Topic: Please Recommend a Portable Recorder for Outdoor (Journalist Style)

[resource]

Hi there

I am starting out in DIY video recording. I intend to record individual video and audio files and combine after shooting is complete.

I do this because I am on a low budget but need a decent audio feed for my video recording. I plan to do journalist/reporter-style type of video recording and will need a portable audio recorder to be strap to my waist belt or in the pocket of my jacket. I also need to find a clip-on mic to clip on to my shirt collar, but I've submitted a post with that question in the Microphone category.

For the purpose of this post, I would be most grateful if you could recommend a portable audio recorder for outdoor recording that can withstand noise from road traffic and the wind.

Could you also indicate if the clip-on mic you suggest is required to be attached under my shirt (below the shirt collar)? Or is it as simple as clipping to your shirt collar under your chin?

Thanks very much in advance.

Regards

[flintstone]

Are you primarily interested in capturing your solo narration, or a dialogue with someone you're interviewing, or ambient sounds plus speech?

Regarding a recorder for speech, I think you'd be happy with just about any inexpensive model.  The frequency range of speech is a lot narrower than music or nature sounds. 

[resource]

Are you primarily interested in capturing your solo narration, or a dialogue with someone you're interviewing, or ambient sounds plus speech?

Regarding a recorder for speech, I think you'd be happy with just about any inexpensive model.  The frequency range of speech is a lot narrower than music or nature sounds.

Hi flintstone

Thank you so much for your reply.

I am looking for a portable recorder to capture a solo narration just like how a news reporter would do in the news report on the radio or on TV. The idea is really to have a clip-on mic on the shirt collar and capture the audio. No need for dialogue or interview. Abit of ambient sound is okay as it will be outdoors.

If you could recommend any inexpensive products that reliable and have been known in the forum, that would be really helpful. Thanks again for your reply.

Regards


 

[resource]

Hi Everyone

Please let me know if you have any suggested audio recorder that is portable for outdoor recording.

Basically, I need this to record audio from a clip-on mic and combine the audio recording with the video. The video camera does not capture the audio clearly. Hence, my question on this thread.

I have posted a question what to buy for a clip-on mic. I know this is a Recording Gear section, but if you have any recommendation or thoughts, please head over to this thread and share your thoughts:
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=146434.0

Thanks so much in advance. I am learning every minute and really appreciate your input on this DIY recording I am starting out on.

Regards

[earmonger]

Mods, I'm going to write about both recorders and mics here--don't shoot me.

You don't have to worry about your recording withstanding noise from traffic, etc. Your recorder will reproduce the signal it gets from the mic--either the built-in ones or external ones.  If it's loud enough to distort--say, a truck horn from a vehicle about to hit you, or jackhammers--you're not going to want to narrate from  there anyway.

But you do need to make a decision about whether you want to record in stereo or mono. You've only got one mouth, obviously, so mono should be sufficient, but most small recorders have a stereo jack. That will record a mono mic to the left channel only, unless you get an adapter. Or you could get a stereo pair, which would be useful for more realistic ambience--NPR gets all those environmental sounds in stereo.

I have the Sony PCM-M10. I have not tried its competitors--from Tascam and Olympus--because I am very happy with it. The more knowledgeable electronics people here have praised its mic preamps as being relatively low-noise, so you will get clean recordings from any external mic. Its mic jack is stereo.  But if your budget is under $229, you can probably get good voice recordings with something cheaper.

The Olympic recorders do record in mono, but beware--they record at lower fidelity in mono, and I would suggest using stereo instead.  Check out Page 51 (or Search for mono) in the LS-7 manual.
http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/oima_cckb/LS-7_Detailed_Instructions_EN.pdf

Don't clip any microphone under your clothes unless you want to record cloth rubbing against it. Remember, what the recorder hears is what the microphone hears.  The microphone should be out in the open air.

I get very nice voice recordings (in stereo) with the Sound Professionals BMC-2. http://www.soundprofessionals.com/cgi-bin/gold/item/SP-BMC-2   They come with windscreens, and because they are omnidirectional (not directional or cardioid) they are better at rejecting wind noise.

But you have other choices. Take a look at Flinstone's post from another similar thread

http://taperssection.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=dac2c7d0169a44be714cbf8a13ea4ec8&topic=146179.msg1881388#msg1881388