Topic: Newbie- Help recording my band with Tascam DR-2D

[perry57]

Hello All
My first post
Not sure if this has come up in previous topics, so apologies if i'm going over old ground.
Just bought a Tascam DR-2D, with a view to try and get some decent live recordings of my band.
I bought it based on it's ability to capture the ambient/live sound with the built in mics , and line in from the desk at the same time.
I think the line in thing will be straightforward enough.
We are a five piece band, and the gig will be in a bar with low ceilings, and we will be playing in a sort of cordoned off area that just fits full drum kit ,bass amp .2 guitar amps and four monitors, with various signals from the desk.
It is not possible to put the Tascam outwith the band area, as it would then be accesable to the general public who, though very lovely, could after a few sherbet,s spot it and decide to play with it, or even worse, pocket it.
So the question i have for all you incredibly knowledgeable and helpful people is.
........Where would be the best place to put the Tascam, in order to  pick up the ambient/live sound ?
Given the circumstances, is it even possible..?

[acidjack]

Welcome!

A couple of points worth noting:

1. To take a board feed, you may need an attenuator.  Board feeds tend to be very, very hot.  Some decks, like the Edirol R-44, have attenuation built-in, but I do not believe the DR2D does.  Therefore you will likely need an in-line attenuator, or to ask the sound person to dial the signal way down.  You should listen on headphones to confirm that it's working.

2. Almost everyone here is going to tell you that the internal mics on any consumer portable are not good enough for recording music. In your case, if you're running a board feed, that will help, but still, everyone will say "Your results will be better using even inexpensive external mics."  That is true, and also, it makes it easier to place the unit.  For instance you could leave the unit back behind the SBD and just tape the mics to something.  Small external mics are quite easy to mount.  A good set of small mics and a power supply can be had for under $200.

Also, although I realize that the DR2D advertises that you can do this, it strikes me as tough to get a good mix going on the fly, since it mixes down to a stereo file while recording. Again, I recommend trying this out using headphones, which is tough since the band you will be recording will likely have you in it!

But to get back to your question, I'd put the tascam back by the board.  If you can, get a little stand or something that can elevate enough above the crowd to avoid chatter.   Depends on the venue what your options will be. 

[perry57]

Thanks for your help AcidJack.
Played the same venue Friday and Saturday .Was completely unsure what to do regarding the Tascam's settings, so i set the gain to low, boosted the input put the Tascam on the ground facing up ,and ended up with a mess of distorted drums .
So  i reversed the settings on the Saturday, moved the Tascam to a slightly different posistion,(should've taken the advice you offered me i nthe first place  ) and got a pretty decent live recording and a really good recording from the desk . The Tascam records two sources at the same time as seperate files, so the line signal handled mainly vocals from the desk and the built in mics picked up the backline and crowd noise . I can understand what you meant by some desks giving a hot signal, though i must've just got lucky first time, because the recorded signal from the desk was crystal clear and the built in mics (when put to the correct settings) handled the whole band very well indeed. I was particularly impressed with the bass response.
For me, i was trying to capture the band from my perspective,and to try and get that real live feel, that included crowd singing,noise etc .
I think on my second attempt, with some helpful advice  ,and armed with what i had at my disposal ,i faired not badly at all.
Thanks again for your input.

[acidjack]

That is great to hear; glad that it worked out and that the DR-2D is meeting your needs.  Tascam products are generally well-liked around here although I can't say I have any familiarity with the DR-2D directly.