Field Recording Gear! for practices and sample collecting

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title says it all? I just need a stereo input, a nice db meter, not looking for dual-XLR and phantom power or any of that kind of thing. I want it to be really simple to get audio from the device to the computer, so USB/FW is good, durability a must, and expandable memory on a smartcard or something so I can have about two hours of time w/no lossy compression.

anybody use anything like this?

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:36 (nineteen years ago)

KORG MR-1, anybody?

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 18:33 (nineteen years ago)

I like this(not shipping yet, though)

or this

― John Justen, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 18:56 (nineteen years ago)

I'll check out that Korg thingy when I get a chance. How much is it?

― John Justen, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 18:57 (nineteen years ago)

like 700

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 19:24 (nineteen years ago)

Oh. The stuff I recommended is much cheaper than that, so I'm guessing some features might be absent that you need.

Try this. Streets for about $299.

― John Justen, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 19:50 (nineteen years ago)

yeah I was just reading the o'reilly review

http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/digitalmedia/2007/02/01/review-zoom-h4-handy-recorder.html

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 21:17 (nineteen years ago)

the edirol 09 looks like the better compromise, though

― TOMBOT, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 21:55 (nineteen years ago)

I've got an Edirol R-1. It's pretty good, but I think I'm going to sell it and go back to recording on cassette.

― S-, Thursday, 1 March 2007 00:47 (nineteen years ago)

the Zoom H4 lets you use it as a USB interface for teh komputor. That'll probably end up being the dealmaker actually, two birds with one stone for me.

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 1 March 2007 14:55 (nineteen years ago)

Also (mostly directed at John) do you kinda get the idea that "pro sound" is increasingly becoming a bullshit term as everything goes digital and everybody listens to music in lossy compressed formats anyway? Like, unless you're working on DTS 5.1 soundtracks for motion pictures, I can't see what project needs more than 16 bit/44.1 horsepower, for anything, and this shit is cheaper than a home game console.

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 1 March 2007 15:00 (nineteen years ago)

Wow, at the G-track microphone.

― Ed, Thursday, 1 March 2007 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I was going to point out the usb out to you, but I forgot about it. I have to muse on yer question about Pro Sound a bit, but I instinctively agree. I'll be more effusive later when I'm not stuck at work in a blizzard. On my birthday. FTW, etc.

Yeah Ed, I haven't actually had the G-Track here in person yet (they're sending me a spec model soon), but it seems fairly unstoppable, kick-assedness-wise. As I recall, street might have been as low as $150, but don't quote me on that.

― John Justen, Thursday, 1 March 2007 17:43 (nineteen years ago)

Alright, now you can quote me. Street is $129.00.

― John Justen, Thursday, 1 March 2007 18:06 (nineteen years ago)

Bloody hell, The idea of a portable large capsule that records as well is incredible.

― Ed, Thursday, 1 March 2007 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

I've got an Edirol R-1. It's pretty good, but I think I'm going to sell it and go back to recording on cassette.

S- on Wednesday, February 28, 2007 7:47 PM (2 days ago)

i'm feelin ya on that. i wanna go back to 4-track. i hate recording with cubase/nuendo/protools crap and i h8888 how it sounds so much

― am0n, Saturday, 3 March 2007 00:56 (nineteen years ago)

not that the above has anything to do with field recording ;o{. i still have a md for that but its a pain in the ass doing transfers to hard drive

― am0n, Saturday, 3 March 2007 01:01 (nineteen years ago)

IIRC there have been more than a few interviews/articles/rumor pieces in gearhead fora in which pro engineers such as the dust bros or weird pioneers like the basic channel dudes used analog tape, even cassettes, as a stage in mastering process because digital recording sounded shit

― TOMBOT, Sunday, 4 March 2007 18:14 (nineteen years ago)

DDA 4 life

― TOMBOT, Sunday, 4 March 2007 18:15 (nineteen years ago)

I am getting stoked about the idea of using nothing but DC metro field samples to make an instrumental. Why do I have to dream up big dumb ideas before I've even budgeted the fucking gear

― TOMBOT, Monday, 5 March 2007 18:41 (nineteen years ago)

I can't see why that'd be too hard? Decent mic, recorder and a fairly basic computer program (like Audacity) would get you a long way.

― S-, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 00:24 (nineteen years ago)

If you're on Windows, I can't recommend Kristal Audio Engine enough as an alternative to Audacity. It's free, uses real-time VST effects, supports ASIO drivers, and has a much friendlier interface for multi-tracking. I don't know about Mac or Linux, though.

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 00:35 (nineteen years ago)

Audacity works with Audio Units on OSX so I'm covered, thanks tho

Whenever I get the Zoom I'll report back. Hopefully with some tracks of street musicians

― TOMBOT, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

Tombot, if you get around to buying the Zoom, email me offthread, and I'll quote you our patented "guy I don't actually know but talk to on the internet a lot" price.

― John Justen, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 17:21 (nineteen years ago)

yah, dudes, what's a good, cheap analog 4-track? or is the zoom really the way to go with this

(i just wanna be able to record little songs and stuff without having to use my computer...the mic is shitty and the hard drive noise is unbearable)

― gbx, Tuesday, 6 March 2007 22:12 (nineteen years ago)

I'm thinking of a Zoom H4 as well. I need something for an interface to/from the PC as well for recording and releasing cassettes from this: http://i18.ebayimg.com/03/i/000/85/3b/a371_12.JPG. It looks like it could be a good multi-tool, but I'm kinda sceptical about the build quality.

yah, dudes, what's a good, cheap analog 4-track? or is the zoom really the way to go with this

gbx, Tascam Portastudios should come up from time to time fairly cheaply, or Fostex makes alright stuff as well. [Removed Illegal Link]

― S-, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 01:28 (nineteen years ago)

Um. That was to an ebay auction for a Fostex X-14

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Fostex-4-track-X-14-w-power-adapter-USED-MTR_W0QQitemZ120092902637QQihZ002QQcategoryZ41478QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

?

