Topic: Newbie help with setup

[crossthreaded]

I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a mic setup.  Not wanting to spend a whole shit ton but i'm not opposed to buying a good product to start with.

Will mostly be using these for the friday night bluegrass jams in Floyd VA, and some other local bluegrass shows as well as 10-15 panic shows a year, and any other taper friendly local shows I can get to.

I'm thinking of the studio projects C4 mics, I've found some pretty decent deals on used ones on ebay.

My buddy has a MD-MT15 recorder, will it be a complete PITA to use a md setup or should I go ahead and spring for a used Marantz PMD660?


What type of software will I be needing to get to make all of this happen?

Is there anything that a pretty computer literate person will have a very difficult time figuring out?

I don't mind reading so if there are any sites I should check out to answer these questions just point me in that direction.


thanks for the help.

[Belexes]

You may find good deals on a set of C4's in the yard sale here.  Seems like there is always a set for sale by someone.  I think I paid $200 - $250 for mine out of the yard.

[fozzy]

you are still going to need a phantom power source if you stick w/ the Mini-disc, also a preamp is probably also necessary.

Do not forget to budget for a stand, cables, batteries, discs/memory cards.

[goodcooker]

the C4s are a good choice for a first set of mics, good quality for the price. You can usually pick up a used pair with both omni and cardioid caps for 225 or less.

I personally wouldn't get an MD but lots of people like them.
I would opt for an all-in-one Compact Flash recorder like the 660 or Fostex FR2le.
Pay a little extra and get one that's been upgraded by Oade or Busman.

Leave your wallet at the door.

There are a million choices for audio editing software, all price ranges. I use Adobe Audition, Wavelab 5 and Audacity for various tasks depending on my needs.

There are very helpful stickies at the top of each forum, good FAQs and the search engine is very helpful.

[sunjan]

My buddy has a MD-MT15 recorder, will it be a complete PITA to use a md setup or should I go ahead and spring for a used Marantz PMD660?

It would be sad running these good mics without the possibilty to capture the feed lossless.
If you have money to burn, go for the PMD660 by all means, or any of the other mid/high-end units mentioned here (Fostex FR2le is often mentioned for good value). but, if you're just looking for a cheap bit bucket ($125-$250 range), consider JB3, Iriver, H2...

/Jan