you up to about $1500 or so, new.

Please don't run out and buy this stuff today, over the next few days you'll get other recommendations that involve using used equipment to stretch you dollar, other recomendations for using external pre-amps and analog to digital converters to increase the amount of money you can spend on microphones and other options.

Another recommnedation I have is to go to a couple of shows that are attended and recorded by experienced tapers. This way you can ask questions about microphone placement techniques (please don't follow the ones in the thread about etree and moderators changing text files  ) and other important field recording nuggetts. Tapers are usually very helpful to people trying to improve their recordings. I've been recording off and on since the early eighties and still learn something every time. Of course, I'll often buy a beverage or two.

[Girlygirl]

Thanks jackmf! I am not in a huge hurry but do want to purchase soon. I am going to do an eight show run in August and would like to be ready for that. I will research your recommendations.

[powermonkey]

2k is plenty to get a really nice rig... the biggest problem you might have is deciding what kit to get! As has been said already in this thread, you've come to the right place to ask for advice, there is soooo much experience here that you're bound to get a good result.

One thing I'd say is that whenever folks point out particular equipment, recorders, preamps, mics, etc, check out the Live Music Archive (www.archive.org) to listen to shows recorded with that particular gear. Got to be the best way to check gear out.

Also, it might be a bit of a pain to do it in real time, but you can easily transfer old minidiscs to digital by just plugging into the line-in on your PC, and using Audacity (or any other multitrack recording software). From there you can very easily do any post-production you need, and track out for CDs and iPod.

Hope that helps.

[Girlygirl]

Thanks powermonkey. At this point I don't think I will spend the time and effort converting the minidiscs. The sound quality was poor at best.

Please keep those recommendations comming!

[nameloc01]

get a bunch of live recordings and go through and listen to which ones sound the best to you,alot of times they will have something in common,and alot of times this will be certain gear.that may help lead you in YOUR right direction.go from there,good luck!!!

[kskreider]

You are going to get a lot of different opinions.  Particularly about the big ticket items like mics, pre, a>d and recorder.

In my opinion your weakest link is mics.  You could start off with just a recorder and patch to see what you REALLY like.  I would suggest going over to archive.org and listening to a bunch of different mic types.  Particularly ones where there are multiple sources from the same show.

Here are some suggestions with estimates that would keep you around the $2000 range and get you a very nice rig.

Mics:
Neumann 184 kit: $900

Recorder:
Iriver IHP20 :$120

Pre-Amp:
Lunatec V2: $750

A>D:
Sony SBM-1: $250

Don't forget about power, cables, stand, clamp, bar, shockmounts, and a bag.

[Brian Skalinder]

LOTS of options at that price point.  So many, in fact, it's tough to capture them all (and I'm sure others will chime in,too):

Mics

I'm with DSJ in that the mics are the weakest link, i.e. the most important decision.  Listening to lots of recordings on LMA helps, but can only teach you so much, due to the huge number of variables:  mic placement, mic configuration, venue acoustics, PA mix, stage mix, crowd, backend gear (pre, ADC), etc., etc.  Still worth poking around on LMA, it may help you get to a short-list.  At that point, I'd say just go with one and if you want to change your sound, sell and buy again (see below note on used gear).

Personally, I think large diaphragm mics sound good for amplified acoustic music.  But they're a bit bulkier and have a very different sound from small diaphragm mics - some people love 'em, some don't.  They also often provide multiple patterns (omni, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure-8) which offers flexibility to tailor your pickup pattern to your recording situation, whereas most small diaphragm mics are fixed pattern (not switchable) or require purchasing / changing the mic caps to change patterns.

I've recorded IG once or twice, and I'm tempted to recommend hypers due to the generally loud (not obnoxious, usually singing) crowd and at least partially acoustic band (usually not cranked out of the PA as loud as all electric, IME).  Just something to consider.

