Portable recording device
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Guys can anybody give me recommendations or advise on buying a portable recording device?
I'm talking mid range gear like zoom h4n, tascam dr1, Edirol R09HR, M Audio MicroTrack II
I want something with decent builtin mics and it will be pretty much exlusively used for recording ambience and also some stereo recordings of close up random foley type sounds
I am finding it very tough to decide which one :S
I had my eye on zoom h4n but I am getting more and more confused the more I look at each product.
I have the Edirol and love it. The 1/8th inch line in jack can get loose (according to some of the reviews I've read) but I've never noticed a problem.
I've done quite a bit of foley with it and it always delivered.
I've done quite a bit of foley with it and it always delivered.
I'm just getting into sound design and foley work so I will look into the edirol. Can anyone suggest any particular microphones for recording foley sound? I'm not even sure which type of microphones are best suited for this purpose.
I have the Microtrack I, the only complaints that I would have, ironically, is that it's too small--I always feel like it hangs from my mics and phones.
Well, the other complaint that I have is that it has an internal lithium ion battery that has a 3 hour recording charge (longer if not recording) which is too short for good field recording sessions which can take all day. You can charge it up in an hour or less, but that only is useful if you're somewhere with access to a socket or a computer.
If you're field recording in the woods, you're out of luck in a few hours :(.
Get one that has replaceable batteries, so you can swap batteries out mid session.
The microtrak 2, I believe, takes Compactflahs type II, which is great--if you can fit 3 hours of 24bit/96khz recording, you're golden.
There is also the famous 1-bit recorder, but it's exceptionally expensive and you need other equipment and software to deal with 1-bit recordings.
Well, the other complaint that I have is that it has an internal lithium ion battery that has a 3 hour recording charge (longer if not recording) which is too short for good field recording sessions which can take all day. You can charge it up in an hour or less, but that only is useful if you're somewhere with access to a socket or a computer.
If you're field recording in the woods, you're out of luck in a few hours :(.
Get one that has replaceable batteries, so you can swap batteries out mid session.
The microtrak 2, I believe, takes Compactflahs type II, which is great--if you can fit 3 hours of 24bit/96khz recording, you're golden.
There is also the famous 1-bit recorder, but it's exceptionally expensive and you need other equipment and software to deal with 1-bit recordings.
Author
Quote:Original post by nsmadsen
I have the Edirol and love it. The 1/8th inch line in jack can get loose (according to some of the reviews I've read) but I've never noticed a problem.
I've done quite a bit of foley with it and it always delivered.
Nice. Have you used the internal mics much?
Just wanted to thank Jay Taylor for starting this post and all the replies. I was looking into this as well, but haven't had much time to do research, (Just got married and moved this past week)
Author
Congrats on getting married!!
The Edirol R09HR and Zoom h4n are both looking quite good. I think I will go for whichever has a better preamp and/or built in mics.
The Edirol R09HR and Zoom h4n are both looking quite good. I think I will go for whichever has a better preamp and/or built in mics.
Yes, the built in mics are all I use with the Edirol.
MattGags- welcome to the married club!!!
MattGags- welcome to the married club!!!
It seems the Zoom H4 adds a little beep noise when using the phantom power, from the little light that keeps blinking; it'd be wise to read some product reviews on it, they get a bit further on the subject.
The Zoom H2, on the other hand, seems to be better suited for hobby\student field recording, and it's high quality as at least Bobby Prince uses it :D
Check this article for more info on the differences between the two recorders.
EDIT: The only problem with these portable recorders is that they generally only have 3 input levels: low, mid and high. That limits your control on the recording.
If price is not a problem, then you could go for something a bit better:
Tascam HD-P2
You'll have to excuse me, but that HD-P2 looks so hot.
The Zoom H2, on the other hand, seems to be better suited for hobby\student field recording, and it's high quality as at least Bobby Prince uses it :D
Check this article for more info on the differences between the two recorders.
EDIT: The only problem with these portable recorders is that they generally only have 3 input levels: low, mid and high. That limits your control on the recording.
If price is not a problem, then you could go for something a bit better:
Tascam HD-P2
You'll have to excuse me, but that HD-P2 looks so hot.
The HD-P2 does look amazing, but is more then what I am looking for. I just need a high quality digital recorder. The Edirol R09HR is what I'm aiming for right now.
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