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What audio recording device do you use?
Dan Powers, Photographer
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Appleton | WI | USA | Posted: 11:51 AM on 11.09.06 |
| ->> We're using what seems to be a high end Magnavox recording device to do audio. It costs about $500-600 dollars and does a fine job. However, it is very large and gets in the way of shooting (in my opinion). What are you guys using to get real good quality audio for your Soundslides projects? I appreciate any info you guys can provide...thanks...Dan. |
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Dan Powers, Photographer
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Appleton | WI | USA | Posted: 11:53 AM on 11.09.06 |
| ->> Oops...I think the brand we have is Marantz. I'm looking for something as good but much smaller in size...thanks again. |
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Erik Markov, Photographer
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Kokomo | IN | | Posted: 2:31 PM on 11.09.06 |
->> Dan we have the Edirol Patrick mentioned and it works well, I've been fairly pleased with it. Also available recently: http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1901
Similiar to the Edirol in features. Has a few things it looks like the Edirol doesnt have, not sure as to the size of it and have not seen any reviews of it. |
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Jonathan Castner, Photographer
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Longmont | CO | USA | Posted: 5:12 PM on 11.09.06 |
->> I prefer the Sony Hi-MD minidisk units. They are much smaller than the M-Audio or Edirol and have instant on recording unlike the M-Audio which takes about 15 seconds to turn on and start recording. The Sony also takes a very small replacable rechargable battery and the M-Audio's is built in. The sound quality is stunning and they are much cheaper to boot.
Love it! |
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Tom Sperduto, Photographer
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Piscataway | NJ | USA | Posted: 8:06 PM on 11.09.06 |
| ->> Marantz PMD-660. It takes compact flash cards which is cool. I just picked up a RE50 mic today. |
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Dan Powers, Photographer
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Appleton | WI | USA | Posted: 10:06 PM on 11.09.06 |
| ->> I guess we have the Marantz PMD660...when I posted this I wasn't sure about the model. It's big...too big by the time you add the microphone and headphones..pain in the @ss...thanks for all of the help...Dan. |
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David Lucas, Photographer
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Michael J. Treola, Photographer
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Neptune | NJ | USA | Posted: 5:30 PM on 11.10.06 |
->> I use a sound devices 702 recorder. It's not small but that has never bothered me because I rarely have to shoot both still and record audio at the same time. I will say the recorder is incredible.
http://www.sounddevices.com/products/702.htm
The Marantz 660 unit I had was an audio persons nightmare. I had heard people's complaints about the ugly headroom noise from the units but didn't believe what I had read until I actually heard what everyone was talking about. The unit was returned the next day, as the quality was unacceptable. Certainly NOT the quality that Marantz is known for.
David points out the ws-200 above. I have one of these because they are small but the downfall is no manual audio control. The auto everything is a turn off to me but this shouldn't discourage others just getting into the multimedia game to try the recorder. It will work nicely for now and then you'll outgrow its capabilities.
The m-audio recorder's battery life is a major issue to contend with. Terrible! I too though the time to record after the button depressed was too long but you get more control with this recorder.
I've heard a bunch of people talking about the somewhat new Sony recorder. http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?id=82662 This is a pricey recorder too. I personally wouldn't spend the money on this recorder unless it has XLR inputs. XLR inputs in my opinion are an important feature of a recorder. The 1/8th in mini plugs on most recorders are useless if you plan to us it in the most diverse of situations.
My 2 cents.
Tree |
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Frank Johnson, Photographer, Assistant
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Atlanta | GA | USA | Posted: 6:47 PM on 11.10.06 |
->> I have been testing the sony Mz-m10 for about 3 months. My biggest complaint is the 1gb disks. I have found them inconvienent to carry around, but very convenient for cataloging later.
You can find more info here: http://bssc.sel.sony.com/BroadcastandBusiness/DisplayModel?m=0&p=10&sp=83&i...
I don't think this device is too pricey if you are looking for something lower cost. Sony markets this device to journalists and musicians.
I have been using it for podcasts. |
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Scott Corron, Photographer
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Houston | TX | USA | Posted: 6:47 PM on 11.10.06 |
| ->> Fostex FR2 Field Data Recorder.....great sound quality when paired with a nice Sennheiser shotgun mic. I have had excellent results with both voice and aircraft. |
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Ramsay de Give, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Grant Blankenship, Photographer
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Macon | GA | USA | Posted: 9:33 PM on 11.10.06 |
->> I'll chime in with praise of the Edirol R-09.
Having used both the Microtrack and the Edirol, I can say that the Edirol is easier to use in terms of setting levels without headphones. The files, even with the built in stereo mic, are plenty beefy for later editing. I sometimes find with the Microtrack that I don't have quite as robust a file as I would hope.
The Edirol's auto gain feature is great if you need to leave the recorder in one spot for some ambient noise while you go and wander, though I guess it does sort of flatten any sort of dynamics in what you record.
The Edirol startup time is light years faster and the double AAs that power it have so far lasted way longer than the built in li-ion of the Microtrack.
If you have the newest B&H catalog lying around, find the page with these recorders. There's a Sony that looks cool as well as a couple of others. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 9:57 PM on 11.10.06 |
->> The Marantz 660 unit I had was an audio persons nightmare. I had heard people's complaints about the ugly headroom noise from the units but didn't believe what I had read until I actually heard what everyone was talking about.