Peluso CEMC-6 stereo kit with cardioid caps  |  ~$800 new, omni and hypers also available for future flexibility
Neumann KM184  |  ~$900, fixed cardioid
Josephson C42  |  $750 used, fixed cardioid other caps available for future flexibility
Audio Technica 4050  |  ~$850 used, multiple patterns, large diaphragm
AKG 481 (i.e. C480B bodies + CK61 cardioid caps)  |  ~$900, other caps available
ADK A51TL  |  ~$750 new, multiple patterns, large diaphragm
AKG 391 (i.e. SE300 bodies + CK91 caps)  |  ~$800 used with active cables (a few hundred less without), other caps available


All-in-one Recorders

Tascam HD-P2  |  ~$800 stock,  new
Marantz PMD-671  |  ~$750 stock, new
Fostex FR2LE  |  ~$600 stock, new

I recommend all-in-one recorders because they're easy to use, power, and have become much more cost effective the last year or so.  As your sonic preferences and/or needs change, there's always the option to <1> have any of the above units modded by Cascade Media / Chris Busman or Oade Bros (unit must be originally purchased from them, usually) to improve/change the sound, or <2> move to some combination of separate preamp / ADC / recorder.


Media

4GB / 8GB CF card(s)  |  ~$40-$100 new

Great deals on media pop up all the time online, and prices continue to drop swiftly.


Miscellaneous

Set aside ~$200 of your budget for mic stand, cables, stereo bar, shockmounts, etc.


Final Thoughts

At any rate, you have loads of options both new and here in the TS Yard Sale.  The beauty of used gear, of course, is you can buy it, try it, and if you want to go in a different direction basically get your money back instead of taking a 10-20% depreciation hit right away.  That said, there's obviously some risk involved in buying used gear online.  Many of us know each other here, so asking for references if you're uneasy may help set your mind at ease, and effective and constant communication and documentation (see the purchase agreement in the YS) helps mitigate risk.

[TNJazz]

I would not recommend a modded unit at all due to their generally abysmal resale value.  Modded units will not sell anywhere but in this forum, unfortunately.  So if you decide to get out of the game you'll take a much bigger hit to sell the recorder.

A rig that can be put together for between $1700 and $2000, is simple to use, will run for 3-4 hours on 8 rechargeable AA batteries and will be ahead of the game even a year from now?

mics:  beyerdynamic MC930

recorder:  Korg MR-1000

voila.

[Gizby]

Josephson C42  |  $750 used, other caps available for future flexibility

Unless I'm wrong, the C42s are fixed cardioid mics.

[Brian Skalinder]

Unless I'm wrong, the C42s are fixed cardioid mics.

You're right - thanks for the correction.  Original post updated. 

[Girlygirl]

Ok...could you please explain what a modded unit is?

Also as far as mics I would prefer something small that could sometimes be clipped on a hat or something. I had looked into Core Sound years ago but never bought any. Are any of those a good choice?

I like the Fostex FR2LE unit because it comes all as a mobile recording kit. Are the mics that come with it poor quality?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fostex-Fostex-FR2LE-Mobile-Recording-Kit?sku=241508&src=3WBZ4DS

[TNJazz]

Ok...could you please explain what a modded unit is?

Several gear dealers offer modifications to the stock units.  This is to upgrade internal components and make an overall better sound.  The trade off is that some of these dealers require you to buy the unit from them in order to receive the modifications.  That means you'll pay pretty much full retail price, PLUS several hundred dollars for these mods.  This voids the manufacturers warranty of course, but the retailer should cover the balance of the warranty for their work anyway.

These mods are well known on this site, but outside of TS they're not thought of in nearly the same high regard.  The mods do make a noticeable improvement on some gear though.

There are two schools of thought:  1) buy cheaper and/or inferior gear and spend hundreds of dollars to modify it so it sounds good, or 2) buy something that sounds good right out of the box.

If you ever need to sell your gear to recoup your investment, guess which one is the better choice?

[Brian Skalinder]

Ok...could you please explain what a modded unit is?

Chris Busman / Cascade Media and Oade Bros modify stock recorders. The modifications void the manufacturer's warranty, but both OB and CB/CM offer some type of warranty on the gear they mod.

