Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Ask The Tapers => Topic started by: kabubbies on February 04, 2005, 05:30:10 PM

Title: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: kabubbies on February 04, 2005, 05:30:10 PM: Im was curious if a digital voice recorder would work for some basic taping needs? I'm not looking to do this often, just once or twice for a friends band and not looking to spend a ton. It would either have a straight soundboard hook in or stero mics right into a mic in? I was thinking along the lines of the Olympus DM-10 or 20. anyone have any ideas on if this would be a terrible idea and i should just spring for some real stuff or may this work? btw, this is not stealth.

keith
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: urobouros on February 04, 2005, 05:56:43 PM: Quote from: kabubbies on February 04, 2005, 05:30:10 PM
anyone have any ideas on if this would be a terrible idea and i should just spring for some real stuff or may this work?

That all depends on how listenable you want this recording. Aside from the probable file size limit issue that plagues most digital voice recorders, the quality of the mic will dictate a lot about the quality of the recording. The sound won't be that similar to the actual performance unless you spring for some decent mics. It all depends on your budget and quality of recording.
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: kabubbies on February 04, 2005, 06:00:18 PM: i think i could get my hands on some decent mics, and some of them allow for hours of recording, i think i might give it a shot unless someone else has a really large objections
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: Simp-Dawg on February 04, 2005, 06:22:47 PM: unless they can be had for $170 or less, just find a used or refurbed jb3. that is, unless you're concerned with the actual size of the unit (which is about the size of a discman).
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: Tim on February 04, 2005, 06:43:14 PM: Quote from: kabubbies on February 04, 2005, 06:00:18 PM
i think i could get my hands on some decent mics, and some of them allow for hours of recording, i think i might give it a shot unless someone else has a really large objections

can you run line in (or even Mic in) to a digital voice recorder? If you can't and are limiited to the internal mic there's no way I would use a digital voice recorder. The internal mic will be completely distorted and the tape would be awful.

I would really recommend looking at something other than a mini digital voice recorder.
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: Tall Adam on February 04, 2005, 07:09:56 PM: id venture to *guess* that the bit depth and sample rate is probably like 8-bit/22khz on a digital voice recorder that records for hours, and probably mono taboot!
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: Tim on February 04, 2005, 07:11:12 PM: Quote from: GQJSP on February 04, 2005, 07:09:56 PM
id venture to *guess* that the bit depth and sample rate is probably like 8-bit/22khz on a digital voice recorder that records for hours, and probably mono taboot!

yeah I doubt it would be listenable...
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: kabubbies on February 06, 2005, 12:56:02 AM: there is a line in, and it records in stero, there are some reports of people using them before? where might someone find a refurbished jb3? here, ebay, a store? thanks!
Title: Re: would a digital voice recorder work?
Post by: urobouros on February 06, 2005, 02:46:12 AM: ebay or the yard sale is your best bet