 Portable Recorders |
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Im really keen to buy a hand held recorder, but have no idea what one to buy or how much it is worth spending.
Any one have any advice?
Thanks...
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17-01-2009 00:13 |
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fezz
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Registration Date: 17-01-2009
Posts: 15
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like one of those tiny digital 4-tracks? if so, theres quite a few to choose from, and they run between $199-299
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17-01-2009 06:53 |
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Yawn 
Sponsor
Registration Date: 25-01-2005
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God, I used to have Zoom PS-04 and it was a really piece of crap.... The quality of the recorded sound wasnt too bad, but it was a real pain in the arse to use, really unintuitve interface. I wasn't rocket science, just annoying more than anything and it used to sometimes randomly format the memory card 
oh and it wsa smart media too which is rubbish).
The new Boss, M-audio, line6, edirol & roland recorders look ok though. There's quite a few on the market.
The Marantz ones look exceptionally good though.
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17-01-2009 12:10 |
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thechronic
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Registration Date: 01-11-2002
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What do you want to use it for?
Bit of a big difference if you want to record DJ-sets, nature samples or multitrack.
If you want to record stereo, I have seen some of my colleagues use the Zoom H4 lately. It has a built in stereo mic with wind screen, jack and XLR inputs. Phantom power if you want to hook up a better mic. It records on memory cards and connects to the computer via USB.
I have no idea about the price, but it has been referred to as being 'dirt cheap' and 'works surprisingly well for the price'. But also 'rather have this stolen than my laptop' 
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18-01-2009 17:58 |
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Halph-Price
Zombie Algorithm
Registration Date: 22-12-2004
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i still us my trusty old Sony Mini-Disk player. gets great headroom they can record very loud for a digital recorder. it has better sounding hard distortion on it when it gets too loud, then clipping digitally. so i enjoy. use it with my mic. had it for YEARS.
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18-01-2009 18:37 |
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c_ctrl
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Registration Date: 02-06-2008
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The H4 is alright but the mic placement on it is a little odd.. they point at each other which caused me a bit of grief. I'm getting a yamaha Pocketrack when I get my next paycheck.
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22-01-2009 16:52 |
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thechronic
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| quote: |
Originally posted by c_ctrl
The H4 is alright but the mic placement on it is a little odd.. they point at each other which caused me a bit of grief. I'm getting a yamaha Pocketrack when I get my next paycheck. |
Nah the mic placement on that recorder is the bog standard 'coincident pair' (aka 'XY') stereo mic technique that is in use for like 50+ years, can't get less odd than that 
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22-01-2009 17:06 |
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BattleDrone
2161... the future.
Registration Date: 30-12-2005
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| quote: |
Originally posted by thechronic
| quote: |
Originally posted by c_ctrl
The H4 is alright but the mic placement on it is a little odd.. they point at each other which caused me a bit of grief. I'm getting a yamaha Pocketrack when I get my next paycheck. |
Nah the mic placement on that recorder is the bog standard 'coincident pair' (aka 'XY') stereo mic technique that is in use for like 50+ years, can't get less odd than that
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I have one of those recorders with coincident pair mics at work... it looks odd, but it works fine 
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22-01-2009 21:05 |
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c_ctrl
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really?! they point directly at each other?! I don't know much about mics tbh but I swore it was the fact that they were pointing at each other that gave me some weird phase sound when i recorded sounds for a film. Might just have been a faulty unit or something, I borrowed it from the library at uni so who knows who'd messed it up before.
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24-01-2009 19:48 |
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Halph-Price
Zombie Algorithm
Registration Date: 22-12-2004
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it's not at each other, they point at a 90 degree angle next to eachother
| quote: |
| The H4 features two studio-quality electret condenser microphones configured in an X/Y pattern for true stereo recording. [sic] |
There's no phasing since the stereo image starts at exactly the same spot. great setup, least problems, and fast to do, you can even get mic holders that do it for stuff like SM58.
C_ctrl phase is the least issue with XY placment it does have a small room for phasing since there's like 2 millimeters of room, but compared to any other mic placement for stereo imaging, this is one of the least phasing possible.
Hence why it's popular. It is weird to hear because if you compare it to HUMAN hearing, it would be like listening to something with our ears next to each other. which does sound unnatural, but for natural stereo image you can get rubber heads with mics where the ears are, or one of these 2 types of mic placments for other examples.
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Near-Coincident:
Microphones positioned within the same horizontal plane. Timing difference in when signal reaches each mic provides the spacial placement clues.
ORTF ( Office de Radiodiffusion Television Francaise): Developed by the French national broadcasting system.
* 2 cardiods aimed apart
* Heads 17 cm apart
* 110 degrees included angle
* Overall coverage = 180 degrees
NOS: Dutch Broadcasting System.
* two cardiods
* 90 degrees included angle
* 30 cm apart
* Overall coverage = 160 degrees .
Spaced Micing Techniques: Two or more microphones spaced several feet apart.
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about a foot apart, they get rough the stereo image of a head spaced apart, sounds more natural.
but with a mobile recorder and have 2 mics placed out a foot apart is just fucked up too.
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This post has been edited 3 time(s), it was last edited by Halph-Price: 24-01-2009 20:49.
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24-01-2009 20:41 |
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