Most manufacturers cut corners on the design of their recorders in order to keep costs down.  One of the places they compromise on quality is the innards of the recorder, usually the analog signal path (i.e. preamp).  And sometimes the analog signal path (preamp) is not designed for the type of recording we do - it's often designed for Electronic News Gathering (ENG) or some such.  This sometimes results in the recorders having a gain structure that doesn't match well with our needs, e.g. inability to handle very loud sound sources (like a concert).  So what does one do when a stock recorder doesn't fully satisfy one's wishes, whether in its stock design or subjective sound quality?

There are really two options available to someone if they're unhappy with the stock sound of these recorders:  <1>  upgrade the preamp and/or ADC by purchasing outboard gear, or <2>  upgrade the recorder's own preamp / ADC by replacing the internal parts with better parts.

Typically, the CB/CM & OB modifications upgrade the analog signal path in the recorder to reduce noise, improve detail, and to some degree change the sonic signature of the stock unit.  Many of us think these modded recorders sound -great-, and they're a way to achieve very high quality sound at a fraction of the cost of outboard preamps and ADCs.

As noted by others, there isn't a huge market for these modded recorders outside TS, so resale may not be as good as the outboard gear.  But then again, if we all had the cash up front to buy all the outboard gear we wanted, we probably wouldn't bother with modded recorders.  I look at it as a good way to get great sound on a lowish budget, not necessarily as a replacement for top-end gear that sounds great stock.

That's not to say the stock units sound terrible - they generally don't.  I usually recommend someone start with a stock unit, see if they like it, and then decide later whether to have it modded.

Also as far as mics I would prefer something small that could sometimes be clipped on a hat or something. I had looked into Core Sound years ago but never bought any. Are any of those a good choice?

Adding the requirement that the mics clip to your hat will drastically reduce your options.  Most of the mics noted below are not stealthable.  The only possible option noted below that I see are the AKG 391s with active ables.  These are not small enough to clip to a hat, but they could be worn -in- a hat.  However, you'll still have to carry the mic bodies.  So you'll have the mic caps + a length of cable for each cap + the mic bodies + whatever preamp/ADC/recorder you choose (might be all-in-one, like the FR2LE and others noted already).

I'll let others speak to hat-clippable mics, as I'm not terribly familiar with them at that price point.

[Girlygirl]

Thanks Brian and TNJazz. I got a little lost with what you are saying Brian. I am really trying to understand all the lingo such as CB/CM & OB. but it just doesn't make sense unless spoken in basic terms. I am learning a great deal from all of you though.

So, I think I prefer a stock unit with a great pair of smallish mics. They don't have to clip to a hat but I had done that in the past and it worked for me. I want to try to avoid all the questions with security if at all possible. I also go to a lot of folk shows and would like to be somewhat discreet.

What stock units would be easy to use, just out of the box, with a quality result? I don't want to go with a modded unit, although I don't have to use the mics that come with the recording unit. I just don't have the knowledge to make mods and would do best with a simple unit.

Keep making sugggestions please.....

[willyp523]

Just my opinion...but it might be wise to look into buying a refurbished iRiver H120, H140 or H320 with Rockbox firmware for a recording device.  I've recorded a couple benefit shows where the IG played and know their enthusiastic fans can blow up your levels.  With AGC safety clip of the Rockbox you will have some assurance of not clipping.  You can record in CD quality 16/44.1 and the battery life should more than meet your requirements.  You can buy a refurbished iRiver on ebay for around $150 from a dealer named "roadpal".  No affiliation, just a recent satisfied customer.  This will keep you far below your budget...but you could use the money saved on future upgrades if desired.

As for your wish for clippable mics...the DPA 4061 or Coresound HEB's *might* be the best sounding.  I believe they sell for around $900-$1,000 but they'll probably pick up more crowd noise than a cardioid mic.

Clippable cardioid mics...the Sound Professionals have a bunch of 'em, $350 or less 
     http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=0

I'd recommend looking into Chris Church's cardioid mics and pre-amp.  Nice sounding and very reasonably priced.

