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Gear / Technical Help => Recording Gear => Topic started by: ManaTau80 on August 13, 2013, 10:49:17 AM
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So I'm new to all of this, and looking for a portable recorder for wandering around and grabbing samples.
I need something less than $300 and truly portable/handheld. I won't be using any external microphones; I know I probably should, but it just doesn't suit my purposes.
I'm trying to choose between the Roland R-05, the PCM-M10, Zoom H2N and Tascam DR-07. Of course, if there's anything I've missed, let me know. I don't need multiple tracks, or built-in reverb, or anything like that; just simple, straightforward stereo recording.
It seems the PCM-M10 sounds nicest (significantly less tinny and noisy than the Zoom and Tascam), but it's by far the most expensive and the stereo image seems pretty darn awful with the internal mics. The Roland R-05 just came on my radar today, but seems promising.
Any suggestions?
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I'd also audition the Olympus LS-14: http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/audio/ls-14.html
It has 2 cardioid (directional toward the front - rejects sound to the rear) mics plus a single omnidirectional (only slightly directional - but captures the low end better than the cardioids) mic. I had the LS-11 and it was a really nice quality unit.
One thing about hand-held recorders to be aware of is that they pick up handling noises while you're recording. I'd recommend a tripod or I think I've also seen handles which screw in to the camera mount on the recorder.
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I owned a Sony D-50 for a short period of time and i used them once with excellent results. (not really Budget thou)
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Yeah, the D-50 is a bit out of my price range. Again, I'm interested in the M10, but the stereo imaging does not seem at all promising.
I'll definitely check out that Olympus.
Any one have experience with the Roland?
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I'm still working on the comparison, but the Zoom H6 XY is staying even with the Sony PCM-D50. The H2n did not make that cut. So I'd recommend that you save another $100 or wait for a chance to grab an H6 used or open box unless you expect your sources to be loud.
Fran
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My favourite walk-around / pocket rig is a modest Sony SX750 in conjunction with Roland in-ear mics. True, the mics are therefore not internal, but they're not hand held either, and for stealth recording in the street or in buildings, it's an inconspicuous rig. Outdoors, wind noise can be a problem however.
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Here's a thread on the Teac VR-10. Apparently the OP got one for $26 brand new. There are links in the thread to recordings that are pretty good for such a cheap recorder.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=159584.0
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Thanks for all the suggestions so far.
Exactly how bad is the stereo image with the M10? I know it's not great, but haven't heard much other than that. Is the D50 a real improvement?
And any thoughts on the Roland R-05 compared to the others?
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Ozpeter feels strongly that the stereo image on the PCM-M10 is bad because it has omni mics that are, obviously, only as far apart as the width of the recorder.
Personally, I don't think it's so horrible. It's not mono. It does have some stereo depth. And if you search around TS you can find a plugin that will expand its stereo image.
Cardioids and omnis each have their uses. If you get a recorder with cardioids you are going to have to keep it pointed at your source because if you move it your volume will fluctuate, while omnis are more forgiving.
You need to consider how you will be using the recorder. Out on the street, omnis might be more useful.
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So I'm new to all of this, and looking for a portable recorder for wandering around and grabbing samples.
I need something less than $300 and truly portable/handheld. I won't be using any external microphones; I know I probably should, but it just doesn't suit my purposes.
I'm trying to choose between the Roland R-05, the PCM-M10, Zoom H2N and Tascam DR-07. Of course, if there's anything I've missed, let me know. I don't need multiple tracks, or built-in reverb, or anything like that; just simple, straightforward stereo recording.
It seems the PCM-M10 sounds nicest (significantly less tinny and noisy than the Zoom and Tascam), but it's by far the most expensive and the stereo image seems pretty darn awful with the internal mics. The Roland R-05 just came on my radar today, but seems promising.
Any suggestions?
for just the internal microphones, I would check out the Olympus line. LS100 if it's in your budget, the LS20 is video and audio, and then the LS-10, 11 etc.
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Here's a thread on the Teac VR-10. Apparently the OP got one for $26 brand new. There are links in the thread to recordings that are pretty good for such a cheap recorder.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=159584.0
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Give those samples a try and tell me if you can get something of that quality for less than 50 bucks all in all.
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The Teac sounds great, and is very tempting.
LikeASong, I noticed you use an R-05. How do you like it?
Right now I'm leaning towards an Olympus LS-14.
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Here's a thread on the Teac VR-10. Apparently the OP got one for $26 brand new. There are links in the thread to recordings that are pretty good for such a cheap recorder.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=159584.0
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Give those samples a try and tell me if you can get something of that quality for less than 50 bucks all in all.
You probably can't get better quality for less than 50 bucks - because you can't get anything else at that price. I have one of these and it is a toy. I use it for recording meetings, and it is great for that, but not much else (in my opinion, YMMV, my 2 cents, etc.).
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The Teac sounds great, and is very tempting.
LikeASong, I noticed you use an R-05. How do you like it?
I like it a lot. It's sturdy but light and convenient, and easy to use but reliable. It's obviously a better recorder than the Teac/Tascam (not in terms of sound, but in terms of building quality and resilience), but also 3 or 4 times the price. Only fault I find with it is, precisely, its internal microphones. They just can't handle high SPLs, they distort easily (not like Zoom internals or the Teac's for example).
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The Teac may have a firmware 'update' or 'hack' that installs the Tascam firmware for 96 kHZ/24 bit sample rate.
looks like a good recorder for the price, $80 on Amazon now, and it was $50 last Nov.-Dec.
The Roland R26 is out of the budget range, but i like the internal mic's... here is sample:
https://soundcloud.com/user203526/david-byrne-and-st-vincent
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Here's a thread on the Teac VR-10. Apparently the OP got one for $26 brand new. There are links in the thread to recordings that are pretty good for such a cheap recorder.
http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=159584.0
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Give those samples a try and tell me if you can get something of that quality for less than 50 bucks all in all.
You probably can't get better quality for less than 50 bucks - because you can't get anything else at that price. I have one of these and it is a toy. I use it for recording meetings, and it is great for that, but not much else (in my opinion, YMMV, my 2 cents, etc.).
I agree on the "it's a toy" statement if you mean the building quality, but I think its sound quality is more than decent for its price, size and ease of use. Properly located, I KNOW it can make killer recordings that are actually comparable to recordings made with much more expensive gear.
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Also, it would be great if the topic opener detailed what he/she wants the recorder for!
"looking for a portable recorder for wandering around and grabbing samples."
Samples of what, ManaTau? Music? Nature? Street sounds? Depending on that, and the volume that your source sounds will likely reach, your recorder's mics should have different mic patterns and specs. Tell us ;)
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I agree on the "it's a toy" statement if you mean the building quality, but I think its sound quality is more than decent for its price, size and ease of use. Properly located, I KNOW it can make killer recordings that are actually comparable to recordings made with much more expensive gear.
The build definitely is not high quality, but I don' think the audio is great either. Kind of noisy. I am pretty sure that an affordable rig (lavs > battery box > decent recorder), in the same location, would produce consistently better results, especially if there is a lot of dynamic range in the music. To be honest, I think the H2 makes better recordings with the internals (but it is much more bulky and of equally crappy build).
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I think I might be able to share some samples of a concert where I taped with its internals and a pair of CA14s placed at the very same spot, and the recordings are close to identical. You can only tell which is which in the quieter spots or when there's no music at all (the Teac/Tascam recording feels a little bit more compressed then, "less wide", if that makes any sense). I will dig in for that recording and post the samples if I can.