Topic: Recording device suggestions

[sandrat1972]

thought I'd throw this out there. I am interested in purchasing a recording device that will allow me to use for both journalistic purposes (recording interviews or for dictating notes) and music (recording myself playing mandolin, and also recording occasional concerts). I'd rather not spend a million dollars if I can help it, especially since the mics are probably going to be the larger expense.  I'm thinking it would be ideal for the device to write to SD cards, but I open to suggestion.

thanks in advance
Jack

[su6oxone]

Sony PCM-M10 and Edirol R-09HR are pretty popular small recorders around here.

[faninor]

Tascam has some small recorders (various models with different built in mics -- maybe would work for the interviews and notes?) starting at about $100, might do just what you're looking for. Get some nice external mics for recording music and you'd be all set.

[sandrat1972]

Thanks... the Sony looks pretty cool, but I'll need to do a little more research.  None of the cheap ones appear to be compatible with high end mics, so guess I'd need to take that into consideration in case I ever want to get really serious with concert recording.

Jack

[fmaderjr]

Thanks... the Sony looks pretty cool, but I'll need to do a little more research.  None of the cheap ones appear to be compatible with high end mics, so guess I'd need to take that into consideration in case I ever want to get really serious with concert recording.

Jack

They won't power them directly but you can get a littlebox preamp for $200-$300 (depending on the options you want) to feed an M10 when you want to run XLR mics and have the best of both worlds. The littlebox + M10 is no larger than say a Fostex FR2LE, but sounds as good, costs less and you have the option of using the M10 alone when you want to stealth with plug in power type mics.

[faninor]

I've made great recordings running DPA 4060s > DPA MMA6000 > Tascam DR-07 (1/8" line inputs). As fmaderjr mentioned, you can always get a preamp to run XLR mics regardless of the recorder. If there's a feature that you're looking for which the Tascam recorders don't have, go for the more expensive gear but otherwise I'd say it would be $100 well spent.

[deadheadcorey]

iRiver iHP-120 are great too!

[fmaderjr]

iRiver iHP-120 are great too!

I really like mine, but for someone looking to get into recording there are now far better options ((like the DR-07 if you don't want to spend a lot or the M10/R-09HR).

The H120 really needs a preamp if you are going to record stuff that isn't very loud (like a mandolin) and the internal mics are useless in part because they pick up noise from the hard drive. Many don't care about the internal mics, but sandrat might want a recorder with decent ones so he could see how they work for interviews.

[John Willett]

Budget?

The Nagra LB is great for what you say.

You can even edit interviews on the machine, connect to your phone via Bluetooth and send the edited recordings back to base.

[fmaderjr]

Budget?

The Nagra LB is great for what you say.

You can even edit interviews on the machine, connect to your phone via Bluetooth and send the edited recordings back to base.

For $3200  it better be great. If he  wanted something with phantom power and internal mics I'm guessing $600 for a Marantz PMD661 is more in line with what he wanted to spend.....

[su6oxone]

My impression was that the OP was looking for a smallish recorder, something that could be conveniently used for interviews and so forth.  The Nagra LB looks great, and I always wondered why almost (or no) tapers use them since they're only a bit more than the 702/722 recorders, but it would require putting that bad boy in a shoulder bag or something similarly bulky.  But maybe that's what he wants, who knows.  The 661 is a good suggestion too, since it is relatively compact (at least can be held in one hand) if phantom is needed/wanted.

[rastasean]

really, you can't go wrong with either the m10 or the 09hr for your usage. the more important part is the microphones, anyway.

now you mentioned journalism/interviews/dictation which would generally imply it doesn't need to be in stereo so perhaps a microphone like the sennheiser md 46 is something you would want to consider, it won't require phantom power and its very cardioid. there is also the sennheiser md 42 which is just omnidirectional but probably wouldn't work well in a noisy environment.
I am equally interested in doing interviews and I found this site called www.storycorps.org where they go around and record people's stories in a modified airstream trailer. I wrote asking what gear they use but haven't gotten back to me*. from the photos, it looks like a sound devices 702 or 722 (maybe even another kind) and large diaphragm mics as well as something similar to the md 46. The 702/722 is connected to something like  like a Marantz CD burner because the interview people are provided a CD copy and the other one is sent to the library of congress American Folklife Center.


For music, a good option is the church audio ca-14 omnis or cards plus the ca-9100 pre-amp.
take a look at chris' octoberfest sales: http://taperssection.com/index.php?topic=136212.0

Jill from storycops just wrote me an email:
Hi Sean,

We use a variety of microphones by Neumann and Audio-Technica for our own recordings. Our Recording Coordinator believes the Shure SM-58 is the best all-around, low-cost microphone for home use.  Hope this helps.


Best,

Jill

I hardly believe the sm58 would be the best all around microphone. it is low cost so that is its only plus.

[earmonger]

We use a variety of microphones by Neumann and Audio-Technica for our own recordings. Our Recording Coordinator believes the Shure SM-58 is the best all-around, low-cost microphone for home use.  Hope this helps.

Jill[/i]

I hardly believe the sm58 would be the best all around microphone. it is low cost so that is its only plus.

The Shure SM58 is a vocal mic you see all the time at rock concerts.  You know, this one:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SM58/

It is very specifically for the vocal range, and very directional so as not to feed back onstage, and it takes a lot of abuse.  I'm sure it's  nice for interviews if you can power it. But for music or other recording....not so much. And not through a 1/8" mic jack with plug-in power.

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I don't mean to be pimpin'  the PCM-M10 but it its internals are superb for interviews, too, and the remote-control track marking helps you find the good quotes later. Just hit the track mark after the bit you want.  Setting it down on its little rubber feet separates it from vibrations (tour bus) and handling noise, and there's a tripod mount if you really want to get serious about it.

The internals are omni, though, so if your main use is going to be journalistic, and you are  really just looking for a little recorder to point at a single interviewee, you might want to get something with cardioids. And get externals for music, which you would want to do anyway.