Portable Recorders ?

ciw · Post by **ciw** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:47 pm

not tried any of these - but for a cheap option pick up a sony ecm-907 mic (i have owned two - pretty good for the price although the cable tends to crackle after a while).

then plug it into an old md recorder, or i've heard you can get ipods to use their headphone socket as a mic in if you install linux on them..?

edit: this is stereo btw

dave_house · Post by **dave_house** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:53 pm

ciw - thats exactly my setup at the moment! Except an iRiver H120 / H140 with Rockbox firmware is the way to go if you want an MP3 player that makes decent recordings...

djlimbs · Post by **djlimbs** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 3:30 pm

sxezskoz wrote:BinaryB, may I ask how it is that you got into the field you are in? I've been submitting resumes on Gamasutra for composer gigs for a few months now, I'd love more than anything to compose for games.

i'm also in the game audio field...check out www.gameaudioforum.com and www.audiogang.com for more resources. there's a thriving community out there which is about to get huge thanks to EM, Remix mag and other mainstream press features about the field. am also looking for a good field recorder, I've heard a lotta good things about the H4 too. My thing is that plugging an external mic in via XLR is only attractive if the preamp is good, otherwise I'll look for a decent portable pre-amp and plug it into a recorder's line ins.

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 4:03 pm

Robert, what recorders have you used in the past? What is it about the D-50 that makes you swoon?

The D-50 cannot accept XLR plugs without this box:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... apter.html

The Sony recorders are really sweet though.

djlimbs wrote:I'll look for a decent portable pre-amp and plug it into a recorder's line ins.

Here's a good one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 ... annel.html

I used an H4 recently and I thought it was pretty cool. Navigating the menus was a little weird, and naming the files on the device was a pain, but it's a good deal for the $$. I've heard it can be sensitive to handling noise (no internal shockmounting).

For more info check out this out of date video on the subject:
http://www.video.bhphotovideo.com/index ... 5e986c0606

That was shot in July of 2007. There was no air conditioning in the studio we used. I look a little greasy.

sxezskoz · Post by **sxezskoz** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 5:44 pm

the preamps on the h4 are worthy, for the price it makes a wonderful backup at the very least. the menus are indeed a pain, but i should mention that the h2 is much easier to navigate and name files/set timecode. since the h2 has no xlr in, i should point out it does have a line in. get yourself a cheap two xlr in mixer with lineout and you'd be on fire with it.

that said, that pcm-d50 is one mean mug. it's on my birthday list for sure. looks much more solid than the zooms too. 4gb builtin is rather fancy and the interface looks much more navigable than either of the zooms.

djlimbs, thanks for the links.

Dominik · Post by **Dominik** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 6:39 pm

the sony and the zoom looking great.
it's so easy to use.
but how is it to make recordings on a minidisk recorder?
are there any quality differences btw. the inbuild preamps?
the best for me would be a pocket pc with usb and asio support.

sans soleil · Post by **sans soleil** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:01 am

hey...nothing wrong with the edirol r09...sounds great (better than both zooms and the microtrack in my opinion) and should be cheaper than the sony.

a few things i like about the edirol:
- really quick strart-up - good for getting those all-of-a-sudden cool sounds before they're gone.
- takes AA batteries: useful when you're going to weird places or when power starts to run out when you're in the middle of something good.
- on-board mics sound pretty good (much better than i would have expected). handy when you don't want to drag a lot of crap around
- smaller than everything but the zoom h2

dm · Post by dm » Tue Feb 26, 2008 6:25 am

i use a zoom h2. sound-wise i like it, and the ability to record in surround is cool. it's really portable, pocket-sized and can be operated with one hand easily. it also comes with a screw-in mic stand thing, which i hold when recording on the move to reduce handling noise.

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 10:17 pm

sans soleil wrote:hey...nothing wrong with the edirol r09...sounds great (better than both zooms and the microtrack in my opinion) and should be cheaper than the sony.

a few things i like about the edirol:
- really quick strart-up - good for getting those all-of-a-sudden cool sounds before they're gone.
- takes AA batteries: useful when you're going to weird places or when power starts to run out when you're in the middle of something good.
- on-board mics sound pretty good (much better than i would have expected). handy when you don't want to drag a lot of crap around
- smaller than everything but the zoom h2

One of my co-workers tried out all of the under $500 recorders one day and felt that the Edirol r09 sounded the best. Of course, like 5 new ones came out at NAMM, so I'll have to check in with him and see if it still holds the prize.

Ableton poster named Buzby is also an r09 user. Last I heard, he's really happy with it too. Plus it comes in three fashion colors, so people like Nebulae can coordinate it with their outfits.

Robert Henke · Post by **Robert Henke** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:30 am

The D50 has much more quiet mic pre amps then the Edirol R-9. It allows to record 96 k and it has a good limiter....

If you want to record quieter stuff the D50 beats all the other recorders in the same price range. I know it has no XLRs, but i do not miss them since I am very happy with the internal mics.

