Topic: Taping Beginner...

[ramramrs]

I have just started to dabble in taping, my first two shows were recorded openly with an Olympus WS 400s. These two shows were by minor performers, an Eagles tribute band and a friend's garage band. Since then I have taken an interest in taping, and I think I am ready to "go to the next level", stealthing some some of my favorite larger name bands.

I have recently run into a lot of money and I've decided to start pursuing my taping interest, and make it into a hobby. My aim is to buy a Sony PCM M10 and start taping somewhat regularly.

My main question is that, when I finally buy the M10, should I also invest in a battery box, preamp, or microphone right away? Or should I stick to the internal mics while I'm still a beginner? Or even stick to my Olympus?

Thanks in advance. 

[willndmb]

invest right away in something
the internal mics are not going to do you much good
you can get some mics and a bb/pre for not much money and the results will be 100x better in most cases

[rastasean]

You don't necessarily need to buy something new. We have a yard sale section where you can find all kinds of gear for less than the price of new.

Here's a really nice recorder: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=145008.0

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

you can get some mics and a bb/pre for not much money and the results will be 100x better in most cases

QFT

[F.O.Bean]

you can get some mics and a bb/pre for not much money and the results will be 100x better in most cases

QFT

[adrianf74]

I have just started to dabble in taping, my first two shows were recorded openly with an Olympus WS 400s. These two shows were by minor performers, an Eagles tribute band and a friend's garage band. Since then I have taken an interest in taping, and I think I am ready to "go to the next level", stealthing some some of my favorite larger name bands.

I have recently run into a lot of money and I've decided to start pursuing my taping interest, and make it into a hobby. My aim is to buy a Sony PCM M10 and start taping somewhat regularly.

My main question is that, when I finally buy the M10, should I also invest in a battery box, preamp, or microphone right away? Or should I stick to the internal mics while I'm still a beginner? Or even stick to my Olympus?

Thanks in advance. 

I've been "dabbling" in taping for nearly 20 years now so, even though I don't have a $3000 set of mics, I think I can add some food for thought.

You don't need to spend a lot on mics/pre-amp/battery box to get decent pulls.  I've owned everything from Core Sound Binaurals, Giant Squid Audio Labs, Sound Professionals CMC-8 (Audio Technica 933/C), and most recently Church Audio CA-14/o and /c.

Seeing that you'll be in environments where it'll generally be loud enough, you could probably get away with a battery box and a "decent" mic.  I've always like Cardioid mics over Omni's as they can deflect a bit of the chatty cathys around you.  The CA-14's aren't that big but the CA-11's might be a better bet for you if you're stealthing (I use the CA-14's for most shows although if it's really tight, I use my CAFS-Omnis).

I would PM Chris and see what his cost for the CA-UBB and CA-11 II cardoids would run.   I haven't heard anything recorded with them yet, however, he is saying they have a better high end which is one of the reasons I got the CA-14's.   Any way you slice it, you'll likely be dropping around $150 or so which isn't bad for what you'll be getting.

[F.O.Bean]

I have just started to dabble in taping, my first two shows were recorded openly with an Olympus WS 400s. These two shows were by minor performers, an Eagles tribute band and a friend's garage band. Since then I have taken an interest in taping, and I think I am ready to "go to the next level", stealthing some some of my favorite larger name bands.

I have recently run into a lot of money and I've decided to start pursuing my taping interest, and make it into a hobby. My aim is to buy a Sony PCM M10 and start taping somewhat regularly.

My main question is that, when I finally buy the M10, should I also invest in a battery box, preamp, or microphone right away? Or should I stick to the internal mics while I'm still a beginner? Or even stick to my Olympus?

Thanks in advance. 

I've been "dabbling" in taping for nearly 20 years now so, even though I don't have a $3000 set of mics, I think I can add some food for thought.

You don't need to spend a lot on mics/pre-amp/battery box to get decent pulls.  I've owned everything from Core Sound Binaurals, Giant Squid Audio Labs, Sound Professionals CMC-8 (Audio Technica 933/C), and most recently Church Audio CA-14/o and /c.

