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Audio/Sound Recording Equipment Recommendations Pretty Please?
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Hi there folks, I know there was a post on this sometime ago but has anyone any recommendations about the best portable recording system. Something small I can slide in my bag?
I have been told that the Sony MD Walkman MZMH1 is really good but I am working with Mac and I really just want a plug and play number. It is also $600 so anything cheaper would be nice.
God its endless isn’t it-I think I should have just stuck to painting when I left art school!
As always- thanks in advance!
by
lisa hogben
at
Fri Mar 14 03:30:33 UTC 2008
(ed. Mar 28 2008)
sydney,
Australia
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Hey Lisa, Hope you are doing well down there! We just purchased a Zoom H2 to gather audio for our up-coming projects this year. It is very light and plasticy, but it does the job well—providing you use an external mic. For value for money its a pretty good deal. $160 US. It does have a built in mic too which can be used at a pinch, but I wouldn’t vouch for its quality.
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Hey James I lost a darling mate of mine a little while ago and am very sad but otherwise things are OK!
Is that a Sony product or what breed is it? What sort of quality is it sufficient for? Net or DVD? I think WAV files are the most common app does it do those straight up or do they have to be converted?
Mmmmwwwwaaaaahhhhhh!
And to think Douglass Adams in his first paragraph of Hitch Hikers Guide to the Universe wrote “and the human race thought it was pretty cool because it had invented digital watches”!
How are you BTW?
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Lisa,
I would second the H2 as a great budget field recorder. And while I’d agree that an external mic will be superior to the internal mic, isn’t that always the case? Believe me the internal mics that come with it will more then suffice in most run of the mill cases. Yes it is Plasticy and the jury is still out on its durability over time, but for the money you CANNOT beat it. O.K. I’m a fan. : ) Let me just say it warrants serious consideration.
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OK I found it, but anyone else done a comparison?
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All good thanks Hoggers! looks like some good info from PJ above. Edirol (by Roland) is another cheap option. Marantz offer better quality gear but more $$$’s and bulkier. Would forget about the mini disk if I were you. Great sound but more hassle with transfer.
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The H2 is the newer version… The H4 predates the H2. The H4 has XLR inputs if this is important to you. The H2 is more compact, which was a plus for me.
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i have an h2, fun little thing with good quality sound if you don’t pick up lots of background.
what sort of external mics are people using with stereo jacks?
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I had an Edirol 09. It has great sound but ( VERY) bad plastics: it broke down (can’t even switch it on anymore) and I can’t have it repaired…
So I bought this:
http://gizmodo.com/340007/olympus-ls+10-pcm-stereo-recorder-is-a-studio-in-your-pocket
I’ll have it in my hands this afternoon and will tell you what it’s worth. But the specs are definitely one notch higher than the Edirol 09. And the build is better (metal case), Olympus having a good reputation.
John
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Yep Olympus do good compact, John I would love it if you could let me know that would be great!
I am going to try and get one tomorrow morning (its 5pm Friday arvo here now) ’cos I need something for the arvo tomorrow.
The H2/H4 seems to be getting some votes though!
Cheers BTW and thanks you guys, you are TOPS!
What would I do without you lovely LightStalkers!
THANX!!!!!
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Hi Lisa,
On the brink of buying the H2 too :-) Worked with a journalist in Addis Ababa and he used his H2 for a piece he made for the Dutch radio. Great quality and SO affordable!
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Olympus LS-10…new item from top company … rugged, rugged, rugged. Metal. No plastic parts to break. CD quality sound, excellent music recorder as well as voice..no hiss, almost no handling noise…MP3 or WAV…Manual level control with meters or Automatic level control (you want manual for music in a noisy environment)… USB…AA batteries (cheap) SD card AND flash memory, excellent mikes with foam windscreens (looks like a slim Zoom). $400usd
djon
See also John Vink’s note above
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I spent a considerable amount of time testing and comparing field audio equipment and you cannot go wrong with the Zoom H4. It is plasticy and the user interface is poorly designed but you will get the hang of it in no time.
It has huge advantages over everything else in the field: It records directly to WAV or mp3 if you like, the batteries are standard AA that you can find anywhere, the stereo mics that are built in are very good and there are two XLR jacks if you have external mics and it takes SD cards.
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EM..Oly LS-10 comes with 2G flash memory built in,
ALSO accepts 4G more in SD card…vastly more memory
than Marantz..Oly body is smaller than two
cigarette packs end to end (I don’t smoke, but..)…
My idea of editing involves a laptop. If Marantz
allows that internally, OK, but it would be very crude
by comparison to laptop monitor.
