Very basic recording in a hurry

Subject: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 08:22 AM

A musician friend of mine is dying: looks fine but his doctors have said maybe three months and he's in a lot of morphine. I would like to record him playing, but I have very little equipment (an iPhone 8) and no time to learn anything more sophisticated. I know a couple of people with small studios but I can't count on them being available, so they're an extra if it works out.

Any practical tips on how to make the best of this?

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Fred
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 09:12 AM

Jack -

That's very sad and I do not know quite what to say...

Over recording, I've got several videos of my wife playing the fiddle.

I'd never done it before, I just used à mobile phone and hoped for the best. They turned out ok.


-F

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Fred
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 09:32 AM

I'll just add that if I can take ok videos with zero previous experience, most will breeze through it :)

-F

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: The Sandman
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 09:43 AM

my advice is just, do it

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: gillymor
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 10:03 AM

I sometimes record our weekly session with a Samsung smartphone and play it back through my home stereo with an interface. Sounds surprisingly good.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: cnd
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 01:55 PM

As others have mentioned, a typical smartphone mic is sufficient for most purposes, especially if the intent is more for preservative purposes than high audio fidelity.

If you're recording outside of a studio (ie, in a home, outdoors, etc) make sure the sound in the room is good. Try to pick a space with good acoustics and lots of items to deaden the sound, like couches. If possible, try to hang blankets/fabric over walls to minimize audio echo.

If you're wanting something nicer, some libraries (in the US, at least) will loan or rent a basic digital camera. Depending on the format, you can also buy a wired microphone. (Wireless also works but can be harder to set up). This would probably be the cheapest at-home option to get good audio fidelity, plus you get the added benefit of watching them play.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 03:27 PM

It is surprising how good an old minidisk recorder with a tie clip mike attached can be, if you know anyone who has one of them stuck away in a drawer somewhere.
I used just that to record a choir a few years ago.

Robin

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Jul 25 - 03:49 PM

A used instrument store (Music-Go-Round in the US) might have a digital recorder. I found one, a Zoom H-4. It works fantastic, once I figured out what the dozen buttons all do (or at least some of them).

When I first got it, it had some tracks on it. I recognized them: somebody had been using it to record Yo-yo Ma, Edgar Myer, and Mark O'Connor (Appalachia album). If the above is not useful, go ahead and not read it.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Jul 25 - 12:37 PM

An H-1 recorder from ZOOM is dead simple...
https://zoomcorp.com/en/us/handheld-recorders/handheld-recorders/h1essential/

https://www.amazon.com/Zoom-ZH1-Portable-Digital-Recorder/dp/B003QKBVYK?th=1

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST,jim bainbridge
Date: 15 Jul 25 - 03:37 PM

One day about 15 years ago, I was at the summit of the Cairnsmore of Fleet flat topped hill of about 2300 ft high in Galloway Scotland, with my wife Francie and the late lamented Geordie MacIntyre.

A mountain biker joined us on the top & Geordie engaged him in conversation as he used to (about bicycles). Geordie had a song about a Glasgow cyclist who kept a record of every day out, every puncture & ever detail of his cycling life & proceeded to sing it to the cyclist!

The cyclist loved it & wished he could record it- then had a 'Geronimo' moment & went to his bag & produced a mobile phone & Geordie sang it again for him. It was the strangest recording session I've never attended but it shows what can be done 'in a hurry'- I wish you all the best with your effort & sympathy to your friend.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Jul 25 - 07:21 PM

If it’s just audio you want, yes, Zoom recorders give great results. I used mine a lot in the past, including making a CD for our band. The recording goes on to an SD card within the device, and you can then upload to computer. Not so many computers have CD burners these days, but then CDs don’t always last.
But as others have said, iPhone video and audio recording are pretty good too. You can easily convert your recording into a private or public YouTube.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Tangledwood
Date: 15 Jul 25 - 10:39 PM

As others have said, phones are very capable. I happily used a Zoom for many years until it failed last year and was replaced by a Tascam, which I'm also happy with. Whichever way you choose to go Audacity is a great tool to tidy up and enhance your recordings.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST,Blob Dillum
Date: 18 Jul 25 - 10:49 AM

I use a Tascam DR05 or DR40. Great sound quality and very simple to use.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: treewind
Date: 18 Jul 25 - 11:33 AM

I'd say you're OK with the phone if that's all you've got.
A Zoom (or similar) portable recorder will give you some sort of stereo sound which is nice to have but not essential.

Most important: if possible, experiment to find the best place to make the recording. A large room that's not too reverberant, lack of background noise, and experiment with microphone positioning. Find some way to hold the mic/phone at the right height and distance (a proper mic stand if you have access to one and have a way to attach the mic, or perhaps prop the phone up on a music stand if available).

Getting mic position right is half the battle with recording.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST,Blob Dillum
Date: 18 Jul 25 - 12:47 PM

Everything I say here applies also to the use of your cell phone because it is digital recording: Mic position is crucial. Be sure to give your recordings a good listening because you can get pops and rumbles and whatnot due to the mic vibrating. Much of this can be removed in a program like Audacity, but it's still good to get a good angle on the mic that reduces this noise at the start. The trick is to back off a little because you can raise the volume in the processing. It is not like working with analog recorders. With those you want to get up close and hot on the mic with the level just touching into the red. With digital you back off and don't get in too close to the subject. Getting too close is where you will get noise. You want to pick up the sound without allowing him to cause the mic to vibrate against it's enclosing casement. The idea is to get the mic diaphragm to vibrate without vibration on the outer casement. If you go outside, the wind can sweep across the casement and get that part vibrating. You need to shield the mic.

You might want to ask a friend who has experience to accompany you.
Also, with a digital recorder, you and your subject can experiment with overdubbing.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST,Steve Shaw
Date: 20 Jul 25 - 11:51 AM

Lots of good ideas and good advice here.

The handful of video clips of me playing up on YouTube were made with my Little Canon Ixus 285 HS compact camera, just propped up on a table with me at the other end. My iPhone 13 mini makes great audio recordings using the Voice Memo app. Equally, my old portable minidisc recorder does (or did) a great job with a lavalier (tie-clip) mic. Mostly, I use my phone. I play stuff back through my titchy JBL Go4 Bluetooth speaker, my very best friend. I do have a Zoom H4 but I haven't used it for years. What with my hearing the way it is, I just can't be bothered doing too much manipulating with computers these days. My go-to is my phone.

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jul 25 - 02:08 PM

I use a Zoom H2 hand recorder to save newly written material. The quality is quite good and it’s fairly simple to use if you follow the tutorials on YouTube.( They’re selling around £60 second hand on eBay)

Subject: RE: Very basic recording in a hurry
From: Jack Campin
Date: 20 Jul 25 - 05:36 PM

Tried a couple of videos tonight. Helps that I am quite good at holding the phone still.