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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: floete on December 12, 2013, 08:32:53 AM
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It's been a few years since I asked this question, but I might be in the market for a new small digital recorder and thought I'd ask again.
Does anyone make a digi recorder that has a tactile-feel on-pause off-pause button, like the old cassette recorders had: you flick a button up, pause is on, flick it down, pause is off. The reason I like this is, you can have the recorder at your side and not have to look at it to know whether you're in record mode or pause. With digital, you've really got to look to know for sure, and in certain situations, well, I, for one and for various reasons, don't want to look.
So ... that exist in any way, shape or form?
And, if not, like I've always said, somebody ought to step up to the plate and make one like that.
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Physical switches which remained depressed were typically mechanical tape transport switches. All the pocketable digital recorders that I know of use momentary transport switches. The only digital recorders which use mechanical transport switches I'm aware of are larger, relatively expensive professional machines from Nagra and Aaton which use a large rotary knob.
Your wish is similar to what I was dreaming about in a bare bones DIY pocket recorder yesterday- just two tactile throw switches, a power switch and a record/stop(rec/pause) switch, with no other complications. http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=165750.msg2070416#msg2070416
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Digital recording media is now inexpensive and has massive capacity.
Futzing with pause, etc, will significantly increase the chance of not getting a recording - for many reasons. It creates other risks, like the chance of a cable being disturbed while you are messing with switches.
Why not start the recording before you enter the venue and let it run? For six hours if necessary. Same thing for set breaks. There is no chance of forgetting to start the recorder, if you never stop the recorder.
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gutbucket: that's *exactly* what i'm talking about. one of these years, hopefully ....
11: i'm not recording music but voice -- interviews in the field. lots of dead air, lots of speakers i don't care about, etc, etc, and at the end, the recording gets sent to a transcriber who transcribes everything and i mean everything. so all that extra stuff would end up costing my employer a fortune. i'm making do with lots of individual files but it's a dicey and unreliable way to go, having to manipulate the recorder's controls in the dark, so to speak. the old-school pause switch was perfect ....
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The Marantz PMD661 has a connector for an optional remote [p/n RC600PMD] via 3.5mm T-R-R-S mini plug. Their remote doesn't toggle the way you describe, however, it also has a red LED on the remote that lights in record mode. The remote has a strap attached intended to strap to a hand held interview mic making ideal for the scenario you describe.
The manual also provides the circuit to build your own remote. I believe the switches are all N.O. Momentary.
Another option that's purpose built for this is the Yellowtec iXM. (http://www.yellowtec.de/products-lp/ixm-lp.html)
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You could easily let the recorder run, save the file, and import the file into Audacity or other software where you would trim out the dead spots before sending to transcription. The waveforms are going to show you the dead spots. This is much safer than pushing the wrong button or pushing the right button twice because you couldn't look at the recorder.
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You could easily let the recorder run, save the file, and import the file into Audacity or other software where you would trim out the dead spots before sending to transcription. The waveforms are going to show you the dead spots. This is much safer than pushing the wrong button or pushing the right button twice because you couldn't look at the recorder.
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Sony M10, 16 hours on 2AA batteries, 16GB microSD card and you're set. Storage is cheap
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You could easily let the recorder run, save the file, and import the file into Audacity or other software where you would trim out the dead spots before sending to transcription. The waveforms are going to show you the dead spots. This is much safer than pushing the wrong button or pushing the right button twice because you couldn't look at the recorder.
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unfortunately it's just not that easy. the dead spots are usually not really dead, as is no noise, only dead insofar as there's lots of noise but no noise i need to hear again. and if there are people talking i don't care about, there's no way to tell that from a waveform. believe me, i've been looking at this situation ever since the first r-09 came out and i have yet to find a solution other than the physical-switch one, which is one that doesn't exist and probably never will. sigh.
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Use a switch on the mic to turn it on and off. That will create silence on the unwanted parts.
Then use software to automatically filter out the silent parts.
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Here is the info I mentioned above from the Marantz PMD661 manual, purchasing the optional remote would be ideal for the OP...
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You can do it using the circuit diagram in the second image above + a few resistors a SPDT toggle switch (a DPDT would work too) and TRRS cable. Momentarily toggle one way to start recording and the other way to pause. If in doubt about whether you are recording or not, you can probably just re-toggle to the record side anytime while recording without stopping the machine, not sure if rec/pause would work the same way or not (doing so might take it out of pause and continue recording- the standard operation of the rec/pause button on many machines). You'd need to test that.
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Why not just get a recorder with a wired remote?
The PCM-M10 has a little flat black remote that's about 1" x 2". It has four buttons on it and it's very easy to memorize the feel of where each button is because you can orient yourself by where the cord connects. The red light blinks when you're paused and is steadily on when you're not. The recorder can stay stashed.
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The M10 is not truly LOCKED when using its remote tho. So if you accidentally hit STOP on the remote, you done fucked up your recording ;)
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The PCM-M10 has a little flat black remote that's about 1" x 2". It has four buttons on it and it's very easy to memorize the feel of where each button is because you can orient yourself by where the cord connects.
He wants a switch with tactile feedback so you can tell whether it is paused by the feel of the switch.
What you describe would result in lost audio because sometimes you'd forget whether it was paused, or a button press would be missed.
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The PCM-M10 has a little flat black remote that's about 1" x 2". It has four buttons on it and it's very easy to memorize the feel of where each button is because you can orient yourself by where the cord connects.
He wants a switch with tactile feedback so you can tell whether it is paused by the feel of the switch.
What you describe would result in lost audio because sometimes you'd forget whether it was paused, or a button press would be missed.
While the optional remote remote for the PMD661 doesn't provide the tactical feel it straps right to a hand held interview mic, provides record pause and includes a red recording LED on the remote. Seems this would fit the OP's interview application nicely, saving the transcription costs without editing the files first.
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Pause buttons were once pretty standard on all dictation recorders. I haven't looked at them in so long that I have no clue whether they have pause controls now.
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You'd really have to work at it to lose a recording with the PCM-M10 remote. I know people are worried that it overrides the hold button. But in my so-called real life this just does not happen. It's designed so that you stash the recorder somewhere on hold--even in a pocket--and just deal with the remote, which tells you immediately if you are paused, stopped or recording because it has the red LED on it.
The stop button isn't particularly sensitive--none of them are. The remote is small and could also be taped to the mic or whatever. And really, this is a voice recording. You don't need the Marantz at twice the price.
Yes, I remember cassette recorders where you pushed down the mechanical switch and it stayed down. But I doubt anyone is going to build that feature into a digital recorder.
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As well as the PMD661/PMD661MK2 the Marantz RC600PMD remote will work with; PMD620/PMD620MK2, PMD671 and the discontinued PMD660.
(http://ekb-musicmag.ru/uploadedFiles/eshopimages/big/Marantz20RC600PMD%5B2%5D.jpg)
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well, just thought i'd check back in here and see if there have been any "advances" in pause buttons. i'm still looking for a separate, discreet pause function on a digital recorder, much like the ones on yesteryear's tape recorders. man, youd think someone would get on the old-school meets new-school stick one of these days. has it happened yet?
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Here you are, this is what you need.
http://www.cryptomuseum.com/covert/rec/nagra/cbr/index.htm
but good luck finding one.