[Girlygirl]

You are going to get a lot of different opinions.  Particularly about the big ticket items like mics, pre, a>d and recorder.

In my opinion your weakest link is mics.  You could start off with just a recorder and patch to see what you REALLY like.  I would suggest going over to archive.org and listening to a bunch of different mic types.  Particularly ones where there are multiple sources from the same show.

Here are some suggestions with estimates that would keep you around the $2000 range and get you a very nice rig.

Mics:
Neumann 184 kit: $900

Recorder:
Iriver IHP20 :$120

Pre-Amp:
Lunatec V2: $750

A>D:
Sony SBM-1: $250

Don't forget about power, cables, stand, clamp, bar, shockmounts, and a bag.

Excuse my lack of knowledge but what does the Pre-Amp do? and what are A>D's? I have only recorded with a minidisc and external mic recently. Years ago I used a portable tape recorder with external mics. Thanks for your assistance.

[Girlygirl]

Just my opinion...but it might be wise to look into buying a refurbished iRiver H120, H140 or H320 with Rockbox firmware for a recording device.  I've recorded a couple benefit shows where the IG played and know their enthusiastic fans can blow up your levels.  With AGC safety clip of the Rockbox you will have some assurance of not clipping.  You can record in CD quality 16/44.1 and the battery life should more than meet your requirements.  You can buy a refurbished iRiver on ebay for around $150 from a dealer named "roadpal".  No affiliation, just a recent satisfied customer.  This will keep you far below your budget...but you could use the money saved on future upgrades if desired.

As for your wish for clippable mics...the DPA 4061 or Coresound HEB's *might* be the best sounding.  I believe they sell for around $900-$1,000 but they'll probably pick up more crowd noise than a cardioid mic.

Clippable cardioid mics...the Sound Professionals have a bunch of 'em, $350 or less 
     http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/category.cgi?category=0

I'd recommend looking into Chris Church's cardioid mics and pre-amp.  Nice sounding and very reasonably priced.

Yes the IG fans are very loud at times just having a great sing-a-long time. So that is a consideration when looking at the different mics. What is a cardioid mic? Could you give me more info on Chris Church? I am not familliar.

[taosmay]

Hi - As for your confusion about some of the lingo in Brian's post: CB=Chris Busman, CM=Cascade Media, and OB=Oade Brothers. A>D's, or ADC, is an analog to digital convertor. Microphones (in general) are an analog signal, and you need to convert that into a digital signal by the time it gets to your recording media, unless you are recording in the analog domain, like cassette recorders.

[taosmay]

You can frequently find Chris Church over in the "retail"section of this site. His ebay website is:
http://search.stores.ebay.ca/CHURCH-AUDIO_church-audio_W0QQftsZ2QQsaselZ49129617QQsatitleZchurchQ2daudioQQsofpZ0 or http://www.church-audio.ca/  if that link is too long. I just bought his stc-11 cardiod mic's and ca-9100 mic pre-amp, and were very pleased with the results in a recent festival.

[Girlygirl]

Thanks taosmay. So I need to purchase a ADC? Can that be done with Audacity? I was hoping to record something, connect it to my PC with a USB and burn cd's. Is there something as simple as that? I don't need to use Audacity, it is just something I have on my PC.

[willyp523]

An ADC isn't necessary, but you'd probably get better sound with one.  Keep in mind with an ADC you would need a recorder with digital input.  And it all should fit your budget.

Cardioid is the pick up pattern of the mic.  Simply put, a cardioid will pick up the most sound in the direction which it is pointed.  While an omni-directional or binaural mic will pick up sound from behind you nearly as well as in front of you.  I started recording with a binaural and was disappointed with the amount of crowd noise I was getting.  People behind me would talk and on playback it came through loud and clear.  With a cardioid they would have been more in the background. 

[taosmay]

You do not need to purchase an _outboard/external_ ADC, since almost any recording device you purchase will likely have it's own internal ADC, and will therefore do that job for you. People generally  purchase external ADC's, because they want to improve on the sound quality of the analog to digital conv., over the built-in one on their recorder. Although I have not used Audacity, I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with ADC's. Having something recorded, and then using that source to connect via USB to your computer, and burning to CD should not be a problem, as long as you have a drive in your PC that burns cd's, and can use software(like Audacity) to split tracks/normalize/add gain.