Seeing that you'll be in environments where it'll generally be loud enough, you could probably get away with a battery box and a "decent" mic.  I've always like Cardioid mics over Omni's as they can deflect a bit of the chatty cathys around you.  The CA-14's aren't that big but the CA-11's might be a better bet for you if you're stealthing (I use the CA-14's for most shows although if it's really tight, I use my CAFS-Omnis).

I would PM Chris and see what his cost for the CA-UBB and CA-11 II cardoids would run.   I haven't heard anything recorded with them yet, however, he is saying they have a better high end which is one of the reasons I got the CA-14's.   Any way you slice it, you'll likely be dropping around $150 or so which isn't bad for what you'll be getting.

This is great advice for a beginner

[acidjack]

Interesting.. of negatives of the CA-11, the last thing I would have thought of is "lack of high end". 

But at any rate, the CA-14/CA-11 route seems appropriate for someone at the OP's stage. IMHO the -14s are immeasurably better sounding mics than the -11s, at least when you are talking about the cardiod versions.  It is apparently very hard to make a decent, small cardiod mic, whether you're Chris Church or DPA 

I have just started to dabble in taping, my first two shows were recorded openly with an Olympus WS 400s. These two shows were by minor performers, an Eagles tribute band and a friend's garage band. Since then I have taken an interest in taping, and I think I am ready to "go to the next level", stealthing some some of my favorite larger name bands.

I have recently run into a lot of money and I've decided to start pursuing my taping interest, and make it into a hobby. My aim is to buy a Sony PCM M10 and start taping somewhat regularly.

My main question is that, when I finally buy the M10, should I also invest in a battery box, preamp, or microphone right away? Or should I stick to the internal mics while I'm still a beginner? Or even stick to my Olympus?

Thanks in advance. 

I've been "dabbling" in taping for nearly 20 years now so, even though I don't have a $3000 set of mics, I think I can add some food for thought.

You don't need to spend a lot on mics/pre-amp/battery box to get decent pulls.  I've owned everything from Core Sound Binaurals, Giant Squid Audio Labs, Sound Professionals CMC-8 (Audio Technica 933/C), and most recently Church Audio CA-14/o and /c.

Seeing that you'll be in environments where it'll generally be loud enough, you could probably get away with a battery box and a "decent" mic.  I've always like Cardioid mics over Omni's as they can deflect a bit of the chatty cathys around you.  The CA-14's aren't that big but the CA-11's might be a better bet for you if you're stealthing (I use the CA-14's for most shows although if it's really tight, I use my CAFS-Omnis).

I would PM Chris and see what his cost for the CA-UBB and CA-11 II cardoids would run.   I haven't heard anything recorded with them yet, however, he is saying they have a better high end which is one of the reasons I got the CA-14's.   Any way you slice it, you'll likely be dropping around $150 or so which isn't bad for what you'll be getting.

[ramramrs]

Also, another question, if you guys would be kind enough to answer...


Total noob question, but if I have a single mic into a recorder recording in "stereo", will the final recording still be stereo even though I am only using one mic? Thanks, thanks, thanks.

[rjp]

Only if it's a "single point stereo" mic. These have two capsules, which might be arranged in X/Y fashion (like the Rode NT4), or in Mid/Side configuration (like the Shure VP88). The recorder needs to record both channels to get stereo.

Furthermore, if the mic is Mid/Side and isn't using a built-in matrix (or a recorder's built-in matrix if it has one), you'll need to decode the Mid/Side signal to Left/Right during postprocessing in your audio editor.

[rastasean]

rjp is correct but the nice thing about the VP88 is the ability to adjust the width before recording.

I think you will get father with two mono mics and record in stereo rather than one single point stereo mic but later on you can look at single point stero mics.

[deadheadcorey]

you can get some mics and a bb/pre for not much money and the results will be 100x better in most cases

QFT

X3

As others said look into the Church-Audio series....