Topic: please recommend a mic for me

[rene]

I just got a Sony TCM 450dv from my sister, she used to use it for collage, taping lectures and thins like that. I know it's not the best for taping shows but I'd like to try. I'm going to a couple of blues gigs after easter. What kind of mic would be best to use for this? Let's say $100 as an upper limit. ($80 ebay dollars) Thanks.

[Craig T]

I wouldn't spend any money on a mic for this recorder.  Try using the internal mic, and if that doesn't work (it will probably overload and sound distorted), save up some $ and invest in something like a JB3.

[rene]

I wasn't planning on getting into taping at all. I was just wondering if I could get this recorder I have to make a bit better sounding recordings. Will it not sound better with an external mic?

[twatts (pants are so over-rated...)]

I'd buy one of these...  http://www.minidisco.com/single-point-stereo-mics.html

But really, if you aren't planning on taping, or buying anything better than a dictation recorder, then you can't be too upset when you recordings sound bad.  The combination of any of these and the recorder you are planning on using won't make the best tapes...

Terry

[Craig T]

if you're set on trying, you'll need a mic with battery power or that will take the 3v "plug-in power" of the recorder.  the rode nt3 and akg c1000 can both use an internal 9v battery.  I think that recorder is mono, so you'd only need one mic.

[rene]

Another thing I was thinking about was that I'm not just going to put my recorder on the table and press rec and I'm not going to record with the recorder in my pocket. So I was also thinking about getting a mic that would be less visible. What would you guys recommend then? Doesn't have to be that good, like you said before it's a crappy recorder anyway.

[greenone]

I doubt you'll even get passable sound...think of it this way - a dictation recorder is designed to record voices at fairly low levels. So is a telephone. If you've ever had a friend call you from a concert to hear a song, that's basically what your recording will end up sounding like - a narrow frequency response (i.e. no bass) and horribly overloaded.

[rene]

I don't really care. I just wanted to try it out.

[greenone]

Fair enough - have fun and be careful...it's addictive.