Harold

[Girlygirl]

I think I need a recorder with a digital imput. What kind would be recommended and fit my budget? It sounds like I need cardioid mics. IG fans are also sometimes chatty.

[willyp523]

Without looking again...I believe all the recorders recommended so far have digital inputs.

[Girlygirl]

You do not need to purchase an _outboard/external_ ADC, since almost any recording device you purchase will likely have it's own internal ADC, and will therefore do that job for you. People generally  purchase external ADC's, because they want to improve on the sound quality of the analog to digital conv., over the built-in one on their recorder. Although I have not used Audacity, I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with ADC's. Having something recorded, and then using that source to connect via USB to your computer, and burning to CD should not be a problem, as long as you have a drive in your PC that burns cd's, and can use software(like Audacity) to split tracks/normalize/add gain.

Harold

Thanks Harold. I will look for recorders that have an internal ADC then. Do any of you know which ones do??? What software have you used Harold?

[taosmay]

Please do not take my word as an authority on the subject...as many have said, listening with your own ears to recordings such as on archive.org helps with what you personally like..and like I said, almost any recording device you purchase will likely have it's own internal ADC. I'm a Mac person, and have used Toast w/Jam software.

[Girlygirl]

ok, going to archive.org now 

Went to archive.org and was unable to locate/figure out how to locate sound samples from the Indigo Girls. When I did a search I only found 1 cover of Closer to Fine and the rest were other bands. I didn't think this would be so difficult. Can anyone send a link?

[dean]

I don't think the Indigo Girls are OK with Archive.  No shows are hosted there, anyway.  You're going to need to look for something similar and do some listening with an eye towards the gear used.

Also, have you been searching other threads on this board yet?  Many of the questions you're asking have been answered many, many times, so if you spend a few hours for a few days a week just reading threads here, you'll learn much more, much faster than you will with this particular thread.  There are so many knowledgeable folks here who simply won't chime into this thread because the information is already here.  Really and amazing knowledge base you'll miss out on if you don't do that...

 

[Brian Skalinder]

For recording basics, check out the Getting Started thread.  The follow-up thread to which it links - I have a budget of $NNN, what gear should I buy? - is out of date, but for the sake of discussion most of the recorders mentioned here perform functions [2-5] (though some also include [1]), requiring only external mics for concert recording.

And some basic info on polar patterns:  http://www.crownaudio.com/mic_web/tips/mictip2.htm

[Girlygirl]

Thanks Brian and deanlambrecht. That was helpful information.

[J.Maye]

If I had 2k to drop and wanted some mics I could clip on I would go with some DPA 4061>MMA6000>iriver H120 or H320(no optical). Small, light, simple to power, and you can drag and drop files off of the iriver to your computer via USB. Very discreet setup that can be run either on a stand or on your body.  Should be under 2k I the end. In my opinion it is the best stealth option available.The church audio package is a great option as well. It’s a package that is, in my opinion, pretty similar to the DPA setup but more affordable, and if you don’t like it Im sure you could sell it pretty quick in the yard sale here. CA stuff is affordable new, the DPA stuff will be a lot cheaper used. 

[kskreider]

I agree with phan.  If you want to stay w/i your budget but want clip-on's go with the micro DPA's.

[Girlygirl]

Thanks for the suggestions. I apologize if this has already been discussed “many many times.” I really have spent many hours on the site and still have questions. That is why I went to the newbie friendly section (although I have been recording shows for years!) for advice. I really want to make the right decision if I am going to be spending $2,000 or more.

So it is my understanding that the DPA’s are a type of mic and the MMA6000 is a mini mic amp, power supply. Is that correct? If not please correct me and forgive my ignorance. If so, are there particular brands that I should consider first? I think having stealth mics are a better fit for me because certain venues have hassled me and I prefer to not deal with that. Some small clubs like Club Passim in Cambridge, MA might not be thrilled with mic stands and such and I go there often. I also really like the Peluso CEMC6 mics. I might splurge and go over budget and get both a pair of DPA’s and the larger Pelsuo CEMC6’s.