I’m a recording rookie… Marantz seems old tech by
comparison to Oly or RO9…I wonder if many multimedia
types still use Marantz (I think the recent trend was
R09 and Zoom).. ..however, being big, Marantz may be
easier to operate on a table top…maybe Oly is too
small for some…yet I noticed a review for
sight-impaired people praising the physical operation
of the even smaller Oly DS30, a high level voice
recorder (which I carry in levis pocket and use for
note taking and interview…good voice sounds, not
good music sounds, whereas LS10 is superb for music)
LS10 is coat pocket-size (too big for pants pocket),
Marantz looks to be 3X LS10 (I’ve not seen one except
online). Is size important to you? Even though LS10 is
coat pocket size, I carry mine in a medium size
digicam case with earbuds, extra batteries, and an
external microphone, and maybe an Audiotechnica
lavalier mike with too-long cord in a ziploc bag…
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i picked up a zoom h2 before i left back in january and have used it in all manners of circumstance, from rodeos to adventure races to horseback, in rain, in wind, solely with the internal mike. very useful and whereas it goes without saying that an external mike would be better, i find it suits my needs quite well.
the ability to switch from 120 degrees to 90 degrees is useful, and if you`re clever, you can make the most of the h2 in ways more advanced recorders automate. skill trumps technology, always.
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Hi Lisa,
I have been using Sony`s minidisc recorder, MZ-M200 since last year. I bought it in the US for a good price. I just checked at B&H, and its current price is $359 USD. It comes with a small external mike. This model is compatible with Mac. Its basic strength is that it`s a tiny minidisc recorder. I can hold mine in my palm or it can be put in your pocket and still one can see the interface.
I just found the place where I bought mine, minidisco.com Their price is $329.95 USD.
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I just checked the exchange rates. The above minidisc recorder, MZ-M200, costs $351.98 in AUD.
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hey folks this is fantastic, it really is down to the Zoom and Olympus. Like the idea of the Otterbox thingy will let you know what I end up with!
Cheers and thanks again!
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Hi Lisa
I have been using the Zoom H2 for 3 month’s now and it is a great unit, internal mics work very well with the standard compression setting.
Take Care, Pete
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Lisa,
You also might want to use a good headphone so you will hear what you record exactly. Something like Sony MDR-7506 will help you a lot.. even better if you can afford the MDR-7509… Don’t be surprised when you get home and listen what you have recorded without a headphone…. just a suggestion… I have the 7509 and am so happy with it…7506 is also really really good.. I know both of them…
Ali
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just ordered a H2 ..what mic should I get?
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Mics really go for situation
I use Sennheiser ME-66 (medium shotgun) and Tram Lavalier (great for interviews) microphones (from my video setup) - if you go with Sennheiser or another shotgun tyoe – take a trip to your local Lowe’s/Home Depot/hardware store with the microphone, you will find that hotwater/coldwater PVC pipe is a perfect fit for packing the microphone segments in.. cut to correct lengths and foam in the caps.
Of course with pipe caps on it, they look like a pipe bomb, which TSA will take issue with in carry on luggage, But I have never had a problem with these in checked luggage.. and again like the Otterbox, protects the microphones.
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The Olympus LS-10 is a JEWEL… You really have something in your hand which is not likely to fail. The only little doubts I have is the durability of the Lock-Power-On slide button, of the battery cover and of the SSD slot cover. Otherwise it’s all METAL… And I love the two windshields covering the mics (which you can’t have on the Edirol 09 although they are a must have..): makes your recorder look like Mickey Mouse…
Oh… and the sound is REALLY good…
John
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Lisa, at NPR most reporters now are issued Marantz 660. It’s a solid professional piece of recording equipment, more expensive than the H2, but has more pro features (like XLR mic sockets). Matched with good mikes, you’d be really set.
For the best, most unbiased reviews of audio equipment, click here. I note a review of the H2 referenced on the home page there.
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Lisa,
I can back up Neal’s comments on the Marantz. Its a good piece of kit. However, its big and not exactly ergonomic. I’m keen to get the H2 myself.
Cheers,
Bill.
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I’ll back up Neal and Bill’s comments about the Marantz. It is superior to the Zoom H2 or H4, but it is bigger, more expensive and the user interface is very confusing. I used one of these to record a science lecture twice a week for a semester and there were consistent problems when a non-tech support person was trying to record with the Marantz. We switched to the Zoom H4 because it has a big, red record button.
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Bla Bla Bla and fucking BLA.
IF YOU WANT QUALITY ( and I use Mac too , ie no problems ) go into a GOOD sound store and try the Edirol ( Roland ) R09.
Sound and choice ( being the word )of ways to record are GREAT, best buy B & H photo, get the mike and case kit, it aint cheap, but if you don’t want cheap sounding recordings?
