Topic: nomad jukebox, pcm m1, md, what to buy?

[gnrphantom]

hi,

i am new to this site but have been collecting live recordings for years.  i think that it is time to get into the taping game because i want to re-experience the shows that i attend.  i don't want to cut corners so i would like to get a real nice set up, but i don't want to spend too much because i know this hobby isn't cheap.  i have been told by a few traders that minidiscs aren't the greatest and that i should go for a nomad jukebox.  i have been looking on eBay and they have multiple models.  which models do you guys recommend?  also, how much sound difference would there be with a sony pcm m1 dat recorder vs. the nomad? any info would be appreciated so i can get up and taping!

thanks guys

[F.O.Bean]

get the jukebox, there is TONS of info about it here, id start at the archival info section down the hiomepage a bit;-)

[Scuba Jeremy]

The sound quality depends on what you put in front of the recorder. The mics will make a difference. Any preamp/AD will make as much of a difference as the microphones will. If you put a good A/D in front of the JB3 or PCM-M1, your results will be the same. If you can't afford a preamp/AD, (like the UA5 or AD-20), then you'll be better off getting a PCM-M1, it is better equiped to handle live audio recording.

What kind of microphones were you looking at? Any ideas on an external A/D? Most importantly, what is your budget like at the moment?

All things being equal, I think I would go with the JB3 these days, DAT appears to be on the way out with more reliable hard drive recorders coming onto the market. The Creative Nomad Jukebox 3 is the best example of small reliable portable hard disc recording at the moment. It will make conversions very easy - just plug in the USB or Firewire cable, and you can download a three hour show in around five minutes! If you go DAT, conversions will only be as fast as the length of the tape (barring high speed DDS drives, which are rare and sometimes difficult to set up).

I'm sure there will be other opinions posted soon, hope I've helped, and welcome to TS.com!!

[gnrphantom]

thanks for the quick response guys.  what would an externat a/d cost roughly?  i am not sure on the mics yet, maybe coresound?  is there much difference between the jb3 and the zen extra?  

[Brian Skalinder]

is there much difference between the jb3 and the zen extra?

The Nomad Jukebox 3 is the only portable HD recorder I know of capable of recording WAV files reliably through a digital input.  It'd be much easier to help figure out what gear may be appropriate if you can give us a budget.

[Scuba Jeremy]

An external A/D, either the Edirol UA5 or the Denecke AD-20 will run you between $300-400. With the Edirol, you must buy it from OadeBros., or it will not work with a portable deck, only a computer. If you are really good with electrical componants, you can attempt the digital modification yourself, but I would not reccomend that - you won't save that much money. The Denecke AD-20 will also output an optical SPDIF signal - which you want - and runs off of two 9v batteries. No need to build an external battery pack, although I think it has a port to do so, if you want to add recording time to the battery life.

[gnrphantom]

i have been comparing prices and the jb3 is definitelly in my budget.  i would like to keep everything around $600, but i can fluxuate.  i guess that i would be willing to spend extra money if there would be a difference.  if i could get a nice set up in that price range, that would be cool.  i just dont know what extras i need to buy in addition to the recorder and how much they would cost..........  

[Chanher]

An external A/D, either the Edirol UA5 or the Denecke AD-20 will run you between $300-400. With the Edirol, you must buy it from OadeBros., or it will not work with a portable deck, only a computer. If you are really good with electrical componants, you can attempt the digital modification yourself, but I would not reccomend that - you won't save that much money. The Denecke AD-20 will also output an optical SPDIF signal - which you want - and runs off of two 9v batteries. No need to build an external battery pack, although I think it has a port to do so, if you want to add recording time to the battery life.

Oade sells the digimod edirol ua-5 preamp (the digimod allows usage when it's not hooked up to a computer as mentioned above) for $295.  You could pick up a un-modded ua-5 for cheap off ebay and modify it yourself if you have reasonable sodering skills. there are clear instructions for this.  I recommend the ua-5, fantastic beginner preamp.

as far as mics go, many beginners grab mini mics from soundpros.  other options include oktava mc-012's and superlux's. While I didn't go the superlux route, their package that includes a bunch of necessary accessories is quite appealing to someone starting out.

[George]

Some excellent posts so far.  The cheapest solution i can think of is a recorder, like a dat or the nomad jukebox 3, a battery box from soundprofessionals and a pair of their mics as well.  The great thing about the nomad is you can drag and drop the wav file onto your pc in a matter of minutes compared to doing real-time transfers with the dat unit.  The battery box should have a level control (to control the volume of the recording) and a bass roll off switch (which can determine how much bass will come out in the recording).  I have a mini battery module from sound professionals which is powered by one 9V battery and is quite small (can hide it in your sock and the sort).  

What kind of bands do you like to catch in concert?