Topic: Recording setup for the Peace Corps

[georgeh]

sorry, didn't notice the above post, looks very interesting.

[bradohboy]

Hi all, thanks for all the good suggestions.

I found out im heading to Mauritania, ie Sahara Desert.

I've decided to not take a laptop since I don't know what I will have available to me as far as a reliable power supply goes.

Looking at my budget and taking into account everything I'd need to buy I keep coming back to the m-audio microtrack ii with a AA battery pack charger.
I know it doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles but it does have phantom power, would let me get a pair of matched pulsar ii cables and be out the door for under $600 bones. (Plus media cards).

Unless something used comes up like a used Fostex Le-2 or PMD 661, the small footprint, decent sound amd light weight of the microtrack might be the way to go.
Unfortunately I don't have too much time to screw around until I leave, i ship out the second week of June and have much to take care of while still here.

Brad

[jlykos]

Hi all, thanks for all the good suggestions.

I found out im heading to Mauritania, ie Sahara Desert.

I've decided to not take a laptop since I don't know what I will have available to me as far as a reliable power supply goes.

Looking at my budget and taking into account everything I'd need to buy I keep coming back to the m-audio microtrack ii with a AA battery pack charger.
I know it doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles but it does have phantom power, would let me get a pair of matched pulsar ii cables and be out the door for under $600 bones. (Plus media cards).

Unless something used comes up like a used Fostex Le-2 or PMD 661, the small footprint, decent sound amd light weight of the microtrack might be the way to go.
Unfortunately I don't have too much time to screw around until I leave, i ship out the second week of June and have much to take care of while still here.

Brad

I had one of the original Microtracks and hated it.  I lost two out of 15 recordings I made because of hardware errors and that is an unacceptable ratio for me.  I urge you to seriously consider something else like the Edirol or the Sony unit.  You may spend a few extra dollars, but their reliability will be well worth it.  The Sony also has an outstanding build construction so keep that in mind if you are in the desert.

See if you can contact some Peace Corps volunteers who are in Mauritania now through the country office or something like LinkedIn or Facebook to ask them what the situation is like over there.  It may prove to be very helpful.  Also seriously consider bringing your laptop if there is anything resembling a decent power supply; you will be surprised how handy it comes.

Good luck with everything over there.  PM me if you ever decide to go through Mali; I have been assigned to the USAID mission in Bamako for at least the next two years and I will most likely leave at the end of this year.

[spcyrfc]

i would also vote for the sony d50.  the run times on a set of 4 AA batteries are out of this world.  12+hrs.  nothing as far as i know comes close to touching that time.  the build is solid and the unit seems to do very well on bench tests.  with the built in 4 gig hd and an 8gig memory stick, you can get recording times to match the battery life.  it has internal mics, which, tho add to the overall size, will likely rarely be a negative, cause you can record just to them and they will be fine for conversation or some such.


couple this with a pair of CA mics and i imagine you would be good to go.  the MTII units have a spotty track record and overseas and out of touch, reliability is mostly likely at the top of the list.

good luck, let us know what you decide.  bring a hat.

[sunjan]

I found out im heading to Mauritania, ie Sahara Desert.

I've decided to not take a laptop since I don't know what I will have available to me as far as a reliable power supply goes.

Cool! I was bumming overland from Morocco to Senegal in 1999, passing Mauritania on the way. Unless they drop you off in the middle of nowhere, most towns certainly do have AC power.

If you know where you'll be staying, drop a line here:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/sahara-travel-forum/

It's a great forum with lot's of knowledgeable expats, living in the Sahara countries, incl. Mauritania.

[bradohboy]

I'm leaving in one week for my placement in Mauritania. Though microphone stands might be an issue where i'm going I do have the basic recording setup purchased. Due to space and packing considerations I wont be taking a mic stand (I'll figure something out in country).

The setup I went with for budgetary and flexibility includes the following:

Zoom H4n
Mini Table Top Tripod Stand
Transcend 16 GB SD card
1 gb Generic Card that came with Zoom
16gb Sandisk card (also for digital camera)
Backup, 4 gb Panasonic SD (mainly for camera)

Microphones: Samson Cl2 Pencil Mics with Card and Omni caps, wind screen, shock mount, bar mount and mic stand adapter.

Cheap in ear headphones for mp3 player (but also considering taking Samson Ch700..im sure they will last a week before they break)

Backup and basic processing: Aspire Aspire One with 160gb hard disk and 6 cell battery.

I know it's not the most professional setup but it seems quite capable. I just received the microphones in the mail today so will play with everything tomorrow.


Thanks for everyone's advice and im off to ensure everything and buy a pelican case that I can cram everything into (and that fits into my little backpack) so thing's dont get trashed.

Brad

Any tips on this setup (your help and guidance so far has been great and everyone's opinions uber helpful)

[sunjan]

Any tips on this setup (your help and guidance so far has been great and everyone's opinions uber helpful)

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... Sand is everywhere in Mauritania! Most travellers get their camera and other electronic gear screwed up.

Make sure to duct tape all slots and lids of your gear, and get a bunch of zip-loc bags for individual storage of each part.
It sounds anal, but you won't regret it. Especially any moving parts are prone to breakdown (think camera zoom lense, shutter, mic membrane...).

If you run into trouble and need on-the-spot assistance, take note of the web site above. I had a lot of help from the guys there.

[bradohboy]

Thanks man for the dust tips.

I bought some black Pelican cases for the mics, camera and zoom bodies and i will be sure to take some ziplock baggies. Great website too.

Rock on,
Brad