I have one and am VERY GLAD I got the quality, James Brickwood at Oculi has one, so maybe e-mail ph him and ask, have a go of his?
Hope things are good with you Lisa xx, off to Perth for FotoFreo 08 on the 11th, YAAAAH.
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Yeah: EDIROL rules over CHEAP plastics… Sound is great but what’s the use if the buttons refuse access to the machine because it was built by dyslexics? And how do you fit a windshield over the mics?
People, believe me: I WAS a convinced Edirol fan… Until it gave up on me after just 6 months of normal recorder life…
I bet no one among you has had the Olympus LS-10 in his hands… Same sound quality, better battery life, expandable memory, and METAL case… And SO much more…
John
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Hi Lisa and the rest,
This may not answer your question on a great mic (since you’ve already have had plenty of help on that one).
But what i do is go for a handy (and i mean really small & light-weight) camcorder and an additional wireless mic. That way you can either rely on the camcorder’s internal mic to pick up ambient and the wireless for more direction controlled audio interviews. Be sure to check the camcorder’s capacity to take in XLR points though.
This helps me in most situations.
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I’ve been gathering audio with M-Audio Microtrack and various Mini-DV Cams for over two years now, and the mic that I love more than anything is the Audio Technica ATR-55. It’s a shotgun with variable settings. The sound quality is far above satisfactory, and the best thing is you can pick one up for around 60 bucks. It comes with a windscreen (which works ok) and a hotshoe mount (which will break immediately). I bought a shockmount hotshoe clip for it and it works great. I have no complaints.
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Can that audio technica atr55 be hand-held?
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Maybe somebody should ask what Lisa really wants to do with this gizmo.
..so…Lisa, what do you want to do with this gizmo?
Do you want to record mostly on location, spontaneously?
Must you use conventional (large) handheld microphones?
Might you travel for extended periods without time for charging batteries? (AAA batteries last forever and are available everywhere)
You did say “Something small I can slide in my bag”…which probably rules out Marantz, as well as traditional interview microphones.
Olympus LS-10 is plenty small enough, though it’s significantly heavier than the plastic machines (like carrying small pistol or brass knuckles)…you’ll know you’re carrying it… it’d be hard to carelessly damage it…comes standard with a set of windscreens …
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I have the Marantz everyone has mentioned and it is a great piece of gear. It needs to be smaller, and it’s not the greatest when it comes to battery life.
The new Marantz PMD620 looks very interesting. OLED display and SD card recording, and it uses AA batteries (huge benefit).
http://www.d-mpro.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=4313&Tab=Data+Sheet
No XLR inputs – but that’s pretty common for the compact recorders. Looks pretty rugged…
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I’m about to order the H2 myself and I’d like your input on a couple of issues.
About memory cards:
I’ve found a list of “Operation Confirmed SD Cards” at zoom’s site, but which are the most reliable? I’ve read reviews about memory loss and cards coming into pieces; are there any models you know of that I should definitely avoid?
About storing:
An assignment has come up that requires audio recording of polyphonic music on location.
My current laptop is too heavy to take with, so I’m thinking of buying two 4GB SD or 8GB SDHC cards and a stand-alone storage device like Wolverine 60GB FlashPac 7000 to unload the SD cards when/if they get full. Has anyone any thoughts or recommendations on an alternative model/brand, or even a whole procedure if I’m looking at this the wrong way?
Any help will be deeply appreciated.
Thodoris.
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I have always used SanDisk Extreme cards. They are reliable and have haven’t broken or failed one me yet. You can get a 2GB Extreme III at B&H for $30.
Something to consider when you buy your cards is if you will ever need to record a lot of data quickly. There are really only two factors I look at in memory card.
1. Is it reliable?
2. Will it record fast enough to take advantage of my camera/recorder/device’s capability?
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Just a quick note for anyone considering an Oly LS-10. The price has dropped to below $300 on amazon.
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Thanks Pj I wonder if that price fall will be reflected out here?
I still haven’t made my mind up but I don’t want to be lugging huge mics around with me, I carry too much stuff as it is.
Well I have to have room for my makeup don’t I? Hehehehehe….
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Oh rats… I paid too much… At 399 it was a good deal already considering the quality. At 300 it’s REALLY worth it.
John
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I found a perfect case for LS-10…from REI ( REI.com)… It’s “Outdoor Products” brand and was designed for GPS…ballistic cloth, padded…comfortable close fit for LS-10 WITH WINDSCREENS ATTACHED (essential IMO). Has secure clip/clasp closure and locking hook for attachment to pack or whatever…
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John:
Just out of curiosity (in case I do buy an LS-10), I went to the REI Web site but couldn’t find the case. Can you provide a link?
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