My Marantz works well and has a lot of features I like. I have heard of folks complaining about the noise. Oade Bros makes a mod for it:
http://www.oade.com/digital_recorders/hard_disc_recorders/PMD-660MODS.html
The $100 mod takes out the headroom noise, while the more expensive mods (only available if you buy the unit from them) make it into a really sweet recorder. |
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Chuck Liddy, Photographer
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Durham | NC | USA | Posted: 12:18 AM on 11.11.06 |
| ->> dave's right olympus ws-200 with the audio technica adr55 boom mike..SWEET!! |
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Brady Lane, Photographer
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Marshfield | WI | USA | Posted: 1:22 AM on 11.11.06 |
->> Like Jonathan, I’m a fan of the Sony Hi-MD minidisc recorders. I’ve been using the MZ-M100 for over a year and love it. My only complaint is that the buttons are super small, but I guess that is the trade-off for a small unit. The quality is amazing.
http://tinyurl.com/ygvpcr
Sony replaced the model I have with the MZ-M200. It measures a whopping
3 3/8 x 3 3/8 x 19/32 in. The button system also seems to be improved.
http://tinyurl.com/ya3l2b |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 8:30 AM on 11.12.06 |
->> It's a bummer that minidiscs don't use a standard recording format like WAV or MP3, because some of the recorders are very cool. But to import the audio you have to load up Sony's custom software to do the conversion from ATRAC to WAV. This means you're out of luck if you're working on a computer that doesn't have the Sony software installed. With a CF/SD card recorder, you can record natively to WAV/MP3 and read the files anywhere...just drag and drop them to your hard drive.
The conversion hassle might not be an issue in features work, but if you're in a deadline-critical situation it's nice being able to transfer your stuff using a friend's computer if you can't use yours for some reason. I also like simple, and the extra capture/conversion step with Minidisc is annoying. |
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Ian L. Sitren, Photographer
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Palm Springs | CA | USA | Posted: 9:03 AM on 11.12.06 |
| ->> Edirol R-09. Very small, light and simple to use. Often I need it for a quick sound or voice clip and there is no time for an external mic. So far the internal mic seems to be working just fine for me. |
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Chris Bergin, Photographer
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Muncie | IN | USA | Posted: 12:46 PM on 11.12.06 |
->> Is anyone that uses the M-Audio 24/96 having trouble with low levels? Everything sounds good when I have headphones on and am recording, but when I put the file into the computer the levels are very low. I havn't been able to work on a multimedia project with this recorder yet because I am concerned the levels will not pick up much. We have two of them at the paper and both are the same way.
Chris |
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Jonathan Castner, Photographer
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Longmont | CO | USA | Posted: 1:12 PM on 11.12.06 |
| ->> Actually David, the Hi-MD recorders will do WAV recording. That's one of the reasons that I use them. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 1:53 PM on 11.12.06 |
->> Actually David, the Hi-MD recorders will do WAV recording.
Really? Which model are you using? The manual on the Sony MZ-M200 says you can only transfer non-audio data when it shows up on the desktop. Any audio transfers (including PCM) require the software. |
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Brady Lane, Photographer
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Marshfield | WI | USA | Posted: 12:17 AM on 11.14.06 |
->> In response to the minisdisc questions...
Here is an excerpt from minidisc.org:
“Conversion of uploaded audio to .wav format is done by SonicStage itself as of version 3.1.”
Apparently there is a conversion that takes place, but the download is so fast nobody would ever know it.
It is true that the Sony software must be used to import the audio file, but it is an extremely simple and speedy program. I didn’t realize until recently it was “converting” anything because the download time is so quick. The audio .wav file downloads from the recorder just a speedily as any other recorder I have seen.
David, I have never had to download audio onto a friend’s computer in a deadline-critical situation. (Even if I did, I doubt they would also have the editing and production software I would need to produce on deadline.) The “extra capture/conversion step with Minidisc” you speak of is also a myth. All of that happens seamlessly in the background requiring no extra steps or time. My workflow with the minidisc is a simple drap and drop to the hard drive. |
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David Harpe, Photographer
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Louisville | KY | USA | Posted: 1:19 AM on 11.14.06 |
->> Even if I did, I doubt they would also have the editing and production software I would need to produce on deadline.
In a pinch, all you really need is iMovie...and everyone has iMovie.
But back to my point - Minidiscs DO NOT record WAV or MP3 formats natively. You must physically connect the recorder to a computer with the proper software installed before you can use your audio files. To access your audio files you have to have the recorder (or a compatible Hi-MD player/recorder), the connection cable, and a computer with the proper software installed. If any one of those pieces are missing, you are screwed.
Compare this to a CF/SD recording system. All I need is access to ANY computer with an industry-standard CF/SD card reader. It can be a Mac, PC, doesn't matter. No special software, no connecting the recorder to the computer. Just pop the card into any CF/SD reader and drag the WAV or MP3 files to the desktop.
Not having to have the recorder hooked to the computer is a huge advantage in a team workflow situation. With a CF/SD system I can send my cards back to an editor via a runner while I keep working. With a Minidisc system you either have to send your recorder back with your media (which takes you out of the game), or have your editor equipped with a minidisc on their computer. Two editors? Need a minidisc for each of them.
With so many really nice non-proprietary card-based systems out there these days, it really makes no sense to invest in Mindisc. There is no advantage to the system whatsoever. |
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D. Ross Cameron, Photographer
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Oakland | CA | USA | Posted: 1:58 AM on 11.14.06 |
->> Edirol R-09. Gets my vote. Easy to use, compact, takes AAs and SD card. Built-in stereo mic. Auto gain. Couldn't be simpler for audio dummies like me.
Sounding off,
DRC |
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