Dear forum,
I've just bought a Tascam DR-70D for taping concerts with miniature stereo mics and was wondering whether I could possibly ask you for some advice, since I still have a few questions - despite having spent the past two days reading through all the extremely helpful information and the posts on this website (many thanks!!!). I must admit that I used to record with a very simple Sony Hi-MD recorder (MZ-RH910), so I find all the settings on the Tascam really overwhelming!
Would the following setup be correct? I plug in my small Audio Technica microphone set from Sound Professionals into EXT IN 1/2 with a (very simple) 9V battery box (from Sound Professionals) and then set the input gain to "MIC" and the input to "EXT STEREO". (Or should I use the "LINE" setting because of the battery box?) Under "Basic" I turn ch1 and ch2 on, but ch3 and ch4 off, so I can turn dual recording on. Under "INPUT" I set "Input gain" to "MIC" and and turn everything else (limiter...) off. Under "Record setting", I thought I'd set the file type to "stereo", so I don't need to put the mono files together myself. I don't understand what "MS MODE 1/2" is, so I've turned it off
. I wanted to record in 24bit and 96 kHz on a 16GB SD card, hoping that 4 alkaline batteries (Duracell Ultra Power) would last for ca. 1.5 hours for a dual recording (without phantom power).
I've gathered that people normally set the gain to "LOW" for concert recordings. Where on the gain knobs (e.g. 12 o'clock) would you start? Or should I try "MID"? I want to record Jackson Browne tomorrow, where songs range from partially acoustic to very loud with a full band. And where between -1dB and -12dB would you set the dual recording?
And something completely different: I was a little shocked about the size and weight of the Tascam, since there'll be bag searches now at venues in the UK after the terrorist bomb attack at a concert in Manchester. Does anyone have any advice on getting something of that size past security? (Being female, I used to put my Hi-MD player into a bag of sanitary pads, which security never touched, but that trick won't work any more!)
Thank you so much in advance for any advice or thoughts that you might have!!
Julia