― S-, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 01:35 (nineteen years ago)

tascam portastudio 424 mkII is gr8, i want

― am0n, Saturday, 10 March 2007 21:00 (nineteen years ago)

I've actually been looking for something similar. I'd love to be able to field-record decently to uncompressed audio. doesn't seem like that tall of an order but the killer device isn't out there. when I took a look a couple of years ago, people were still talking about minidisc recorders, ugh.

do you kinda get the idea that "pro sound" is increasingly becoming a bullshit term as everything goes digital and everybody listens to music in lossy compressed formats anyway?

maybe its counterintuitive thinking, but I think pro sound is more important than ever. the loss of sound quality caused by conversion to lossy formats is more noticeable on poor recordings. a well-done recording is going to convert to an okay sounding lossy file, a bad recording converts to something nearly unlistenable. if you're going to intentionally degrade the sound somewhere down the line, why not start with the best sound you can get?

and it would be really shortsighted if 100 years of work in audio fidelity were flushed down the crapper just because the first wave of digital transmission and playback devices adopted by consumers had neither the bandwidth or capacity to handle high quality formats.

^stuff I think / worry about a lot

― Edward III, Monday, 12 March 2007 19:03 (nineteen years ago)

three months pass...

bump cos i want to make some field recordings, and my portable minidisc player/recorder has died. i just want something simple & cheap(ish).

― zappi, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 19:50 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

hey guys, i may need some field recording equipment for a summer project. more like interviews w/people and stuff and not so much crickets and blowing wind, but I'm not sure if it makes a difference.

help me IMMers

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Wednesday, 10 June 2009 15:43 (sixteen years ago)

Aren't you planning to get an iPhone? If so, there are apps that should work for this. I have "Record" which is too sensitive to record loud music but would probably be good for interviews. You can email the recordings to yourself or transfer them if they're too long.

― congratulations (n/a), Wednesday, 10 June 2009 15:47 (sixteen years ago)

h'mmm...i am yes, but i think i might need something a bit more industrial? like, "works in Africa"

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Wednesday, 10 June 2009 15:53 (sixteen years ago)

Still vouching for the Zoom stuff - there is a new H4n that adds some features (um and is more expensive)

― AMYL NATHRAKH (jjjusten), Wednesday, 10 June 2009 17:39 (sixteen years ago)

Just about to release album comprised fully of binaural field recordings from a Zoom H2, so repping for that. Lent it to a friend also who got good results for recording some interviews.

― ambience chaser (S-), Monday, 22 June 2009 05:40 (sixteen years ago)

eight months pass...

still really want one of these

― drink more beer and the doctor is a heghog (gbx), Saturday, 13 March 2010 18:00 (sixteen years ago)

any updates in the world of portable field recorders, btw?

― drink more beer and the doctor is a heghog (gbx), Saturday, 13 March 2010 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

zoom still wins price/performance battle hands down imo

― First and Last and Safeways ™ (jjjusten), Saturday, 13 March 2010 21:26 (sixteen years ago)

which one, h2 or h4?

― am0n, Saturday, 13 March 2010 21:30 (sixteen years ago)

both really, just depends on what your needs are

― First and Last and Safeways ™ (jjjusten), Saturday, 13 March 2010 22:48 (sixteen years ago)

H2: Better in built mics, smaller, cheaper, can record surround sound.
H4: Works as a four-track recorder.

― Slacker Bilk (S-), Sunday, 14 March 2010 08:18 (sixteen years ago)

the new edirols are nice. seems like the same thing as the zoom.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 18 March 2010 11:38 (sixteen years ago)

except twice as expensive. not heard about quality comparisons. could the edirol really be twice as good?

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 22 March 2010 18:14 (sixteen years ago)

still interested in H2 vs Edirol

― Tracer Hand, Friday, 26 March 2010 11:54 (sixteen years ago)

one year passes...

any updates in the world of portable field recorders, btw?

― drink more beer and the doctor is a heghog (gbx), Saturday, March 13, 2010 12:05 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark

so i actually have a film project that will require a field recorder. collaborator has an H1, and we're both shooting video on GF1s (because that's what we've got). it's cheap, it syncs well with video apparently, and i guess maybe there's something to be said for keeping our equipment consistent? basically tell me why i ~shouldn't~ get the H1?

― g++ (gbx), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 15:58 (fourteen years ago)

H1 is fine for a basic hand held stereo recorder. If you want more features, ability to use powered electret condensors, record in 48/24 (or even 96/24) etc I'll continue to recommend the H2. Mine (mentioned upthread) is still going strong.

― Circlework de Soleil (S-), Tuesday, 5 July 2011 17:04 (fourteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

want a h2 so bad :(

but synths need taking to the doctors :(

wahhhhh

― Crackle Box, Friday, 29 July 2011 07:14 (fourteen years ago)

ten years pass...

Thread of field recordists doing their thing!!

https://timber.fm/stories/pictures-of-podcast-microphones

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 28 October 2021 09:07 (four years ago)

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