Topic: Sony PCM M-10 vs Something for College Lectures

[doblecombo]

This is all you need:

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-Flash-Recorder-ICD-PX312/dp/B004M8SSZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327000151&sr=8-1

Takes microSD card for expanded memory. Has jack for external mic.

I'll be also using it for a 3.5mm external mic for interviews and that kind of stuff, a want a small one for filed recording and a big one for mor pro usage, are the preamps on this thing good?

Good enough for college lectures. If you want to do field recordings, concerts, etc., get the M10.

I'll probably get both..dunno

[F.O.Bean]

Go  with an M10

[doblecombo]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

[F.O.Bean]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

[doblecombo]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

YMMV It's been a long time since the last time I heard that.

I guess I'll pick that one up so I can also use decent external mics

Would you mind doing a test at home with your m10 and tell me how it went? (Just like if you wre in college)

I'd greatly apprreciate it

[F.O.Bean]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

YMMV It's been a long time since the last time I heard that.

I guess I'll pick that one up so I can also use decent external mics

Would you mind doing a test at home with your m10 and tell me how it went? (Just like if you wre in college)

I'd greatly apprreciate it

What do you mean "test it" Ive recorded around 100 sets of music w/ my black M10, KNOCK ON WOOD, and has been reliable 100% of the time, thus far

[doblecombo]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

YMMV It's been a long time since the last time I heard that.

I guess I'll pick that one up so I can also use decent external mics

Would you mind doing a test at home with your m10 and tell me how it went? (Just like if you wre in college)

I'd greatly apprreciate it

What do you mean "test it" Ive recorded around 100 sets of music w/ my black M10, KNOCK ON WOOD, and has been reliable 100% of the time, thus far

Ohh crap, nvm, forget it I trust you

It's the sony then, although now I need to save more money :b

[F.O.Bean]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

YMMV It's been a long time since the last time I heard that.

I guess I'll pick that one up so I can also use decent external mics

Would you mind doing a test at home with your m10 and tell me how it went? (Just like if you wre in college)

I'd greatly apprreciate it

What do you mean "test it" Ive recorded around 100 sets of music w/ my black M10, KNOCK ON WOOD, and has been reliable 100% of the time, thus far

Ohh crap, nvm, forget it I trust you

It's the sony then, although now I need to save more money :b

If you dont like it, you can resell at a very nice price  without losing your ass

[doblecombo]

Go  with an M10

You got any experience with it? Any similar situation like mine?

Yes, I own [2] M10's I dont use the internal mics, but for what you want to do[voices, conferences, etc.] I would DEF go witrh something that has omni mics ala the M10

Thats just what I would do YMMV

YMMV It's been a long time since the last time I heard that.

I guess I'll pick that one up so I can also use decent external mics

Would you mind doing a test at home with your m10 and tell me how it went? (Just like if you wre in college)

I'd greatly apprreciate it

What do you mean "test it" Ive recorded around 100 sets of music w/ my black M10, KNOCK ON WOOD, and has been reliable 100% of the time, thus far

Ohh crap, nvm, forget it I trust you

It's the sony then, although now I need to save more money :b

If you dont like it, you can resell at a very nice price  without losing your ass

Researching out there I found on 3 different websites that for my purpose the type of mics on the pcm m10 (omni directional) are not good, They say I would be better with a unidirectional cardoid built in mic, so I dont know, is this true?

[Teen Age Riot]

Disclaimer: I have not used the M10.

Having said that, I have used the Edirol R09 and R09HR to record lectures. The results were good in the sense that what I recorded was intelligible, and the recordings  helped me review those passages that I found hard to grasp during the lecture. The closer to the sound source, the better. This is way more important than the particular recorder you're getting.

I've been doing educational research for the last couple of years, which involved taping high school students in class, an environment that is usually a lot noisier than your typical lecture hall... In this context, the recorders that were designed for speech did better than the Edirols and my Tascam DR-2d which, btw, has cardioid mics. The results were more intelligible and therefore easier to transcribe. There also seemed to be a bit less background noise, which is remarkable because the decks were placed among the students, next to their textbooks, papers, pens etc. so they were exposed to a lot of noise. One of those speech-optimized recorders was an Olympus DM-450, the other one was also an Olympus, but I don't remember which model.

So if I had to record lectures again (thank god those days are over...), I might look into a dedicated voice recorder. Then again, you'll get decent, usable results with just about any other deck, as well.

[doblecombo]

Disclaimer: I have not used the M10.

Having said that, I have used the Edirol R09 and R09HR to record lectures. The results were good in the sense that what I recorded was intelligible, and the recordings  helped me review those passages that I found hard to grasp during the lecture. The closer to the sound source, the better. This is way more important than the particular recorder you're getting.

I've been doing educational research for the last couple of years, which involved taping high school students in class, an environment that is usually a lot noisier than your typical lecture hall... In this context, the recorders that were designed for speech did better than the Edirols and my Tascam DR-2d which, btw, has cardioid mics. The results were more intelligible and therefore easier to transcribe. There also seemed to be a bit less background noise, which is remarkable because the decks were placed among the students, next to their textbooks, papers, pens etc. so they were exposed to a lot of noise. One of those speech-optimized recorders was an Olympus DM-450, the other one was also an Olympus, but I don't remember which model.

So if I had to record lectures again (thank god those days are over...), I might look into a dedicated voice recorder. Then again, you'll get decent, usable results with just about any other deck, as well.

I'll have to think that, a friend of mine told me about these.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ECM-DS70P-Electret-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B00006HOLL/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1327090362&sr=1-1

He says those are good, and well, a dedicated voice recorder might work, I guess I'll end up with one recorder for college, another one for stealth and another one for high-end pro recordings with xlr inputs

[rastasean]

Once again, any recorder and microphone will do well if its near the sound source. I have that sony mic (i'd need te double check the model #) and if you really want to have it, I'll take $15. PM if you want.

I am in a class room that has five students and its very quiet but I can hear the hum of the fluorescent lights and the roar of the traffic a few hundred yards behind me and every mouse click and keyboard press...the point is the mics and recorder are likely to pick all of this up as well. Don't expect hollywood results from that mic or the m10 or really any of the recorders you're looking at.

[earmonger]

Recording speech and recording music are a different. Most of us here record music, and we want deep bass frequencies all the way up to feedback screeching. Speech is a narrower frequency band.

I have set my PCM-M10 on a table near someone talking and gotten great recordings.

But the PCM-M10 is probably overkill  for your purposes. You could get a voice recorder, like the Sony ICX series, or some of the Olympus recorders, or the Tascam, and do just as well. If money is a problem, Google "voice recorder" and take it from there. Or save up, get the PCM-M10, and take it to a concert sometime.

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Meanwhile, DS70P....not at full price. Please.  It's not even as good as the built-ins on the PCM-M10, though it is directional instead of omni, which would help for lectures.

 The DS70P has got no bass response--frequency range is 100 - 15000 Hz. The limited frequency range is probably helpful for speech, to limit things like air conditioner hum. But it is noisier than other mics in its price range.  Here are its specs.

http://reviews.cnet.com/microphones/sony-ecm-ds70p/4507-6469_7-20648800.html
 
You can find better, cheaper cardioids (directional mics)  from places like www.soundprofessionals.com or www.microphonemadness.com.  Then again, if Rastasean will sell one for $15 it will do the job.
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As pointed out above, just about any recorder will get a passable speech recording if you have the microphone placed where it picks up more lecture than noise. Voice recorders can clarify speech because they don't pick up the highs and lows of ambient noise, and they probably have directional mics. But if you are planning to use a recorder for music, then yes, save up for the PCM-M10.