Topic: Olympus LS 11

[JFP]

Hi Tapers,
Let me introduce myself and the Ls 11 too
I used to record some shows on minidisc from 98 to 2005 or so (with a Sharp 702 and Sony ECM 907. I still use the mic for my work on Dragon but the Sharp had a permanent TOC problem and is out of order).

During several years I did not want to record anything and just enjoy the shows. Besides many bands sell some official concerts online like Pearl Jam and Metallica. So I buy asap it is available when I attended one of their shows.
Unfortunately some bands do not practice this and it is a bit frustrating when you have just an average audience available on Dime with claps yellings and poor sound.
So I am ready to tape again.
I have read a lot and made my mind for the Olympus LS 11. (Bought it today. My first reflex was an OLympus then I had another one and currently a reflex again. Olympus is a nice brand to me).
For those who are interested here is the content of the package (very nice and serious). Sorry for the pics quality made with smartphone









It is very complete. Remote included and Cubase too. Nice

I just made a try : itunes track in 256 aac only. Recording with internal mics. Distance 1M50 from small amplified speakers D-BOX.
The result seems pretty good :
http://soundcloud.com/jfp67/ls110002

I believe it is a nice choice. My first recording will be CHICKENFOOT next monday.

And I will receive in a couple of weeks the CA 14 cards 

I will be happy to share with other owners the best settings to know. And with all tapers our experiences and feedback.

jeff

[jbell]

Most folks here prefer the Sony M10 as the hand held of choice!! 

[TimeBandit]

Most folks here prefer the Sony M10 as the hand held of choice!!

you must differ, don't know where he is from but actually in the EU the price of the M10 is still out of range. So there are better options - like the ls11 or the roland / edirol r05

@ jfp. if you want to record that loud stuff, don't forget to get a set of nice microphones + battery box + you got more and better optoins of placing them.

i see you ordered Ca14's ok thats the way to go 

[JFP]

yes I know about the Sony but it is not obviously the best one. And I do not like to get the same stuff as others just because they pretend it is better.
The Olympus cost me 250 euros with the remote cubase included.... and it is not a bad recorder http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-reviews.html

yes Timebandit the CA 14 + BB;)  the OMK rock binaural seem nice too . I wonder how to fix the mics to tape. It seems many wear a hat ?

[aaronji]

you must differ, don't know where he is from but actually in the EU the price of the M10 is still out of range. So there are better options - like the ls11 or the roland / edirol r05

I think it depends on where you shop to some extent.  Feedback (the Netherlands, http://www.feedback.nl/) is selling the M10 for 195 euros, while the LS-11 is 269 and the R-05 is 179...

yes I know about the Sony but it is not obviously the best one. And I do not like to get the same stuff as others just because they pretend it is better.

They all have their pros and cons, but I don't think the M10 comes by it's reputation unfairly.  It's a pretty good recorder, in my opinion.

[JFP]

several 4060 ? BM ?
http://www.lemicrophone.fr/produit.php?ref=4060&id_rubrique=50

[nl]

You'd be better off with a stereo set from thomann, which is EUR 755 compared to 2 x 420.

http://www.thomann.de/fr/dpa_smk_4060_set.htm

[jbell]

yes I know about the Sony but it is not obviously the best one. And I do not like to get the same stuff as others just because they pretend it is better.
The Olympus cost me 250 euros with the remote cubase included.... and it is not a bad recorder http://www.wingfieldaudio.com/portable-recorder-reviews.html

yes Timebandit the CA 14 + BB;)  the OMK rock binaural seem nice too . I wonder how to fix the mics to tape. It seems many wear a hat ?

I don't think anyone is pretending!!  They have been heavily used in the field and have a proven track record.  I didn't realize you are in europe so I can understand the cost issue, but the M10 is rock solid.

[TimeBandit]

I think it depends on where you shop to some extent.  Feedback (the Netherlands, http://www.feedback.nl/) is selling the M10 for 195 euros

  do they ship to germany?

[TSNéa]

Hello everybody,

This is my first post although I've been reading TS for a while, now. And I do appreciate many of the contributions and the way answers are given to newbies.
But I'm not so new... I began with an open reel portable National, before the cassette breakthrough; then Uher's, open reel (4: Report's and 631) and cassette (CR360?), Teac dual cassette and Revox (A77, B77, PR99). Then Minidisc: an incredible long lasting still working Sony MZ-R30 and a MZ-NH700 (horrible menu and display!). And I know what a Nagra 4.2 sounds and feels like! But I am in no way a sound professionnal. My first original tapes were still audible, two or three years ago.

Now to the point. I just bought an Olympus LS-5, I didn't test really, only my voice and some birds outside. I'll feed it through a Wendt X2. This recorder seems to be available only in Europe (close to the LS-7 ?) and could be considered --through what I read-- as a "light" LS-10/LS-11. I made my choice against a Sony M10, considering some links :
http://www.avisoft.com/recordertests.htm
http://www.theatreofnoise.com/2010/04/sony-pcm-m10-versus-olympus-ls-10-ls-11.html
and TS.
I assume the electronics inside those three Olympus is the same but I could be wrong.