As for the recorder I am leaning towards the Tascam HD-P2. Has anyone had experience with the Tascam HD-P2 and DPA’s and MMA6000? I like the size of the Iriver H320 but I think I might get more bang out of something like the Tascam HD-P2. The other 2 that I like are the Marantz PMD-671 and Fostex FR2LE. All three of these were recommended by Brian Skalinder. Thanks Brian! Would any of these 3 work better with DPA’s? What do you think about these choices?

I got this chart off of the Tascam website. What sample rate would I record in for great quality with out recording only 2 hours on an 8GB CF card? In other words, if I got a couple of 8GB CF cards could I record over 13 hours on each and have cd quality sound?

Sample Rate    44.1k/16-bit   48k/16-bit   48k/24-bit   96k/24-bit   192k/24-bit
512MB CF card   50 min    46 min    31 min    15 min    7 min
1GB CF card    1.6 hrs   1.5 hrs    1 hr    30 min    15 min
2GB CF card    3.3 hrs    3.1 hrs    2 hrs    1 hr    30 min
4GB CF card    6.7 hrs    6.2 hrs    4.1 hrs    2 hrs    1 hr
8GB CF card   13.5 hrs    12.4 hrs    8.2 hrs    4.1 hrs    2 hrs

Again….I truly appreciate all of your opinions.

[kskreider]

Buying a full size set and a mini size set of mics is a good idea, but if you are going to push your budget consider getting a single pair that fulfills both options.  A mic set that has 'active' cables between the mic bodies and the mic capsules will still support a 'very low profile" while providing very high quality sound reproduction.  The mic bodies themselves are usually very small making it very easy to keep the larger parts concealed in your bag and the smaller parts in a hat maintaining discreteness.

[Girlygirl]

I think that is a great idea. I didn't know I had that option. How do I search for information on a set of these mics that have double duty "active" cables? Is there a code word? Thanks for the info DarkStarjedi.

[Church-Audio]

You do not need to purchase an _outboard/external_ ADC, since almost any recording device you purchase will likely have it's own internal ADC, and will therefore do that job for you. People generally  purchase external ADC's, because they want to improve on the sound quality of the analog to digital conv., over the built-in one on their recorder. Although I have not used Audacity, I am pretty sure it has nothing to do with ADC's. Having something recorded, and then using that source to connect via USB to your computer, and burning to CD should not be a problem, as long as you have a drive in your PC that burns cd's, and can use software(like Audacity) to split tracks/normalize/add gain.

Harold

Thanks Harold. I will look for recorders that have an internal ADC then. Do any of you know which ones do??? What software have you used Harold?

You dont have to get a recorder with a "digital input" and you dont have to spend $2k.. I would suggest an edirol R-09 or a Korg MR-1 recorder very small, very simple to use.



Chris

[kskreider]

I think that is a great idea. I didn't know I had that option. How do I search for information on a set of these mics that have double duty "active" cables? Is there a code word? Thanks for the info DarkStarjedi.

Girlygirl, you actually put the code word in quotes in your post above.  Try here and use Google images or the like to see pics.

http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,15762.0.html

JK Labs does not make their product anymore, but there is a user named Nick here (SchoepsNBox) who makes an active mic body setup for Schoeps mic capsules and active cables called the 'NBox'.

And as Chris and Dirk (TNJazz) pointed out you dont need a super fancy recorder, but one thing the Korg MR-1000 (and lesser MR-1) does is record in DSD which appears to be the next popular format coming down the pipe.  It is the only portable one of its kind so far.  It does that all while still having the capability of recording in PCM format which is the format that most digital recorders use nowadays.

A few images for reference...

MBHO


Neumann


Schoeps


Those go pretty much in order of price for those three.   MBHO<NEUMANN<SCHOEPS

NOw if you really wanna break the bank then let's talk body-less mics...