Tech: recording live what's best format

Subject: BS: recording live what's best format
From: fogie
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 12:58 PM

For years I have used a Sony stereo cassete recorder, like the ones you used to see in the newsreels pushed under the noses of politicians making outside broadcast speeches. Everyone I know now seems to own mini-disc recorders, which seem to be better in many ways but although I've looked at various sites on the net like amazon I'm still unsure what to buy. There seems to be less microphone recording units now with a move to net recording MP3 and i-pods. I'd be grateful for advice from those who have previous experience and who have kept up to date on the technology.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 01:48 PM

Wait and get the new Hi Density Mini-disk format that coming out soon...

1 gig, or 30 + hours on a single Mini-disk!

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Amos
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 02:29 PM

MDRs can be played into and recorded by a computer, so that you can end up putting it into any file format that suits your needs, burn it to CD or what have you.

A

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 02:38 PM

fogie, if you take a look at thsi thread and the other threads which are linked at the beginning of it, you'll find some good info. I don't know how up to date any of it is, at this point, everything changes so quickly!**bg**

kat

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 04:55 PM

Several threads on this, with some good suggestions. See especially 62781 Advice field recording
In this thread several mudcatters recommended the Sony Professional Portable MD Player/Recorder MZ-B10. Price US about $275, 0r about $400 Can.
I went to the local Sony shop, and they said I would have to go to a dealer in professional gear to get it (is just Canada peculiar in that way? Why is Sony so limited on their own products?).
This website will give you a description, and the manual can be downloaded. Minidisc
It uses the TDK 74-minute BIT FIRE Minidiscs. Recorder allows 4x extension. The recorder is very small and light.
I found it easy to use- done very little so far, haven't tried it in a large place.
Better ones coming? That is always the case.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 05:07 PM

Forgot to mention, ax external stereo microphone can be added. Haven't got that yet.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Mark Clark
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 05:58 PM

Even in the US, MD products aren't widely carried. They didn't become high-volume items so the volume outlets like Best Buy don't stock them. They probably sell them online but you don't see many of them in stores. I think MD is a good choice, just a little harder to find.

A good choce for a microphone might be this one from Sony. No point in being able to record excellent sound quality if you're using a cheap mic for input.

      - Mark

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From:
Date: 05 Mar 04 - 06:24 PM

I've been using a Sharp MD for a year past now, and while it has advantages, I'm not sure that overall it is better than the Aiwa JX849 cassette recorder that I used previously.

The automatic recording level of the cassette recorder is excellent and the 4 or 8 second repeat play feature is indispensible when transcribing songs

Just what you intend to do with the recordings is a major factor. For compiling listening collections the MD would be hard to beat. For foolproof instant recording I'm still not quite sold on the MD

Jack

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 08:43 AM

Used portable analog tape recorders for decades. Switched to MD in 2000. Would NEVER go back. Same story for all the people I know who do field recordings. The thing I miss LEAST about analog recordings is the variations in recording speeds caused by draining batteries.

What I would like next is a TRULY portable device that records WAV (not MP3) files directly to CD or DVD. It would be the same size as the smallest portable CD player and battery powered. I want WAV because I don't want a compressed or proprietary format. I want it to use CDs or DVDs because that's where everything ends up anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: treewind
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 09:20 AM

You won't get battery powered CD recording in anything very small. Obviously the CD size is one limitation, but the battery power required for burning a CDR is, I think, a show stopper.

I agree that the next step is to go to WAV and do everything else on the computer. The compression shouldn't be a problem for anyone doing field and live recordings - there are many more urgent sound quality issues to deal with. As for proprietary formats, I sympathize but if you're using Windows you're up to the neck in proprietary formats anyway (including WAV !)

Anahata

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 11:04 AM

Anahata,

Good points.

The last was just a wish list. A burner about the size of a CD would be fine if I could clip it to my belt and walk around with it.

I agree that the battery is the problem. I might be willing to deal with a separate battey pack about the size of a laptop battery.

There's proprietary and then there's proprietary. I like WAV simply because of it universality in the Wintel world, it's lossless storage, and the ability to do fast transfers from CD to hard drive if needed.

Actually, the thing I want already exists. Almost. It is called a laptop. I've used one for field recordings, but it is just too big and too fragile. For pure recording I don't need and don't want to pay for the screen, the processor, the MS software, and the gewgaws.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Musicman
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:19 PM

nomad jukebox.... 20gig hd.. stereo line input... usb transfer to computer... take the tape out from the board...

or....

use an ADAT or alesis HD24 (hard disk recorder), records individual tracks of input from the sound board.. dump it on your computer and mix ..or mix through your sound board to your computer in stereo...

musicman

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: treewind
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:19 PM

What you want is a miniature hard disk or solid state recorder, using laptop HD or flash and not much else, like one of Core Sound's products.

(did you say cheap?)

Anahata

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:34 PM

Isn't all recording done live?

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:34 PM

I just noticed. This is BS? Changing that designation will make it available to those who rarely or never read below the line.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:36 PM

That would only apply to those who were using the BS filter.

Subject: RE: BS: recording live what's best format
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 12:55 PM

It should be Tech...

:-)

Subject: RE: Tech: recording live what's best format
From:
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 01:58 PM

Hi, I've been using Mini-Disc recorders for live recording for about 3 years and it IS the way to go.

With the new High-Density disc technology debuting in another month, I'd suggest waiting for that.

Here are two sites to look at.

Mini-Disc Org
Mini-Disc Canada

Both have extensive FAQ's. The nice thing about Mini-Disc Canada's web-site is some of the new technology to INPUT to the computer in the form of Input/Output boxes using USB ports instead of sound cards. Even with Canadian prices they're not that expensive.

Subject: RE: Tech: recording live what's best format
From:
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 02:03 PM

As a for instance, have a look at the computer accessories page from Mini-Disc Canada.

Computer Accessories

I'm considering purchasing the Xitel MD-Port I/O or the M-Audio Transit Hi-Resolution Mobile Audio Upgrade.

With either of those, plus ANY computer with the requisite recording software, and your MD recorder, you're in business.

Subject: RE: Tech: recording live what's best format
From: Cheap Tracks
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 11:28 PM

I use a Sony Minidisc for my lighter recording jobs. They ARE available at the Best Buy stores near me - look in the area around their WALKMAN-type devices. HOURS of recording time with a single AA battery and very good audio quality. Only the more expensive units have mic inputs. Media is not expensive and it can be recorded many times over.

The one down side? No digital transfer out. I have to play it back into my computer realtime to edit the material. I still use studio-type microphones and a small mixer with mine, so it isn't something I stick in my pocket to record a concert.

MP3 compression has a pretty significant quality hit and is very depenent on the quality of the MP3 encoder. I would avoid devices that record MP3 format files.

Subject: RE: Tech: recording live what's best format
From: fogie
Date: 08 Mar 04 - 01:01 PM

refresh
thanks everybody for the advice
Seems a good idea to wait a few months but thanks for telling me about the field recording thread