Another very important reason was the price :
http://www.thomann.de/fr/sony_pcmm10_anthrazit.htm : 285 € (big European site; world site?)
http://www.digixo.com/audio-mp3/enregistreur-numerique/olympus/p268660-ls-5.html (French site): 158.90 € (I paid 148 € four weeks ago...).

This is an European link in English:
http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/digital-recorder_professional_dictation_2578_digital-recorder_ls-5_23095.htm
Dictation? Specs (part of):

Recording Modes
        Recording format   WAV / WMA / MP3 , PCM
        PCM (WAV) format
        96kHz / 24bit   0 h 55 min
        96kHz / 16bit   1 h 25 min
        88.2kHz / 24bit   1 h
        88.2kHz / 16bit   1 h 35 min
        48kHz / 24bit   1 h 55 min
        48kHz / 16bit   2 h 55 min
        44.1kHz / 24bit   2 h 5 min
        44.1kHz / 16bit   3 h 10 min
        Mono   6 h 20 min
        PCM+
        MP3 format
        320 kbps   14 h 10 min
        256 kbps   17 h 45 min
        128 kbps   35 h 35 min
        MP3+
        WMA format
        160 kbps   27 h 50 min
        64 kbps   69 h 35 min
        WMA+   

        Playback format   WAV / WMA / MP3 , PCM

Frequency response
        96kHz (PCM)   20 - 44.000 Hz
        88.1kHz (PCM)   20 - 42,000 Hz
        48kHz (PCM)   20 - 23.000 Hz
        44.1kHz (PCM)   20 - 21.000 Hz
        44.1kHz mono   20 Hz - 21 kHz
        320 kbps (MP3)   50 - 20.000 Hz
        256 kbps (MP3)   50 - 20.000 Hz
        128 kbps (MP3)   50 - 17.000 Hz
        Mono   50 Hz - 13 kHz
        160 kbps (WMA)   50 - 19.000 Hz
        128 kbps (WMA)   50 - 19.000 Hz
        64 kbps (WMA)   50 - 15.000 Hz
        Frequency response   70 - 20.000 Hz

Sorry for the length...
As of now, I did not record serious stuff with it and I did not compare it to the Sony M10. But for the price I paid (about half the Sony's price) I can  cope with small differences!

Some other features:
- Very user friendly menu organization,
- Record level: automatic, manuel, manuel with limiter,
- It can record in mono (without tweaking cables and plugs... and loosing space on the card!)
- Autonomy is said to be "23 h (PCM 44.1kHz / 16bit)".

I am afraid I've been too long but I hope this helps European friends.
Digixo ships worldwide to European Union countries and French Overseas Territories.

[F.O.Bean]

Good post! And I agree w/ jmbell that the M10 is hands down the best handheld recorder for 2 channel stuff, at least using external mics/preamps

[aaronji]

I think it depends on where you shop to some extent.  Feedback (the Netherlands, http://www.feedback.nl/) is selling the M10 for 195 euros

  do they ship to germany?

I don't know.  I have bought a bunch of things from them, but the shop is a short tram ride from my office (and fun to look around in; it's huge and has a ton of stuff), so I've never done it by web.  I bought my M10 there when they came out and got a good deal then, too.  Give the site a try; they may sell directly to Germany.  If not, they might allow a bill to address in the Netherlands and a ship to address in Germany.  In which case, PM me and we can figure something out...

[rjp]

I'm still running my LS-10, and when combined with my Littlebox preamp and AKG Perception 170 mics it works superbly. Keep in mind that the LS-10, and to a lesser extent the LS-11, are known for having a baked-in low frequency rolloff on the mic input and internal mics, but that doesn't affect the line-in. I don't know much about the LS-5, 7, or 100, or the LS-20M camcorder.

If you're running a preamp, the LS-11 should be just fine. If you're using a battery box or just plugging external PIP mics directly into the recorder, you might find that a preamp is a better bet (depending on the mics and your personal taste).

[TSNéa]

I don't know much about the LS-5, 7, or 100, or the LS-20M camcorder.

Concerning the LS-5, the Instructions Manual says:

LINE  IN  Jack  (During  recording  or  playback mode):
Linear PCM format
Recording mode Overall frequency response
96 kHz               20 Hz to 44 kHz
88.2 kHz            20 Hz to 42 kHz
48 kHz               20 Hz to 23 kHz
44.1 kHz            20 Hz to 21 kHz
44.1 kHz/mono  20 Hz to 21 kHz

[...]

Built-in stereo microphone (During recording mode):
60 Hz to 20 kHz
•  However,  when  recording  by  the  MP3 format  or  the  WMA  format,  the  upper limit  value  of  the  frequency  response depends  on  each  recording  mode

Hope this helps.

[JFP]

first recording made in 96/24. Not that bad. However I was far from the stage and LS 11 under a pull over not really close to the ears 
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=390160