Robert

glu · Post by **glu** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:22 am

I need a field recorder (very soon) because I'm heading to the Amazon to record monkey vocalizations. I need some advice.

I will use a Sennheiser ME-66 short-gun microphone with the K6 power module.

Most of the solid state field recorders have the mini jack, such as the Sony PCM D 50 and Edirol R9, so can I just get an XLR->3.5 mm gold jack converter, or will that degrade the sound?

Sales Dude McBoob · Post by **Sales Dude McBoob** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:29 pm

glu wrote:I need a field recorder (very soon) because I'm heading to the Amazon to record monkey vocalizations. I need some advice.

I will use a Sennheiser ME-66 short-gun microphone with the K6 power module.

Most of the solid state field recorders have the mini jack, such as the Sony PCM D 50 and Edirol R9, so can I just get an XLR->3.5 mm gold jack converter, or will that degrade the sound?

Glu-

You can run your ME66 on a AA battery with the K6 power module. If you need to plug it into a mini-plug mic input you can use this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... _High.html

You may want to consider using a shockmount and with a pistol grip to cut down on handling noise (the ME66 is super sensitive):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... &Q=*&bhs=t

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... _Foam.html

Keep in mind that the nature of shotgun microphones skews sound quality. The long interference tube on the shotgun augments the frequencies. You tend to get less lows and highs and a accentuated mid range. That's why they're so popular with TV production, it brings the person's voice a bit closer and it makes the mid range of their voice cut through a bit more. In that regard it may not be the best tool for nature recordings. It would be cool if you had it and other mics, like the built-in stereo mics. Then you could use which ever mic better suited the sound you're after. On a budget I would get the Zoom H4 and use the XLR ins and use a AA battery on the mic instead of phantom power. If you can spend a bit more get the D50 and that Hosa mic adapter cable. Then you have those nice quiet stereo mics with a low noise floor - and your shotgun option too.

P.S. thanks Robert!

forge · Post by **forge** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 2:48 pm

glu wrote:I need a field recorder (very soon) because I'm heading to the Amazon to record monkey vocalizations. I need some advice.

I want your life

glu · Post by **glu** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 9:53 pm

Sales Dude McBoob wrote:
glu wrote:I need a field recorder (very soon) because I'm heading to the Amazon to record monkey vocalizations. I need some advice.

I will use a Sennheiser ME-66 short-gun microphone with the K6 power module.

Most of the solid state field recorders have the mini jack, such as the Sony PCM D 50 and Edirol R9, so can I just get an XLR->3.5 mm gold jack converter, or will that degrade the sound?
Glu-

You can run your ME66 on a AA battery with the K6 power module. If you need to plug it into a mini-plug mic input you can use this:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... _High.html

You may want to consider using a shockmount and with a pistol grip to cut down on handling noise (the ME66 is super sensitive):

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... &Q=*&bhs=t

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/4 ... _Foam.html

Keep in mind that the nature of shotgun microphones skews sound quality. The long interference tube on the shotgun augments the frequencies. You tend to get less lows and highs and a accentuated mid range. That's why they're so popular with TV production, it brings the person's voice a bit closer and it makes the mid range of their voice cut through a bit more. In that regard it may not be the best tool for nature recordings. It would be cool if you had it and other mics, like the built-in stereo mics. Then you could use which ever mic better suited the sound you're after. On a budget I would get the Zoom H4 and use the XLR ins and use a AA battery on the mic instead of phantom power. If you can spend a bit more get the D50 and that Hosa mic adapter cable. Then you have those nice quiet stereo mics with a low noise floor - and your shotgun option too.

P.S. thanks Robert!

Thanks mcBoob. Those are exactly my concerns with using a shotgun mic, but but I keep finding it listed in the methods section of academic articles on primate vocalizations, so I think it is used for its ability to pick up sounds in the mid canopy (20 meters?) and not the immediate ambient noise. It was also recommended to me by a 'bioacoustic primatologist' who said I have to get a directional/shotgun to really bypass the noisy jungle understory.

The other problem is a tight budget. I spent hours researching online user reviews, blogs, comments, tests and discussions, etc. on most available field recorders within the $300-700 price range, and I am considering the PMD 620. From what I have read, the component quality is ace and it seems to be all around decent for what it does.

Regarding the zoom h4, I have read that its preamps suck and to stay away.

If the budget wasn't so tight, I wouldn't question whether to get D50. Damn... This involves convincing my co-researcher (who happens to also be my girl) that I we need to throw another $100 into our recording gear... yikes... not going to happen unless she can get us more grant money!

glu · Post by **glu** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 10:11 pm

forge wrote:
glu wrote:I need a field recorder (very soon) because I'm heading to the Amazon to record monkey vocalizations. I need some advice.
I want your life

Anything is possible. My pessimistic antipolitical, neo-malthusian world view has motivated me to go see the world before it's too damn late. The US is a terrible zoo enclosure; but I guess that can be said about a lot of places. It's nice to get out of the cage every now and again to hang out with other primates!